Allergies can drive kids up the wall. The constant sneezing, sniffling, itching and runny eyes can distract them from their school work, their playtime and their sleep. It can be pretty hard on parents, too!

If you think your child may have allergies, your first port of call should be your family doctor or healthcare professional. Depending on the type of allergy and severity of symptoms, they may recommend antihistamines to relieve the symptoms and help your child recover. The good news is that Little Allergies is a specially-formulated antihistamine for children with a long-lasting formula that relieves their sneezes, sniffling, itching and runny eyes.

What are allergies?

An allergy occurs when a person’s immune system responds to an allergen. Inhaled allergens – the most common type of allergy – can cause an allergic reaction when your child breathes in the substance that they are allergic to. Some children are affected by pollen; others may be affected by dust mites, mould or pet hair.

When your child breathes in an allergen that their little body doesn’t like, their immune system has an allergic response. Thinking that the allergen is a dangerous invader, your child’s body releases histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream to fight it off. These chemicals may cause symptoms like sneezing, runny noses, and itchy, watery eyes.

Cold, flu or allergies?

Allergies can have similar symptoms to a common cold or flu, which can make it tricky to work out how to treat the problem.

For example, hayfever and allergies can have symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose with clear discharge, and itchiness. Some of these symptoms are similar to a cold, which can have symptoms like sore throat and fever as well. If you’re not sure, take your child to the doctor.

How can you treat allergies in children?

The first line of defence against allergies is to avoid contact with the allergens in the first place. Yet active, curious kids are always exploring their environment! If contact does occur, then one of the proven ways to manage the resulting allergies is by using an oral antihistamine. Antihistamines block the action of the histamines and alleviate the symptoms.

Little Allergies is a fast acting liquid antihistamine that provides up to 12-hour relief from symptoms associated with hayfever and other allergy symptoms.

Many parents also use FESS® Little Noses, a gentle saline solution that loosens and thins mucus to help wash away allergens and clear a blocked nose, so your little one can breathe easier, naturally.

 

Did you get another sleepless night from your little one’s endless coughing? Unfortunately, young children cough a lot. Coughing is extremely common – it is often a symptom of respiratory tract infections that can affect kids many times each year.

While it is distressing to see your child coughing so much, it can help to know that productive coughs (those that produce mucus) are helping to protect their airways. You can help your little one, too, by giving them Little Coughs – an expectorant that helps to loosen and thin mucus, making it easier to cough it up.

Sometimes, it can seem as though your little one will never stop coughing. In fact, most young children get a cough and/or cold 6 to 12 times each year. Considering that these bouts of chesty coughing can last longer than a week each time, that’s a lot of the year taken up with coughing!

Why do we cough?

When your little one coughs, their body is removing foreign material or mucus from their airway. The cough is triggered when the nerve endings in the airways are irritated. It’s a natural reflex that helps to protect their airways and help with upper airway infections.

Most coughs are caused by respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold, flu or mild bronchitis.

What are productive coughs?

A productive (or wet) cough is one in which the cough is producing mucus. It sounds chesty or congested, and is accompanied by a build-up of mucus or phlegm in the lungs. A productive cough is a common symptom of a respiratory tract infection due to a cold or flu.

Productive coughs can be eased with Little Coughs, a treatment that helps to loosen and thin the mucus to make it easier for your little one to cough it up. Little Coughs also helps to relieve the feeling of tightness on their little chest.
Based on an extract of ivy leaf, Little Coughs acts as an expectorant and soothes the cough. Ivy leaf has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb for cough relief, and has been shown to help with productive coughs.

How often does your child go to the toilet? While there are no hard and fast rules for how often children should pass a stool, it is important to watch out for signs of constipation.

Constipation can be quite common in children. The causes are varied – some kids don’t get enough fibre in their diets, others simply forget to go to the toilet because they are too busy playing! There are medical conditions that can cause constipation, too. Whatever the cause, it’s important to treat constipation properly so that it doesn’t become an ongoing problem.

Stool softeners like Little Parachoc can help to empty your child’s large intestine and maintain regular bowel movements. By getting back into a regular rhythm, your child can stop worrying about number twos and enjoy their day again.

What is constipation?

First, let’s dispel a common myth. Just because your child hasn’t done a poo for a few days, it doesn’t mean they are constipated. Constipation is not just about how often your child passes stools. It can also be about how difficult or painful it is.

Constipation can occur when stools become hard and/or very large. As a hard stool builds up, the bowel is stretched larger than normal and its muscles can’t work properly to clear the contents. If the bowel is not emptied, the muscles can’t regain their regular strength and so constipation continues.

What are the signs of constipation?

Your child should be able to tell you – in a roundabout way, of course – that they have constipation. They might say, ‘My tummy hurts’. Or, ‘It hurts when I try on the toilet.’ Pain down below is very common with constipation. They might also resist going to the toilet because of the pain.

How can you help your child?

If you are worried about your child’s constipation, then your first port of call should be a healthcare professional, such as your family GP.

Your healthcare professional may recommend a stool softener like Little Parachoc. It works by gently lubricating the bowel wall and softening the fecal mass. This makes the stool easier to pass and helps children achieve an ideal bowel movement.

As well as using a stool softener, you can also help by encouraging your child to sit correctly on the toilet, without distractions, a few times a day. Aim to get them to remain on the toilet for about five minutes. This can help to establish and maintain regular bowel movements.

Also take a look at your child’s diet. Are they eating enough high-fibre fruits and vegetables? Are they drinking enough water? A few adjustments to their daily food and fluid intake can also help to move things along.

Eye infections are common in newborn babies and young children. Conditions like conjunctivitis, blocked tear ducts and styes can leave your little one’s eyes looking red, swollen or crusty.

If your baby or young child has an eye infection or blocked tear ducts, please see a healthcare professional for appropriate treatment. In conjunction with the recommended treatment, you can use sterilised eye wipes such as Little Eyes to gently clean the delicate eye area and remove secretions and discharge from around the eyes. Little Eyes can also be used as a warm or cold compress for soothing relief.

What types of eye infections commonly affect children?

Babies and young children are susceptible to a number of different types of eye infections.

Conjunctivitis is very common, and can be contagious. It can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection; and allergic conjunctivitis can also affect children. Generally, conjunctivitis inflames the clear membrane that covers the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. Depending on the type of infection, the eye can become crusty around the eyelids, puffy or weepy.

Some babies are born with blocked tear ducts, which can cause symptoms like a discharge of pus and crusted mucus along the eyelashes. Conjunctivitis can also lead to blocked tear ducts.

Styes are also quite common. A stye is a little pimple which may be caused by a bacterial infection that forms at the base of an eyelash, and can cause swelling and discomfort around the eye.

How can you clear crust and discharge from your little one’s eyes?


It can be distressing for you to see your baby’s eyes become red, crusty or weepy. You can help to relieve their discomfort by gently wiping away the grit or sticky residue from their eyes and between the eyelashes using Little Eyes sterilised wipes.

Little Eyes wipes are gentle on the delicate eye area. They contain no alcohol, fragrances or preservatives, and they are pH balanced to match your child’s own tears. No stinging, no nasty surprises for your little one.

When cleaning your little one’s eyes, it’s important to wipe from the inside corner (near the nose) outwards towards the ear and to use a separate wipe for each eye. This helps to minimise the spreading of infections from eye to eye. Make sure you wash your hands with warm soapy water afterwards and dispose of used wipes in a rubbish bin, to prevent the infection from spreading to others.

Little Eyes can be used on newborn babies, from day one. Each wipe is packaged in a sterilised sachet, with 30 sachets in a pack.