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Be Aware of Symptoms Your Child May Not Be Able to
Communicate
Pat Gates
Babies and young children with chronic illness may not be able
to communicate how they are feeling. They may get fussy or lethargic if they don't feel like going out or socializing with
others. Since becoming chronically ill I've wondered if I subjected my heart baby to too much stimulus at times when he wasn't
feeling good or having enough energy. We don't need to overworry and become too protecive, but perhaps we need to watch
for any warning signs such as physical changes or changes in their mood.
Read
about their illness and, if an adult experiences the same thing, find out how the illness makes them feel. It may be
the same for your child.
Be aware of weather,
especially the extremes of hot and cold. Heat may weaken as nerve conduction lessens in heart. It, along with extreme
cold, will make the heart pump harder, so be careful with heart children.
Socializing is great for all children but if they are feeling badly or if they are in
the hospital, shorten visits from others. When my son was older he told me visitors in the hospital were very tiring to him
after his surgery when he was 5 years old. I never thought about that at the time as the visitors were mainly talking to me.
Activity is always good as well, as long
as the activity fits the child's functioning level. Remember babies and young children don't know how to say they are feeling
weak or needing to go home. Let's be careful not to get so engrossed in our own activity that we ignore any physical signs
of fatigue in our children, or their fussiness may be their way of saying they need the peace and quiet of home.
Remember to be aware of your child's feelings, but be careful not to be so worried
that you become overprotective. That could create an emotional handicap which your child does not need. Just try and be sensible;
most of the time you'll get it right, sometimes you may not. It's very difficult to know 100% of the time. If we know the
symptoms of our child's illness and put ourselves in their position (emotionally and physically) perhaps we can make better
judgments.
One more thing: I wouldn't say, in front of the child,
that you need to get him/her home because you are worried they are overdoing. The child doesn't want to become the reason
for fun stopping and they don't want to be feel different from their friends. When you can, just say you have to go and if
you need to say why, explain away from the child or call later and give an explanation.
