Taking care of children's health during the changing seasons

Rapid fluctuations in temperature will make the child's already weak immune system even weaker. Besides, hot and humid climate is favorable conditions for disease-causing viruses to develop and spread faster.
Common diseases when the weather changes seasons
a) Influenza:
Seasonal weather changes erratically, making children's resistance weakened, so they are easy to catch the flu. When sick, a child may have a sudden fever (>38.3 degrees Celsius) or a fever that is accompanied by tremors, chills, body aches, extreme fatigue, and a dry cough. After the above symptoms appear, the child may have a sore throat, a stuffy nose, and continue to cough.

The flu is usually not too serious and will clear up on its own within 1-2 weeks. However, the disease often affects health, more severe cases can lead to dangerous complications.

b) Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract
Upper respiratory tract infections are common diseases when the weather changes, the cause of the disease is mainly due to allergies or bacterial and viral agents. Children with respiratory infections often have fever, cough, runny nose, and sneezing.

Most children have mild upper respiratory tract infections that only last a few days and go away on their own, even without antibiotics, because most are caused by viruses. However, there are some children with severe respiratory infections but no fever or low fever, especially children with rickets and malnutrition. Accompanied by fever, children cough, have trouble, and sleep poorly.

c) Acute diarrhea
Acute diarrhea in children is usually caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Among them, Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea, which can be fatal in young children. This is a virus with the ability to persist in the environment, can live for hours on hands and on solid surfaces. In particular, Rotavirus can live stably, causing disease when living in feces for 1 week.

The disease is most common in children under 5 years of age, when acute diarrhea children often have typical symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, easy dehydration, which can lead to cardiovascular collapse and death if not treated. proper care and timely treatment.

What should parents do to prevent children from getting sick when the weather changes?
Most diseases are benign, causing few complications if we know how to take care and monitor them properly. In order to prevent diseases during the change of seasons, as well as how to take care of children when sick, here are the principles that parents need to know.

• Principle 1: Diet to strengthen children's resistance

A scientific diet is very necessary for young children. This is an important factor in helping children have a strong immune system. Parents should pay attention to protein composition and micronutrients. In particular, zinc and iron are two extremely important micronutrients found in beef, chicken, fish, eggs and seafood.
In addition, parents should train their children to have the habit of eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, drinking yellow, orange, and red fruit juices such as: oranges, carrots, tomatoes, etc. to supplement vitamin A, B vitamins, and vitamins. C also plays a very important role in strengthening the child's immune system.
 

• Principle 2: Change activities for children

Due to erratic weather accompanied by humidity, rain and wind, it is necessary to change children's activities. Specifically.
- Need to keep children warm: Mothers need to pay attention to clothes for children during the day to ensure body temperature. Always keep the baby's body warm, especially at night, pay attention to the neck, arms, and legs.
- Attention should be paid to children's hygiene: In addition to the cleanliness of the child's surroundings, personal hygiene for children is also very attentive such as: Cut nails for children, regularly wash hands for children. children with antibacterial soap, use physiological saline to clean their nose and throat every day.
- Need for children to get enough sleep: Sleep plays a very important role for the comprehensive development of children. Parents should ensure that their children get 9-12 hours of sleep a day depending on their age. The child's bedroom must be airy, light enough and maintain a certain humidity, so that the child does not have difficulty breathing.
- Limiting children's contact with animals: Hairs from dogs and cats or from blankets, mattress covers... that are not cleaned are the main cause of children's cough, asthma...

• Principle 3: Proper care

When children get sick, they often have fever, cough, vomiting and loose stools. In addition to sending children to the doctor, parents need to take care of them properly.
- If the child has a fever: Parents should dress the child in cool clothes, drink plenty of water, wipe the child cool and should take the child to a medical facility.
- If the child coughs: Cough is not a bad sign, cough is a natural defense reflex of the body to help expel viscous sputum, viruses, bacteria from the respiratory tract. The most common cause of cough in children is a viral upper respiratory infection, so this symptom peaks on days 2-3 of illness and lasts 10-14 days.
To relieve the child's cough, for children under 12 months, mothers should clean the child's nose and throat with physiological saline. For children over 12 months, parents can give their children ½ teaspoon of honey 30 minutes before bedtime, which will help reduce coughing and less night awakening.

- If the child vomits and has loose diarrhea: The most common cause is viral gastroenteritis, also known as acute diarrhea. The use of antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs is not recommended. If the child only vomits and has little loose stools, give them plenty of water to drink to avoid dehydration, and give them liquid foods that are easy to digest. Vomiting will improve first, loose stools will be fine after 5-7 days. If you see your child vomiting and loose stools more and more, you should take the child to a medical facility.

• Principle 4: Need to vaccinate children

To prevent the disease, children need to be vaccinated on schedule, with enough doses as recommended by the Ministry of Health. Children should be vaccinated against influenza, especially in the age group over 6 months, and vaccinated against acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus.

Influenza is usually transmitted through the respiratory tract, the effectiveness of vaccination is 96-97%. Vaccinated children who get the flu may have a milder and shorter illness than children who are not vaccinated.
As for acute diarrhea caused by Rotavirus, the most common cause of acute diarrhea in children under 6 months of age, the first dose is given at 2 months of age.

If your baby shows signs of the above diseases, take him to the doctor for early detection and proper and timely treatment at CarePlus International Clinic.

CarePlus international clinic is one of the prestigious addresses for parents to consult for periodic health checkups for their children. Here, in addition to clinical examination and necessary tests, parents are also directly consulted by a team of leading pediatricians, guided on how to take care of children at home, how to prevent diseases. common diseases, ... so that parents can proactively know how to help their children get comprehensive physical and mental care.

Source: suckhoedoisong.vn