As it is it’s difficult to take care of newborns and babies and, of late, with the growing pollution in the valley as well as the seasonal change the task is getting harder. With every other person having his/her own ideas about the best way to take care of babies, it has become all the more difficult for mothers to figure out what’s actually good for their kids. Dr Vivek Todi, consultant pediatrician and pediatrician nephrologist at Norvic International Hospital and Vayodha Hospital, sheds some light on how to take care of children aged from six months to six years.
Children are prone to fever, cold and cough throughout the year. What are the reasons and remedies?
These are airborne diseases and components of reactive airway diseases that are more relevant in Kathmandu due to the geographical region it is situated in. Being a valley, there is no easy passage for airflow and dust tends to get accumulated. This leads to cold and cough that are viral induced and highly contagious. Habits such as washing hands, wearing masks by children who attend schools and by parents when outdoors and when in contact with their child if they are suffering from cough and cold will go a long way in managing the symptoms and preventing the conditions as well.
Due to the increased pollution and dust particles in the valley, children can actually fall sick after a day out or even when they are exposed to sun too much. N95 is the ideal mask to be worn but they are a little expensive. Alternatively, you can also use masks that are tight fitting and clipped at the top.
Parents also need to be careful about food habits and not give ‘cold’ food such as yogurt, ice-cream, banana, and grapes to their child for the first five years. Also, one should take care to dry out a child’s head by thorough toweling immediately after bath and not use hair dryers. I would also advise parents to seek medical help if symptoms of cold and cough are persistent.
Curious concerns
When is the appropriate age to introduce new food items such as fruits, vegetables and nuts? As some might have allergic reactions, how can we know the symptoms and what can we do about it?
Solid foods can be introduced after six months of age but need to be mashed and liquefied before feeding. It is difficult to find out specific causes for allergies till the age of one so parents should be aware of what they giving to their kids and stop feeding those food items that lead to cold, cough, vomiting or diarrhea. If the child shows such symptoms in the first year of their lives, it is often viral bronchitis as it is rare for babies smaller than one year old to have reactive allergies towards any substance. If the allergic reaction is more frequent from monthly to one and half monthly basis, it is termed as reactive allergies. These can lead to reactive airway diseases that are more severe allergic reactions. Allergen testing can be done to find out the main cause for allergies, but it is not recommended right away as it is expensive. As suggested earlier, parents are to seek medical help at the earliest if signs of allergies are frequently seen.
We often hear of pesticides and insecticides being used in cultivating fruits and vegetables nowadays. How can we protect our babies from it?
There are purifiers available in the market these days. These purifiers work to remove chemicals from vegetables and fruits. I would recommend every household invest in one but you can also simply wash the fruits and vegetables properly and boil vegetables nicely before consuming it and that works as effectively as the purifiers. Also make sure the water your child is drinking has been boiled and filtered properly and maintain clean surrounding as seasonal changes make children more vulnerable to diarrhea and other communicable diseases.
What are the disadvantages of bottle-feeding?
Doctors never recommend bottle-feeding as these bottles can never be cleaned completely. Over time, it can harbor germs and lead to diseases. When you bottle feed your child, the baby will gradually refuse to suckle the mother’s breast as they have to apply more force than while drinking from a bottle. Breastfeeding also has immunizing benefits for both mother and the baby. So giving babies their vaccines on time and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months are a good place to start to keep them healthy.
What is the right amount of layering for children during the seasonal change?
While dressing up a child, you should always keep child’s comfort first. Layering up is not a solution to cold. A child should be warm enough to fight cold and not heated up to sweat. When your child sweats, it will lead to him/her feeling cold and that will aggravate cold and cough. When you dress your child warmly, check for sweating at regular intervals as the child’s body temperature will fluctuate. Dress your baby appropriately, especially if you are planning to be out for a couple of hours. Dressing your kid in layers will allow you to add or remove clothes as necessary.
