My Baby is 18 months old but till now she is not saying anything not even mama or dada.
On her 15 month check up doctor told that she has some red flags for autism. the red flags are
1. she didn't point out her needs or clap or wave bye bye.
2. Didn't point out her interest.
3. does not respond to her name and seems like deaf some time.

But now she started to point out her needs, pointing her interest and respond to her name most of the time and she started to clap when I ask her and wave bye bye.
She can follow simple instruction like get me something, jump, dance etc. when I sing a song she do the actions. she can point out her 3 body parts correctly like head,tummy,hand. she pretend play well with the phone and the doll.

she is very happy child and never wants to be alone, always she wants me to be with her. she share her interest with me by bringing the things to me and she checks my face for her action. she got good eye contact.

She use to say mamamam but that's not me. its a babbling. she do thumb sucking. she use to watch TV for 4 hrs daily in english but english is a foreign language to her. now I have stoped her watching TV and thumb sucking. does it cause and speech delay in her?.
Are these are autism symptoms. should I be worried …. Please help me out.

I would suspect she was a little delayed due to the excess — ridiculously excessive — television. That sort of thing will cause developmental delays. she needs lots of one-on-one interaction. Keep going with the imaginative play, body part naming, etc.

It is not possible to read too much to a child, so make sure she's getting lots of story time. if books are new and she is not willing to sit still for long, focus on selling her on the idea that books are fun, for now — find books with pictures of stuff she likes, get her to come over and check out the pictures. Read the same pages over and over if that's what it takes to get her interested.

No she may just have a speech delay, it may be the conflict between two languages.

Since she is pointing out her needs and understands that you have a theory of mind (have your own thoughts), she does not have autism.

It sounds like she may have a simple speech delay.
Yes. Being exposed to a foreign language frequently can cause speech delay. however the delay is worth it because later on your child will be multi lingual and that will help them out their entire life.

Get her a developmental screening. Your doctor or your school district will be able to give you info on how to do this.
Whatever they tell you needs to be done. do it.

The main sign of autism is not being social. I mean like not even being social with parents. And not looking people in the eyes. it sounds to me like she is not autistic and just has a simple speech delay.

The CT or CAT scan is an acronym for computerised axial tomography scan, and it?s now a tool regularly used in diagnosis.

THERE have been exponential advances in medicine in the last five decades, both in diagnostics and therapeutics. This has been made possible through technological discoveries or improvements in other fields of human activity. The CT or CAT scan is one such example.

CT or CAT scan is an acronym for computerised axial tomography scan. The images in a CT scan are created through x-rays and a computer system. Anyone who has seen the images of a CT scan, whether in film or digital form, cannot but marvel at its detail and comprehensiveness.

The CT scan is a large ring-shaped medical device which produces a series of x-ray beams as it rotates around the body in small movements. Images are built up of the various parts of the body scanned during this process. These images, which are called tomograms, are of greater detail than that of ordinary x-rays, which uses a single x-ray beam only. The CT scan can produce images of various body parts like the organs in the chest and abdomen, blood vessels and bones.

Full disclosure: Anyone who has seen the images of a CT scan, whether in film or digital form, cannot but marvel at its detail and comprehensiveness.

A more sophisticated CT scan is the spiral or helical scan, which is faster than the standard CT scan. The x-ray beam in this scan rotates around the body part being scanned in a spiral fashion and produces continuous images.

CT scans are used in the diagnosis and evaluation of many conditions as well as the monitoring of treatment. The procedure is painless and the time taken varies, depending on the body part that is scanned and whether a standard or spiral scan is used.

Standard scans usually take between 10 to 30 minutes. Spiral scans take a shorter time.

Preparations

There is a standard operating procedure whenever a CT scan is ordered. The patient will be asked about his or her medical condition, consumption of medicines, history of allergies, and the possibility of pregnancy in women in the reproductive age group.

In general, CT scans are not done in pregnant women unless there are medical or surgical conditions that require evaluation and/or treatment. This is because of the slight possibility that x-rays may harm the developing foetus. Children are more susceptible to radiation risks than adults. as such, CT scans are only done if the child has a serious condition which is of greater risk than the CT scan.

Any jewellery or metal on the body has to be removed because they interfere with the scanning process. Hair clips, dentures, contact lenses and hearing aids will also have to be removed, particularly if the head is to be scanned.

The patient will be asked to change into a hospital gown.

Some people have a fear of being closed in without means of escape (claustrophobia, which is derived from the Latin word claustrum, which means ?the shut in place?, and Greek word phobos, which means ?fear?). having a CT scan can be claustrophobic. If one has this problem or an anxiety about the scan, one should inform the staff when making the appointment. This is usually addressed by advice and information or the prescription of a sedative to be taken prior to the scan. It is advisable to arrange for a relative or friend to drive if one is going to take a sedative.

The scan

A patient having a CT scan will be asked to lie on a bed that automatically moves in and out of the hollow part of the CT scanner, which is shaped like a large ring. Images will only be taken of the body part that is inside the ring.

After adjusting the position of the bed to ensure that the exact part of the body is in the ring of the CT scanner, the radiographer or radiologist will leave the examination room. he or she will carry out the scanning from a control room, which has a window with full view of the patient. The reason is to reduce the radiation exposure to staff carrying out x-rays daily. Communication with the staff in the control room during the scan will be through an intercom.

The patient will be requested to be still and breathe normally to prevent any blurring of the images taken. one may be asked to breathe in, breathe out or to hold the breath at certain stage(s) of the procedure.

The x-ray in the ring of the CT scan rotates around the patient, taking images as it does so. with the completion of each rotation, the bed on which the patient is lying is moved forward a little bit and the cycle continues until the examination of the body part required is completed.

Sometimes, a contrast medium may be given to a patient who has a CT scan. The medium contains a dye which enhances the quality of the x-ray images of certain body parts. It may be injected into a blood vessel, swallowed as a drink or inserted into the rectum, depending on the body part that is being scanned.

Some patients experience a warm sensation with the injection of contrast medium. This is not abnormal and will resolve by itself rapidly. The contrast media used in CT scans are usually harmless and are excreted from the body in the urine. however, some patients may develop an allergic reaction to the contrast medium, causing complication; hence the importance of informing the radiologist or radiographer of any previous allergies.

The many x-ray images taken will be stored in a computer system. The radiologist will study and analyse the images taken on a monitor screen from various angles and then write a report for the doctor who ordered the CT scan.

With the completion of the CT scan, one can leave the hospital. It is advisable to ask the staff when to expect the results and to confirm one?s appointment with the doctor who ordered the scan.

Uses

CT scans provide information about various conditions, both in its diagnosis and evaluation as well as the monitoring of treatment. Sometimes, they may help in the diagnosis of an unsuspected condition.

The uses of CT scans are myriad and include:

> Head scans after a stroke and for suspected bleeding, swelling of arteries and tumours;

> Chest scans to assess lung and heart conditions;

> Abdominal scans in conditions affecting the liver, gall bladder, spleen, pancreas, intestines;

> Pelvic scans in conditions affecting the female reproductive tract and intestines;

> Blood vessel scans to assess blood flow in various parts of the body;

> Bone scans in conditions affecting bone;

> Guide for biopsies;

> Planning for radiotherapy; and

> Monitoring effects of treatment.

Risks

The exposure to radiation during a CT scan is generally at levels that are safe and insufficient to cause harm to a patient.

A report from the Clinical Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Imaging of the United Kingdom estimated that a typical CT scan of the abdomen or pelvis of everyone in the population would lead to a theoretical lifetime risk of radiation induced fatal cancer of about one in 2,000 (0.05%). This compares with the normal spontaneous risk of fatal cancer of about one in four (25%).

As with all things in medicine, one has to always consider the benefits and the risks of any intervention. If a CT scan is used in the diagnosis of a medical or surgical condition or to monitor treatment, the benefits will outweigh the potential risk.

However, if one has no symptoms, the risk of a CT scan increases because it may lead to additional tests which are unnecessary. as CT scans are not 100% accurate, there is also the possibility of undue alarm or false reassurance.

The benefits and risks must always be considered before having a CT scan. Doctors recommend that CT scans are done for medical reasons only and not for screening purposes.

Dr Milton Lum is a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia. This article is not intended to replace, dictate or define evaluation by a qualified doctor. The views expressed do not represent that of any organisation the writer is associated with.

Impetigo is a skin infection that normally affects the younger children and infants. it is extremely contagious bacterial infection and hence needs immediate attention of the parents.

Impetigo mainly occurs on the facial skin, particularly around the nose and mouth. it can also appear on the other body parts like neck and hands but the diaper area is the most common site where impetigo mainly attacks a child.

Symptoms of Impetigo – Impetigo patients chiefly experience red sores, which is the major symptom of impetigo. these sores may itch and can burst when they are filled with fluid. as a result fluid may lead for a few days after which a yellowish crust may form on this part.

Sometimes, painless blisters may appear on the skin of the impetigo sufferers. in severe cases of this contagious skin infection, painful sores filled with fluid or pus can occur, which may form deep ulcers.

Types of Impetigo – Impetigo skin infections are of two types. They are bullous impetigo and non-bullous impetigo. Children are more commonly affected by the second type i.e. non-bullous impetigo. it is typically caused by ataphylococcus aureus but in rare cases it can also be caused due to an infection of group a streptococcus. Non-bullous impetigo starts in the form of tiny blisters that ultimately form crust after bursting.

Bullous impetigo occurs as large blisters that get filled with fluid or pus but do not burst open. these blisters most often remain on the skin of the sufferer for longer time duration. Bullous impetigo is caused by staphylococcus aureus.

Causes of Impetigo – Impetigo can be caused by any of these two bacteria – staphylococcus aureus and streptococcus pyogenes. these bacteria do not harm a person until they enter the body system through a cut or other abrasion. When these bacteria get into the body, infection results and eventually impetigo is caused.

Adults usually get affected by impetigo when the bacteria causing this skin infection find their way into the body as a result of any injury caused to their skin. mostly, other skin conditions like dermatitis are responsible for the bruises on the skin that allow the entry of the bacteria through skin.

Since impetigo is highly contagious, patients should maintain cleanliness and the condition must be treated properly.

Entering into the world of diseases makes us wonder about the mysterious ways of nature. it is strange to observe how some peculiar conditions crop up within the human body, and carry on affect you in various strange ways.

Cancer is that one disease or ailment that occupies the center stage of the unresolved biological mysteries.

Deciphering squamous cell cancer is bound to lead you within the labyrinth of mystery and bring in various peculiar traits in front of you. to understand squamous cell is a breed of cancerous cell or carcinoma.These cells can give rise to cancer in various body parts and organs.

However, the most peculiar insight is that the symptoms, causes and even the appearance of the cancer take distinct shapes in every other part. it is interesting to note that every other type of squamous cancer is distinctly different from the other.

Skin cancer of the squamous cell carcinoma, is one of the most common types of skin cancer and generally ulcerate. Apparently, exposure to radiation is held as the primary reason for this skin cancer. it is important to understand squamous cancer and thereby bring it to a check right at the first stages.

This is one of the most rapidly spreading cancers and affects the other parts of the body very easily. Immunodeficiency and blood disorders results into the, speedy spreading of the carcinoma cells within the body.However, this skin cancer is synonymous to old age but other minor causes can also bear the cause of this cancer.

Light appearance of the skin and the eyes are the most important reason in this case. it might just strike you that, how you will actually understand the onset of squamous cancer. A few significant symptoms clearly indicate the occurrence of squamous cancer.

From small skin rashes to bumps on the skin, everything can be held responsible for squamous cell cancer. Generally, in the first few stages of the cancer red bumps appears on the skin and remain intact for a long time. an unnatural overnight change on the skin surface must be noted carefully and thus, has to be observed to record the change.