Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells that originates in the bone marrow. Statistics show that 2000-3000 children are affected by leukemia every year. It is the most common type of childhood cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, there is currently no way to prevent most childhood cancers. Since most adults and children with leukemia have no known risk factors, there is nothing certain about preventing the development of leukemia; but you can try the following methods.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Avoiding Potential Risk Factors
Step 1. Keep your baby away from high frequency radiation
Some studies show that people exposed to radiation are at risk of developing leukemia. A classic example is the survivors of the Hiroshima bomb. Their exposure to atomic bomb radiation dramatically increased their chances of developing leukemia.
- Low-frequency radiation found in x-rays, CT scans, or radiation therapy also increases the chances of developing leukemia. Hence, you should avoid repeated exposure to these tests or therapies as much as possible.
- Physicians and healthcare professionals must be responsible for preventing patients from being exposed to unnecessary radiation.
Step 2. Avoid exposing your baby to benzene
Benzene is a chemical base for the production of other substances such as gasoline, lubricants, and pesticides. It has a sweet smell which, when inhaled, can be absorbed easily. It can also penetrate the skin. The rate of leukemia, and especially acute myeloid leukemia, is higher in people exposed to benzene.
- Chronic exposure causes sufficient amounts of benzene to cause damage within the body. Avoid working in places that require repeated exposure to benzene, such as gas stations and cigarette factories.
- New safety rules have established a decrease in the benzene content in products such as gasoline. However, it is better to reduce attendance at petrol stations and crude oil factories.
Step 3. Avoid smoking or using tobacco near your baby
Smoking causes exposure to benzene, as this substance is emitted in cigarette smoke. There are also other radioactive chemicals found in cigarettes.
- Secondhand smoke also exposes a person to benzene.
- The best advice for smokers is to stop smoking right away and save the lives of others as well. For non-smokers, the advice is to avoid cigarette smoking at all costs.
Step 4. Be aware of the risks associated with certain types of chemotherapy
Children treated with chemotherapy for other types of cancer have an increased risk of developing secondary cancer such as acute myeloid leukemia, which develops within 5-10 years of therapy.
- Alkylating agents are the major culprits of secondary cancer caused by chemotherapy. This drug attaches itself to a negative alkyl group which damages the DNA of the cells.
- With this group of drugs there is a higher incidence of leukemia.
- It is advisable to thoroughly discuss the treatment plan with a doctor when undergoing chemotherapy.
Step 5. Don't drink alcohol during pregnancy
Some studies have found that babies born to mothers who used alcohol during pregnancy have a higher risk of developing leukemia.
Part 2 of 4: Keeping Your Baby Healthy
Step 1. Get your baby on a healthy diet
Encouraging children to make healthier choices will make their bodies stronger and reduce their chances of developing cancer. According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, you can try the following options to help your kids eat healthily.
- Add various fruits and vegetables to your baby's meals.
- Make ready-to-eat fruit and vegetables as a snack.
- Blend the vegetables into a puree and add it as a sauce on the pasta.
Step 2. Encourage your child to be more active
Physical activity keeps the body fit and improves the immune system in general. Make sure your children get at least one hour of physical activity.
- Limit TV and video games.
- Encourage your child to ride a bike or walk early in the morning.
- Enroll your children in sports classes, such as basketball or dance.
Step 3. Make sure your baby is getting adequate rest
The body recovers better during sleep. It is at this moment that the repair of damaged cells begins to restore good health.
- Adequate sleep ensures a healthy body and a solid immune system, which is essential for fighting disease.
- In general, children need a lot of rest. Children aged one to three need 12 to 14 hours of sleep, those aged four to six need to sleep 10 to 12 hours, children aged seven to twelve need 10 to 11 hours of sleep and adolescents they need 8 or 9 hours of sleep.
Part 3 of 4: Recognizing Symptoms Early
Step 1. Look out for signs of fatigue
Fatigue is the most common symptom. It may be accompanied by paleness of the face and skin and difficulty in breathing with little effort. These symptoms indicate that the red blood cells are not carrying sufficient amounts of oxygen to the rest of the body. The lungs, other vital organs, and muscles compensate for the lack of oxygen by working harder. This is a very strenuous process to go through and causes a general feeling of exhaustion.
Step 2. Watch out for persistent fever
Fever protects the body from harmful processes taking place inside it. The body's constant fight against leukemia cells triggers a persistent fever.
Step 3. Ask your child if they experience bone pain
The bone marrow is a soft tissue found in the center of the bones. Bone pain results from the fact that the bone marrows are saturated with leukemia cells.
Step 4. Pay attention to how easily your baby bleeds or bruises
The easy appearance of bruising, frequent bleeding of the gums and nose, the presence of red spots on the skin are all symptoms that indicate a low level of platelets in the blood.
Step 5. Look for small soft masses under the skin
These small masses can be found anywhere in the body; are the secondary effects of the infiltration of leukemia cells under the affected area.
Step 6. Look for lack of appetite
The spleen is the grave of dead blood cells. Leukemia increases the mortality rate of blood cells, thus congesting the spleen, which consequently swells. The proximity of the spleen to the stomach plays an important role in causing a lack of appetite. The enlarged spleen presses on the stomach, thus giving a sense of fullness. This explains the loss of appetite.
Step 7. Track any weight loss
The body's chronic fight against leukemia unleashes a cascade of inflammatory cells. An inflammatory cell is called a tumor necrosis factor (cachectin). Cachectin is responsible for weight loss.
Step 8. See if your baby has severe night sweats
Fever is the body's response to harmful leukemia cells. Chronic fever impairs the brain's ability to regulate body temperature. The brain's now compromised regulatory process perceives normal body temperature as too hot and uses night sweat as a means of releasing heat.
Step 9. See if there are any masses in the groin, armpits and neck
The presence of growths indicates that the lymph glands are swollen. The lymph glands are the body's policemen: they arrest harmful bacteria, viruses and foreign substances such as cancer cells and prepare them for their removal. In this case, the lymph glands trap the leukemia cells and try to eliminate them.
Step 10. Identify possible pain in the left side of the abdomen
The spleen becomes so large and tense that it causes pain. Usually this pain is felt in the left side of the abdomen, where the spleen is located.
Part 4 of 4: Treating Leukemia
Step 1. Get your baby undergoing chemotherapy
According to the American Cancer Society, the primary cure for childhood leukemia is chemotherapy. Children who are at high risk for leukemia undergo chemotherapy along with stem cell transplantation.
- Chemotherapy can potentially cure only cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia. Chemotherapy gets the best results with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where 50% of cases are treated. Chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia do not respond well to chemotherapy drugs.
- The main downside to the drugs used in chemotherapy is that they kill both cancerous and healthy cells. There can also be relapses when cancer cells re-form despite treatment. The main drugs used in chemotherapy are cytarabine and anthracyclines.
- The function of cytarabine is to hinder the DNA synthesis of healthy and cancerous cells. Hence, the production of new cells is stopped. Anthracyclines damage DNA proteins and disrupt the DNA synthesis of healthy and leukemic cells.
Step 2. Have your child listed for a stem cell transplant
Stem cells from a healthy donor can be transplanted into a patient with leukemia via the bone marrow. In this way, the new and powerful stem cells stimulate the growth of new healthy blood cells.
Bone marrow is the only possibility for stem cell transplant without controversy. Concerning other possible sources of stem cells (such as embryos), there are conflicting opinions in the medical field
Step 3. Have your child follow a diet for neutropenic patients
It is a particular type of diet that aims to protect the patient from foods that contain bacteria and which can potentially cause an infection. Patients' blood cells are not well equipped to fight an infection effectively. Some basic tips to follow for a neutropenic diet are:
- Avoid fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Bacteria may be present in the peel and leaves. You can consume fruits that can be peeled, such as bananas, grapes, and oranges. Cooked vegetables, canned fruits and vegetables, and juices can be consumed.
- Always cook both meat and fish well. This ensures that no threats, such as salmonella, can infect a patient.
- Consume only pasteurized dairy products. Pasteurization is the trump card for eliminating harmful substances in dairy products.
- Avoid vegetable buffets, butchers and sashimi. It is best to always choose cooked food.
- Make sure you drink good water. It is advisable to drink distilled, boiled or filtered water.
