Often sick children are not only a problem for specific families. This is a whole medical and social disaster, because such kids, being weakened and frail, often violate the vaccination schedule, skip classes at school. Parents also suffer if the child often has colds. What should adults do in such a situation? Of course, they are forced to take time off from work to sit with a child who has a high fever or a sore throat. They also spend a lot of money on expensive drugs.
Often sick children
The situation is most acute when the baby first goes to a preschool. New contacts lead to the fact that the child is often sick in the kindergarten. What to do in this situation, every young mother knows. The main thing is not to panic. Indeed, often sick children are not a diagnosis, but only a temporary phenomenon. Yes, and you need to first find out if your little one belongs to the category of frail kids. Doctors say that these children can often be called sick:
- Infants up to a year who suffer from respiratory infections more than 4 times a year.
- Babies from 1 to 3 years old if they are sick more than 6 times in 12 months.
- Preschoolers from 3 to 5 years old, who catch a cold more than 5 times in the same period.
- Schoolchildren who are sick more than 4 times a year.
In addition, those minors who rarely get sick, but for a long time - more than two weeks, fall into this category. Typically, these babies complain of coughing, sore throat, runny nose. They are constantly lethargic and tired. If the child does not have these signs of acute respiratory infections, but the temperature rises, this may indicate a chronic illness or other infection.
Why is this happening?
One of the factors is the wrong lifestyle in the family. For example, when adults don’t give the kid to a sports club, they don’t accustom him to physical education and morning exercises, they don’t provide him with proper nutrition, normal daily routine and sanitary conditions in the apartment. All this leads to the fact that the child is very often ill with colds. What to do? Reviews pediatricians about this behavior, to put it mildly, negative. It is clear that they focus on the fact that in most cases it depends on the parents how often their baby will get sick. After all, if the day is properly organized, the little one will grow stronger before his eyes. And accordingly, it will become less susceptible to infections.
Unfortunately, not everything depends on the parents. There are many other factors that are reflected in the
health of the child. Firstly, this is a frequent contact with the source of infection - other kids in school or kindergarten. Secondly, poor ecology, which contributes to an increase in the incidence of acute respiratory infections.
Other factors
These include, first of all, the so-called passive smoking. Children who constantly inhale smoke are susceptible to bronchitis and asthma. Parents, without even suspecting their guilt, often complain to doctors that the child is often sick with colds. What should they do in this case? Yes, just never smoke in the apartment in which the little one is located, do not visit the rooms with it where it is allowed, or simply abandon the bad habit, showing the child an example of the right lifestyle. You also need to pay special attention to the use of drugs. After all, if adults unreasonably, for a long time or often give the baby antibiotics or antipyretic drugs, this can increase the sensitivity of the child to respiratory diseases.
The child will also often get sick for other reasons. For example, if he has a hereditary predisposition or during childbirth he suffered from hypoxia, which led to a violation of the body's adaptation to environmental conditions. Other viruses can also be the cause of frequent viruses: allergies, rickets, anemia, malnutrition, morphofunctional immaturity.
How to strengthen the immune system?
Often mothers mistakenly think that the baby has already been born with low and weakened immunity. Or they begin to feel guilty for eating poorly during pregnancy, walking little in the fresh air, constantly getting nervous and crying. But these are also false assumptions. In fact, there are very few children who by nature have weak protective functions of the body. Therefore, there is almost no chance that you will have such a baby. Remember that congenital immunodeficiency is a deadly ailment. Therefore, you should not attribute this serious deviation to your child.
Doctors are sure that it is secondary immunity acquired throughout life that suffers from oppression as much as possible. It turns out that usually babies are born completely healthy. Weak and frail are made by various factors, the action of which they lend themselves to. As a result, the child is very often ill with colds. What to do? The doctors' testimonies indicate that such a toddler should be given immunostimulating drugs: Bronchoimmunal, Anaferon, and Echinacea of Doctor Thys. Even the smallest patients can take these medicines. Also, one should not forget about a healthy way of life and the correct regime of the day.
Food
This is a very important factor affecting human health , its appearance and even emotional state. If your child often has colds, what to do, an experienced nutritionist will tell you. He will draw up an individual card of the right diet for your baby. In addition, it will give general recommendations. If you have a baby, he will recommend breastfeeding as long as possible. In it, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are perfectly balanced. In addition, various antibodies, immunoglobulins, vitamins and trace elements are also found in breast milk.
The daily menu for older children must include dairy dishes (cottage cheese, in particular), as well as meat, cereals, vegetables and fruits. If the baby attends kindergarten, the food in which leaves much to be desired, then try to feed him a healthy breakfast and dinner at home. And the main rule - no fast food. Under the ban, not only hamburgers and french fries, but also various chips, crackers, sweet soda and so on. Not only is this food free of nutrients, it also causes digestive upsets and leads to obesity.
Hardening
Any mother asks herself this question if her child often has colds: "What should I do?" The pediatricians' feedback on hardening the baby is largely the same: you should not dip the baby in ice water - start small. For example, from the first birthdays do not confuse it, dressing like a turnip. Be guided by your own feelings: it’s warm for you - remove the cap from the baby. No, he will not catch a cold from this. On the contrary, it is more likely to get sick by sweating. In addition, keep an eye on the microclimate in the apartment. Ideal temperatures range from 18 to 22ºC. In this case, air humidity should not exceed 40%.
What to do if a child often has colds? Firstly, walk with him more often - in any weather. Due to snow and rain, do not refuse the prom. Put on a raincoat - and go. You can hide from the wind in the yards: houses of new buildings perfectly protect from drafts. Walking in any season, the baby quickly adapts to the aggressive environmental conditions. Secondly, do not forget to play outdoor games with a peanut in the playground or at the stadium. Thirdly, ventilate the room where the child lives, at least 3 times a day. In the warmer months, the window should be open on an ongoing basis.
Water treatments
One of the most popular hardening methods. Again, throwing the baby into the hole is not necessary. There are softer and simpler ways. In any case, do not forget to consult a doctor about the variety of procedures, their duration and frequency. When a child often has colds, what should be done to correct the situation? Everything is simple. Spend regular bathing, rubbing and dousing with your baby. Start with warm water, gradually reducing the degree.
At first, the water temperature should be between 32-33ºC. Wipe the baby with it for about a week, then reduce the degree by one unit. In the same spirit, act every seven days, gradually bringing the water to room temperature. Children over 2 years old can begin to do douche - according to the same pattern. Bathing is an excellent hardening procedure. In addition, she brings the baby joy, improving his emotional state. Bathe the child at a temperature of 35ºC, and then pour water over it, which is several degrees cooler.
Air baths
What to do if a child often has a cold? In addition to water procedures, spend with him air baths. You can start the process almost from the first days of the baby's birth. First, leave the crumbs naked for one minute. The air temperature in the room should be at 20ºC. Gradually increase the duration of the air baths: by the year of the child's life, they should last 15 minutes.
When the baby turns one and a half years old, the procedure can be performed at 18 degrees, and after 3 years - at 16ºC. At the same time, the little one at this time should not sit without movement: let it jump, have fun, play. A very good method of hardening is walking barefoot on an uneven surface: a carpet with a pile or a special children's rug. You can pour a little pebbles or beans into the basin - it is also very useful to walk on them. When the baby grows up a bit, accustom him in the summer for some time to run loose around the grass near the house. Of course, before this, do not forget to inspect it for safety: remove sharp stones, broken glass and dangerous branches.
Useful rinse
Do not wonder. This usual and even slightly everyday routine is another step in hardening. Suppose a child is often sick in a kindergarten. What to do, you ask the pediatrician. In any case, he will advise your little one to gargle, especially if he is prone to tonsillitis, tonsillitis and pharyngitis. The procedure is a preventive measure for this group of diseases, allowing you to gradually accustom the throat to the effects of low temperatures.
If the child is 2-3 years old, then rinse should be carried out with boiled water at room temperature. At the same time, while the baby only rinses his mouth, after 4 years he is allowed to process his throat. In the cold season, when there is a strong surge in acute respiratory viral infections, it is necessary to use a useful garlic solution for these purposes. It’s easy to cook. You will need one clove of garlic. It is poured with a glass of boiling water and the mixture is insisted for about 2 hours, after which the solution is ready for use.
Gymnastics and self-massage
These activities also apply to hardening procedures. With their help, the body of the pean begins to activate the defenses to fight viruses. In addition, they raise the tone and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. With the smallest babies, start doing exercises from the first days of life. For example, during each swaddle, alternately pull the baby's arms and legs in different directions, bend them. Do not forget to massage the head, back and tummy - in circular movements clockwise. With older children, you can already actively frolic: come up with a set of exercises with elements of the game and do such exercises with the whole family.
When a child often suffers from colds, what to do, you already know. Add to this also massage. First you conduct sessions, then teach your child to do it yourself. May he, after morning awakening, make it his rule to stretch his hands, feet and neck. You can help the child by massaging his back and shoulders. This not only promotes hardening, but also helps maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system.
Phytotherapy
The gifts of nature will help your little one become stronger and more resilient. In autumn and winter, prepare decoctions for it from medicinal plants: mint, lemon balm, mountain ash, rose hips, cranberries and viburnum. These folk remedies are preventive, they saturate the body with ascorbic acid and useful substances that actively fight viruses and increase the body's resistance to various infections. For those kids who are often sick, a salad of nuts, honey, dried apricots and lemon will be useful.
Herbal medicine should be carried out in courses, for example, twice a year. Duration can range from three weeks to two months. Between the courses themselves, the break should not last less than two weeks. Now you know what to do if the child is constantly ill with colds. An active lifestyle, sports, medical gymnastics and massage, together with proper nutrition and normal daily routine, will make the little one healthy, energetic, cheerful and joyful.