Children’s Health Clinic in Chatswood, Hornsby and Wentworth Point

Here at Star Medical we cover healthcare services for children in areas such as:

• Common health problems
• Allergies and intolerances
• Mental health
• Childhood vaccinations
• Health assessments

Common Health Problems for Children

Asthma: Children with asthma showcase symptoms such as a dry cough that persists, a cough that occurs during physical activity and a persistent wheeze when breathing.

Colds and fever: Colds are quite common for children and can happen as often as once a month. Unfortunately antibiotics will not work for treating colds. We encourage parents to keep their child hydrated, comfortable and allow your child to rest. Fevers are also common in children and are the body’s response to fighting infections. Whilst fevers are concerning for parents, the main concern is the underlying cause of the fever. Symptoms of fevers include your child having a temperature over 38°C, being unwell, hot and tired, irritability, shivering and vomiting.

Conjunctivitis: Conjunctivitis is a highly contagious infection of the eyeball lining and eyelid. This infection can occur in children. Conjunctivitis can develop if a child is near coughing, sneezing or touches discharge from the eyes, nose or mouth of someone with conjunctivitis. Symptoms of this infection include eyes that are sore, swollen, red and sticky.

Gastroenteritis: Children can get gastroenteritis, a bowel infection that is caused by germs. Symptoms of this infection include diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, feeling unwell and stomach cramps or pain. Parents should keep their children hydrated if they have gastroenteritis.

Hand, foot and mouth disease: This viral infection causes small blisters to form on the hands and feet and inside the mouth. This disease is harmless but can spread from person to person easily.

Lice or Nits: Most children will experience lice or nits in their childhood. Nits are an insect that lives in hair by grabbing onto the hair follicles and laying eggs throughout the scalp. If your child has nits you will notice them scratching and itching. We recommend patients remove lice by combing the insects and eggs out of wet hair with conditioner. Children should stay home until the lice are removed so as to not spread lice to other children.

Other common problems that may require healthcare services for children include conditions such as warts, worms and Impetigo.

Allergies

An allergy forms as a reaction to an allergen, something in the environment that causes a reaction. Children develop allergies and intolerances to everyday objects and foods.

Common allergies include:

• Chemicals
• Plants and trees
• Dust mites
• Insect Bites
• Latex
• Medicines
• Pets

If you believe your child has an allergy it is important to discuss this with your child’s doctor and receive specialised health services for children in Chatswood, Hornsby or Wentworth Point. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include a rash, swelling of the skin, stomach pain, hives, eczema, asthma, diarrhoea and hay fever. Children who have a severe allergic reaction will experience symptoms such as tongue and throat swelling, difficulty breathing, fainting and severe stomach pain. If your child experiences these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

To test allergic reactions we provide different tests to monitor your reaction to different allergens and determine your allergies. The tests we offer include a skin prick test and blood tests.

Skin Prick Test: Our team will prick your child’s skin with an allergen-infused device that will test your child’s reaction to several allergens.

Blood Tests: We will use an antibody blood test to check your child’s reaction to certain allergens. Your child’s blood will be tested to see if they have a high level of IgE antibodies, which reveals if your child is most likely allergic to the allergen. If your child is unable to have a skin-prick test, we recommend this test.

Intolerances

From a young age, our bodies can build up an intolerance for certain foods. Lactose intolerance is one of the most common intolerances where the stomach cannot break down lactose effectively. The symptoms of lactose intolerance include wind, stomach pain, bloating and diarrhoea. As lactose is an important nutrient in the development of your child, reach out to your doctor to confirm and begin taking action against this intolerance.

To treat lactose intolerance, we offer treatments such as the hydrogen breath test and an elimination diet.

Elimination diet: The elimination diet begins with changing your child’s diet to not include any foods containing lactose. If your child’s symptoms improve they are most likely intolerant to lactose. Lactose will be reintroduced into your child’s diet to see if the symptoms return.

Childhood vaccinations

It is important for your children to be up to date with their vaccinations to protect them from illness and diseases. Diseases like measles and diphtheria can be life threatening for children and therefore you should vaccinate your child against serious diseases. Immunisations are important to protect children from infections that they may face in the community. Vaccinations help your child’s immune system build a resistance against infections and diseases.

Children should be protected against common diseases such as:

• chickenpox
• diphtheria
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
• hepatitis B
• measles
• meningococcal disease
• mumps
• pneumococcal infection
• polio (poliomyelitis)
• rotavirus
• rubella
• tetanus
• whooping cough (pertussis)
• hepatitis A

After two weeks your child will have build-up a resistance to the disease the vaccine is targeting. Vaccines are administered through injections and several vaccines are combined for children. It is important that children get a lot of vaccines when young as their immune system is not as developed as it will be when they are adults.

Here at Star Medical we offer many different vaccines to help boost your child’s immune system. If your child is scared of needles we recommend you comfort your child during the procedure. Injections can be painful for children and therefore we recommend supporting your child during this procedure. To discuss the vaccines your child should have, contact our clinic and book a consultation today.

Health assessments

From ages 0 to 12 years of age, kids should have regular checks at a physical and mental health clinic for children. In these health assessments we will evaluate your child’s development process and health. These assessments will include a check-up on your child’s weight, height and body mass index (BMI) and measurements of health such as breathing, reflexes, vision and hearing tests. The first five years of a child’s life are an important time for a child’s development. Your child should have regular checks to monitor their development and changes as they age. We also encourage parents to ask questions about children’s behavioural health services and discuss their child’s development and mental health with our team in these check ups.

Our health assessments can include:

• Health problem diagnosis and management
• Immunisations
• Skin checks
• Oral health check-ups
• Allergy check-ups
• Motor skills, behaviour and mood
• Inspections of patterns that may require mental health therapy for children