A Unique Child: Health - Atishoo!

Around one in three children in the UK are affected by hay fever, marking a threefold rise within the last generation - for reasons that are not entirely clear - and the same rate of increase as asthma. Hay fever can be a debilitating condition, but there are plenty of steps that you can take to ensure that children and early years practitioners alike don't miss out on summer activities.

CAUSES

Hay fever is a reaction to airborne allergens, which stimulate the body to release the chemical histamine, which in turn triggers the allergic symptoms. Children with a family history of allergies, asthma or eczema are more likely to develop hay fever, but symptoms will often decrease significantly as they get older.

SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS

Hay fever, or more properly, seasonal allergic rhinitis, is twice as likely to affect adults as children, although it is increasingly being diagnosed in children as young as three. A medical diagnosis is important, because symptoms may be due to different, non-seasonal allergens, such as dust mites, or pet fur.

Hay fever symptoms are easily recognisable - runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, which occur at more or less the same time every year and are worse on sunny days. These symptoms can make sufferers extremely tired, irritated and prone to headaches.

For some, symptoms may begin from midto late spring when tree pollen first appears, but the most common trigger is grass pollen during the summer months. Mould spores on trees in the autumn can also trigger hayfever, to a lesser extent. In all, the hay fever season lasts from March to October, peaking in July and August.

TREATMENT

GPs may recommend antihistamines in tablet or liquid form for children and these are available in non-drowsy formulations. A steroid nasal spray may also be prescribed and this has to be taken in regular, measured doses to help build resistance.

Young children can find it difficult to swallow tablets or inhale nasal sprays, but powder puffers are also available from pharmacists. These are steroid-free, can be administered easily by an adult and work by coating the nostrils with a cellulose barrier to block airborne allergens. Petroleum jelly, smeared around the nostrils, can also help in this way, while eyedrops can help to alleviate the dryness and itchiness associated with hay fever.

In severe cases, GPs may refer patients to a specialist centre for a course of desensitisation. Following an initial 'skin test' to check which allergen or allergens cause a reaction, a course of injections or tablets, containing small doses of the 'trigger', are given to help build resistance and treat the underlying causes.

PREPARATION

It's important to ensure that all grass and weeds around your setting are cut (dock and nettles are particularly high in pollen) and that the cutting is done outside of nursery hours. Providing shady outdoor areas (hay fever sufferers are particularly sensitive to bright light) and low-allergen indoor areas, which are dust-free, will ensure that hay fever sufferers do not miss out on the opportunity to interact and to play.

Keeping a ready change of clothing for sufferers, to be used when they come in from outside play, and ensuring that children and staff wash their hands and faces when they've been outdoors, will also help minimise the amount of pollen that is brought inside. Wrap-around sunglasses and peaked hats are also useful in keeping pollen away from eyes and noses.

On hot days it is tempting to open all the windows, but rooms will remain cooler and pollen-free if you close the windows and pull down the blinds at the start of the day.

PREVENTION

It is impossible to prevent hay fever symptoms entirely, but there are several steps you can take to make the condition more bearable:

• - Track the pollen count and weather forecast, via the internet, local paper or TV, and plan activities accordingly. Hay fever symptoms manifest themselves when the pollen count reaches around 50, but this is not always as obvious as it sounds - on sunny days flowers open to release more pollen, but a strong wind will also help pollen to circulate and exacerbate symptoms, while rain disperses it and dampens it down.
• - Outings and day trips to the coast are likely to be more successful than visits to open fields and parks, as sea breezes send pollen inland.
• - The pollen count is usually at its highest in the early morning and in the late afternoon and evening, so outdoor play at these times is not advisable for hay fever sufferers.
• - Smoking and smoky atmospheres irritate the lining of the nose and throat, aggravating hayfever symptoms.