How to prevent respiratory diseases for children when the weather is erratic

Doctor Huynh Tran An Khuong, Medical Manager of VNVC Vaccination System, advised as above, adding that these measures help prevent respiratory diseases in young children in the context of erratic weather.

The hot and humid summer weather, alternating with showers and thunderstorms, and high humidity create favorable conditions for pathogens to develop. The Department of Pediatrics, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, recorded a 50% increase in the number of children hospitalized due to respiratory infections compared to May. Most of the children hospitalized were between 6 months and 5 years old, with typical symptoms of cough, wheezing, and high fever.

Avoid contact with rain water

Children should avoid going out in heavy rain or bathing in the rain. This water source can contain bacteria and viruses that cause children to catch colds and respiratory infections.

If your child gets wet in the rain, parents should dry him/her and keep his/her body temperature stable. Young children can drink hot milk or ginger tea for older children to warm up their bodies and then take a bath. Do not bathe immediately after catching a cold because changes in body temperature can easily cause dysfunction of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Drink enough water

When it is rainy and humid, children still need to drink enough water. Water helps the throat and nose maintain moisture and mucus, preventing pathogens from entering the body. Water also helps lung tissue to be more elastic, the lungs to work flexibly, and increase respiration.

Families can give children fruit juice and milk in between filtered water. If they exercise outdoors, children should drink electrolyte-rich drinks containing minerals such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium to ensure their health.

Eat well

Micronutrients play an important role in your baby’s health and immunity. Babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life and continue to be breastfed until 24 months. Breast milk helps your baby fight infections and boosts their immune system.

For older children, daily food must include all groups of substances: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Some nutritious foods that support health improvement include fatty fish (mackerel, anchovies…) that provide abundant protein and omega-3; citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits) that are rich in vitamin C, boosting immunity. Children 6-36 months old should take high doses of vitamin A regularly twice a year.

Avoid smoke pollution

Substances such as cigarette smoke, household chemicals, mold, cooking fumes… can all cause respiratory infections. Children with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more likely to get worse when inhaling these fumes. Families should use a cooking hood, not smoke, and ventilate the air in the house to keep children healthy.

Avoid close contact with sick people

Many infectious diseases have been on the rise recently, such as flu, measles, whooping cough, etc. Children with weak immune systems, especially those who have not been immunized by vaccines, are susceptible to illness and are at risk of becoming seriously ill. Therefore, families should limit children’s exposure to sick people and people with respiratory diseases.

Hygiene

Dirty hands contain many pathogens that cause diarrhea, sore eyes, flu… Children often pick up toys, crawl on the floor, put their hands on their eyes, nose, mouth, and accidentally bring pathogens into their bodies.

Parents need to clean surfaces and wash toys thoroughly. Families should train children to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet, and not put their hands on their eyes, nose, or mouth. Adults should bathe before coming into contact with babies when going out or to crowded places.

Vaccination

Passive immunity from mother to fetus and breast milk gradually decreases over time. Babies need to be vaccinated sufficiently and on schedule to be equipped with active immunity.

At 0-2 months of age, children need to be vaccinated against tuberculosis, hepatitis B, 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 (containing whooping cough, tetanus, polio, diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib), and meningococcal group B and pneumococcal meningitis. In addition, children need to take the Rotavirus vaccine.

From 6 months to 12 months of age, children need to be vaccinated on schedule against influenza, meningococcal BC, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcal ACYW-135, chickenpox, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. From 2 years old, children need to be vaccinated against typhoid and take the cholera vaccine.

Each vaccine consists of a basic and booster shot, which must be completed. For example, children aged 4-6 need to receive the flu vaccine and shots to prevent 4 diseases: polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus. The 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 shots need to be repeated at 16-18 months of age. The typhoid vaccine is repeated every three years, and the cholera vaccine is repeated every two years or before the cholera season.

Do not self-treat when having a fever.

Dr. An Khuong recommends that families do not self-treat when their children have a fever. “Arbitrarily giving your child antibiotics or reusing old prescriptions can weaken the natural immune barrier, increase antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and make treatment difficult,” Dr. Khuong emphasized.

When children are sick, parents should take them to a medical facility with a specialist to get the right medication. Families should follow the doctor’s prescribed medication schedule and not buy more or reduce the dose on their own.

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