PRECAUTIONS AND TREATMENT OF POLIO IN CHILDREN
Precautions
• An infant is temporarily immune to each of the three types of polio for four to six months after birth only if the mother is immune (because she’s had the disease or been vaccinated against it). The child needs a full series of vaccinations by mouth to achieve long-lasting immunity.
• Anyone who has received injections of the original, dead vaccine (Salk) must have boosters or two full series of the Sabin vaccine to guarantee immunity.
• Polio virus still exists in this country, and polio is epidemic in many other countries of the world. Since it is not possible to avoid it, immunization is essential.
Medical treatment
Your doctor’s diagnosis will be made on the basis of a physical examination and the results of a spinal tap. A child with a suspected or known case of polio will be isolated. A child who is not immunized and has been exposed to the disease will be given gamma globulin to prevent or lessen the severity of the disease. A child who has contracted polio will be given aspirin, paracetamol, other pain killers, and hot packs to reduce the pain. If polio causes paralysis, the child may need an artificial respirator, a tracheotomy (an opening into the windpipe through the neck), prolonged physical therapy, braces, or orthopedic surgery.
*173/84/5*
Leave a Reply