All of this happens often: children start entering kindergarten or preschool and suddenly they feel like they are All the time You have a cold, cough or worse.
According to experts, children are getting Six to eight upper respiratory tract infections on average annually. As a parent, you may feel helpless in what feels like an endless cycle.
Pediatricians explain why children often get sick after daycare or the start of preschool, what parents need to know about this phenomenon, and how they can help.
Why is this happening?
“Parents of young children today are not accustomed to having a sick child,” Drs. Diane Hess, Medical Director at Gramercy Pediatrics in New York. “This is because many of their children were born during the pandemic and these children have spent their lives in the bladder.”
He noted that blocking, social distance and masking have reduced children’s exposure to common pathogens over the past two years. And even before the pandemic, young children often did not come into contact with these pathogens until they entered kindergarten or preschool.
“Before the pandemic, I would make sure parents that children would get sick when they started daycare because they were exposed to many types of colds and other childhood illnesses,” Hess said. “Now, two years after the pandemic, I will multiply it by 100! This does not mean that childhood illness is dangerous. It can happen all at once, little by little ”.
Preschool and daycare usually involve groups of children in rooms together, so infectious diseases certainly spread between them.
“A lot of kids carry viruses in kindergarten and share them with others when they play and research together,” he said. Dr. Benjamin Levinson, A primary care physician at National Children’s Hospital. “Children with minimal symptoms, which may look like allergies, can still pass the virus on to others.” So, it’s common for children to have a variety of viral illnesses already in preschool, because they were exposed to many viral strains for the first time. “
Can parents avoid it?
“Basically, the only way to prevent getting a virus or other illness is not with someone infected with the virus, and it’s very difficult if you go to any kind of school,” he said. Dr. Arthur Lavigne, pediatrician at Akron Children’s Hospital. “Hand washing helps slow the spread of flu -like viruses in the stomach, but for viruses like the common cold that spread through the air, it can be very difficult.”
Lavin recommends teaching your child to wash hands before eating and after bathing to slow the transmission of viruses or infections that are spread by touch.
“If we really want to prevent people from getting colds or other illnesses, we need to be permanently shutting down,” Lavin added. “When we were imprisoned, this was the first time we had no record of a flu epidemic. “Even though it’s great, no one wants to live like this and I don’t recommend it.”
What else can parents do to improve the health of their children?
Parents cannot completely prevent the spread of germs in nurseries and preschools, but there are ways to reduce the risk of infection and promote the overall health of the child.
“It facilitates good sleep and healthy eating habits to boost their immune systems,” Levinson advises. “Take some time to have a positive relationship with your child to help reduce stress. Avoid exposing your baby to smoking, as it can damage his lungs and cause severe respiratory virus illness.” Make sure. that your child is taking their medications (or asthma inhalers) correctly when they are prescribed. “
She noted that because immune boosting supplements are not well controlled and generally have not been shown to have a significant level of effectiveness, it is best to focus on providing a balanced diet for your baby.
“Little ones are known to put their hands everywhere,” Hess said. “When hand washing is not a solution, I recommend using hand sanitizer. I am not fond of hand sanitizers for small children because they are too dry and contain alcohol but it is better than not washing. your hands. Also, teach your child to clap, not hands. “
He also stressed the importance of physical activity, even in the winter, and advised your child to have at least three hours of active play per day.
What should parents do when their child is sick?
When your child has an infectious disease, it is important for him or her to stay home. Of course, saying this is easier said than done for many parents who may not be able to afford to give time away from work or home care.
In general, the common cold and infections are not a cause for concern, Levinson said. However, he or she will advise you to contact your doctor if your child shows signs of breathing, has severe pain, or is over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit for more than five consecutive days.
“In pediatrics we see many, many children with frequent viral infections and very few who are sick that they need to stay in the hospital,” Levinson said. “Also, if children get sick again but their body clears the infection so that they go back to normal before they get sick again, it means they have a good immune system that works well.”
Lavin urged parents to acknowledge the fact that the cold is different from COVID-19 and come out of the induced pandemic thinking that a virus infection means something horrible.
“The important thing to remember about colds and other viruses and infections in babies is that they don’t endanger the baby’s health,” Lavin said. “It seems ridiculous to say you’re getting sick, but most viruses and infections leave your baby unharmed, which is good news because you can’t really stop these viruses from spreading.”
It’s part of HuffPost’s parenting series, titled Have fun wearing it. მეტი Read more Here.
Source: Huffpost
