The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

My child is sick all winter. What to do? - Walla! health

2023-01-03T05:34:31.703Z


Heat? cough? Runny nose? All children get sick a lot in winter - and most parents are sure that their child is sicker than the rest. Prof. Efi Bilevsky from Schneider Hospital in the complete guide to winter diseases


Everything you need to know about winter diseases (Walla! NEWS system)

"My child is sick all winter, what do we do?".

Every pediatrician hears this sentence every day in the winter from at least ten parents.

All small babies get sick several times in the winter, and almost all parents are sure that their child is sicker than the rest, so winter is a confusing time for parents.



Every week the children are sick, runny noses and cough.

They go back to kindergarten or school, and get sick again.

The parents go to the doctor hoping to find a solution and he says: "It's viral."

On the other hand, the neighbor says that her nephew was diagnosed with pneumonia just yesterday and there is a fear that something is being missed.

So how do you know when you mostly need patience and when there is cause for concern?

Here is the complete guide to winter illnesses in children.

My child is dehydrated - what does it mean?

In babies and young children, a runny nose often indicates an infection, usually viral.

In older children, runny nose can also be of an allergic origin.

A child with runny nose is often also a child who coughs, because the runny nose slides back towards the trachea, especially when lying down at night.

As banal as it sounds, a simple runny nose in a small child can lead to morbidity and a real damage to the quality of life, of the child and his parents, who do not sleep all night.



Sometimes I hear from parents a description of the color of the discharge, transparent, yellow or green.

I must say that in the majority of cases, the color of the runny nose and its consistency do not really make a difference to the pediatrician.

Should and when go to the pediatrician with a child with fluid?

Usually in a child with fluid, without significant fever or cough, the pediatrician will not have much to check and say.

However, in a small baby or an older child with a significant cough or fever, the pediatrician should be consulted.



What is the treatment?

It depends on age.

Under the age of two there are really no "real" medicines for the treatment of rhinitis.

Saline nasal sprays are good for small babies who are unable to eat, but don't really change anything for older children.

Syrups and drops for the nose are not recommended and do not really help at these ages, certainly and certainly not "natural" syrups that are sold without a doctor's prescription.



when will it pass

The nature of simple viral diseases usually pass within a few days, until the child catches the next virus.

More in Walla!

Is the child dehydrated?

What can really help - and what really should not be done

To the full article

My child coughs - what does it mean?

One of the most important phrases in pediatrics that every parent must know is: "A healthy child coughs 13 times a day", so you don't need to get excited about every cough.

But what does it still mean that the child is coughing?

Usually, during the winter, the cough means that either the child has an infection of the upper respiratory tract (usually a runny nose that causes a cough) or that the lower respiratory tract is involved.

Don't expect the cough to go away overnight.

A child coughs (Photo: ShutterStock)

Involvement of the lower respiratory tract, mainly in infants and small children up to 4 years of age, can manifest as bronchiolitis - a common disease during the winter period.

In bronchiolitis, it is common for the cough to increase at night, although it is bothersome and bothersome throughout the day.

A distinction must be made between bronchiolitis, which indicates a viral infection of the lower airways but is not by definition bacterial pneumonia, and bacterial pneumonia, which is usually accompanied by a high fever and a poor general condition of the child.



Should and when go to the pediatrician with a child who coughs?

If the cough is severe, or if there is a fever, it is always good to go to the pediatrician to hear the story of the illness and for a physical examination.

In addition, you should go to the pediatrician for evaluation in any case of a prolonged cough (more than about a week).



A few more important things to know about cough:


Doctors admit: cough syrup is a waste of money.


Why do we cough even long after the virus passes?



What is the treatment?

The treatment of a coughing child depends first and foremost on the cause of the cough.

In a cough that originates from a runny nose in a one-year-old baby - when the lungs sound clean in a doctor's examination - there will usually be no place for drug treatment.

On the other hand, in cases of recurrent bronchiolitis in children, there is reason to consider treatment with inhalers.

This will already be the decision of the pediatrician based on the physical examination and the history of the disease.



when will it pass

Each case individually, depending on the cause of the cough.

However, it should be remembered that in cases of bronchiolitis the cough can even last for a period of two weeks or more.

It is important to see that day by day there is an improvement in the child's condition and the frequency of coughing, but do not expect that the cough will disappear overnight.

In bacterial pneumonia, the treatment will also include the correct antibiotics according to the choice of the pediatrician.

My child also has a fever - what does this mean?

In most cases, fever indicates an infection, usually viral or bacterial.

In case of a fever, it is right and appropriate to go to the pediatrician for an examination in order to decide what the source of the fever is and how to treat it, all the more so in babies and small children.

In case of a fever, it is correct and proper to go to a doctor's examination (Photo: ShutterStock)

What is the treatment?

Beyond fever reduction and pain relief, the treatment will of course be derived from the cause of the fever.

If it is a bacterial infection, the correct antibiotics will usually be prescribed, if it is a viral infection, supportive treatment only.



when will it pass

Depends on the cause of the fever.

Most febrile illnesses in children last about 3 days on average.

Is my child sick because I sent him to kindergarten?

In principle, children can be admitted to kindergarten around their Bar Mitzvah, and then they will be less sick in the first winter of their lives.

it's clear.

But under the existing circumstances, the kindergarten is also important in the development of the child, and each parent should make his own considerations when it is right to enter the kindergarten.

Another important principle to remember is that the first child grows up in a relatively sterile environment.

But the third child already has two liquid brothers who infect him with all the viruses when they return from kindergarten.

More in Walla!

A word from a doctor: send a child with a fever to kindergarten?

You will pay dearly for it

To the full article

Want half a full glass?

Think about the hygiene theory.

Today there is a ruling thesis that says that the more "dirty" and sick with viruses the child is at a young age, the more likely he will grow up to be healthier with fewer allergies at an older age.

So if we keep our children in a bubble until the age of two, they will also eat everything together at the age of two and a half, and will probably have a higher chance of allergies later on.

Still, how to prevent a simple winter illness in children?

1. Maintaining simple hygiene:

It's awfully banal, but if the two-year-old brother comes back from kindergarten with a spill and immediately gives a wet kiss to the three-month-old baby, don't expect the latter to stay healthy for long.

So observe simple hygiene, including washing your hands with soap and water after changing diapers or using the toilet, and of course before contact with food.

Be sure to wash your hands before touching the baby and also instruct the older siblings to do so.

Avoid direct contact with the baby if one of the family members is sick, and ventilate the living spaces.

Keep to simple hygiene.

A mother blows her daughter's nose (Photo: ShutterStock)

2. Breastfeeding :

Breastfeeding has many advantages, including the passive transfer of antibodies from the mother to the baby.

Even incomplete breastfeeding will contribute to the prevention of infections during the winter months.



3. Routine

vaccinations: some of the routine vaccinations also include vaccinations against viruses and bacteria that attack more in winter.

Take care of the routine vaccinations, have them on time and give your child the best possible protection.



4. Seasonal flu vaccine: The

effectiveness of the flu vaccine is not close to 100 percent like the other routine vaccines, it is even far from it.

However, it is the best there is at the moment and also 50 percent protection against the flu, which is a very powerful disease, can help.

I vaccinate and vaccinate my family every winter against the flu.

You did it too.



5. Return of the child to kindergarten or school:

It is important to avoid sending sick children to educational institutions.

It is clear to all of us that one sick child may infect several children, thus creating a chain of infection that is difficult to stop.

If every parent makes sure not to send their sick child to the various settings, we will cause fewer infections and the children will be less sick.



All the recommendations in the article refer to healthy children, and they are different from children who have a chronic underlying disease, certainly a significant disease.

The latter must be treated in a special and individual way.



Prof. Efi Bilevsky is the director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Schneider Pediatrics Center of the Klalit Group

  • health

  • parenthood

  • child's health

Tags

  • winter diseases

  • cough

  • Runny nose

  • Heat

  • Fever in children

Source: walla

All life articles on 2023-01-03

You may like

News/Politics 2024-03-28T16:36:45.447Z
Life/Entertain 2024-03-16T04:07:33.692Z

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.