Meghan B., 1

Meghan is almost a year old now. She appears small for her age because, the mother reports, she is a very poor feeder and prefers to breastfeed instead of taking any meals. Meghan has been having rashes all over her body for the past 1 week. This makes the child quite irritable and she cries most of the time. She is also having a cough which is dry and harsh

Meghan appears small for her age because, the mother reports, she is a very poor feeder and prefers to breastfeed instead of taking any meals. Meghan has been having rashes all over her body for the past 1 week. The rashes are itchy and this makes the child quite irritable and she cries most of the time. She is also having a cough which is dry and harsh Mother reports of cough for the last three days which is non productive and also has diarrhoea General body skin rashes and loss of appetite. The doctor and the nutritionist assessed the child and the child was also taken to the laboratory for further investigations. She was given medication to take at home and was put on follow up by the nutritioinist for closer follow up to achieve the acceptable BMI for her age. She progressed well.

Pneumonia should be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated, pneumonia may lead to the permanent lung damage, respiratory failure, septicaemia (infection entering blood stream and causing sepsis), pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid in the space between the lung and chest wall, which can make breathing difficult), and other life-threatening complications. Topical corticosteroid creams or ointments are often prescribed to reduce inflammation and relieve itching associated with dermatitis. These medications help to suppress the immune response and alleviate symptoms.