Today, many mothers ask questions about why their child often gets sick and what to do to improve his health. All parents try to protect their baby from infections. However, no matter what efforts are made, they still get sick. Children are most susceptible to frequent viral infections in preschool age. Why is this happening? Let's figure it out.
Frequently ill child at 1 year old
Children under two years of age often get sick because their immune system is not yet properly strengthened. Any infection enters their body much more often and faster than in an adult child. If small child I get sick often, what should I do? 1 year is the age when many medications are contraindicated.
The immune system is weak and decreases even more if the child is given antibiotics. To begin with, parents should note what kind of life their baby leads. Perhaps he lacks fresh air, hardening, and proper nutrition. Some parents believe that if on the street bad weather: It’s snowing, frosty or drizzling, so you shouldn’t go out for a walk.
The mother should try to feed the baby breast milk for as long as possible. It’s not for nothing that they say that in this case the child is less susceptible to infections. All year round, it won’t hurt your baby to brew chamomile, juice and other herbs that strengthen the immune system for drinking. You can give them instead of compote or tea.
Frequently ill child at 2 years old
Parents of older children are also concerned about similar questions. If a child (2 years old) is often sick, what should be done in this case? In theory, his immunity is already stronger. This is a misconception. A 2-year-old child still requires special attention. But you can already buy medicines that will help treat your baby. However, it is worth remembering that their excessive consumption reduces immunity, especially with regard to antibiotics.
Antiviral medications will not hurt your child to help cope with the disease. Vitamins, proteins, and lean meat should be present in a child’s diet every day. Very often, children get sick at the age of 2, when they begin to attend kindergarten. This is due to the meager menu in the dining room.
Why do children who attend kindergarten often get sick, and what to do about it?
Children who go to preschool institutions get sick 10-15% more often than children at home. Why does this happen? At home, parents protect their babies from any infection. During quarantine, they try not to take children to crowded places and avoid contact with sick people. When the baby starts going to kindergarten, he gets various infections from his peers. It is very often observed that parents bring children with viral infections into the group, and they infect healthy ones.
My child often gets sick in kindergarten, what should I do? This question worries many parents. Of course, it is not possible to completely avoid diseases, since the body must fight, but they can be minimized.
To begin with, the child must be provided healthy image life. His bedroom, where he sleeps, should be clean and well ventilated daily. On the street or at home, he should be dressed the same as his parents. It is advisable to accustom a child to sports as early as possible. It is better to give him non-carbonated water, compotes, juices, herbal teas to drink. All this will help strengthen the immune system.
IN summer period The child should spend as much time as possible outdoors. River, sea, warm sand - all this improves immunity. After an illness, there is no need to rush to kindergarten; let him stay at home for another 5-7 days to strengthen the body.
If your baby gets an infection next time, it may take much longer to recover. Important! The baby must undergo a full course of treatment; if it is interrupted, complications are possible.
Frequent illnesses in kindergarten are normal phenomenon. According to doctors, the ideal age for a child to visit public places- 3-3.5 years. By this age, the immune system is ready to fight viral infections.
Frequently ill children aged 5
Even after the child has undergone complete adaptation to kindergarten, he continues to get sick often. Why does this happen and what to do in this case? This is usually due to the fact that the child’s immunity is still weakened, as the child was taking certain medications long period or suffered a serious illness.
My child is often sick, what should I do? 5 years is the age when you can explain to your child that they must wash their hands with soap after a walk. Also, before quarantine time comes, it is advisable to get vaccinated against infectious diseases. It is very good during this period to take various immunomodulators that will support the body in difficult period. Of course, we must not forget about hardening. If you adhere to all the rules, children will not stop getting sick completely, but they will be able to avoid some infections.
Angina and its treatment
Sore throat is an infectious disease of the tonsils. She is accompanied high temperature and sore throat. If a child often suffers from sore throat, what should be done in this case? First you need to understand the reason.
To do this, you need to take all the tests prescribed by the doctor and contact an ENT specialist. Frequent sore throat is possible if one of the parents has a chronic upper respiratory tract disease.
A child is often sick: what to do? Visiting a children's group or crowded places can provoke a sore throat. If the child is very small, then it is better to apply gentle compresses from cabbage leaves or cottage cheese, spray the throat, and be sure to give him something to drink. warm milk with a piece of butter. The main thing is that you need to treat in a complex manner.
A child from 3 years old can gargle. Therefore, you need to dilute it with 0.5 tsp in a glass of warm boiled water. soda Warm your throat with different folk remedies in the form of lamps and salt is not allowed! The disease will only progress. Drinking frequently will help your child lower his temperature. It is not advisable to knock it down to the 38.5 mark.
For frequent tonsillitis, many doctors recommend surgery to remove the tonsils. This is an unpleasant procedure. My throat hurts for another month after the operation. Therefore, it is better to try to avoid this unpleasant surgical intervention. To prevent a sore throat from developing into chronic form, better than a child gradually harden him with a contrast shower, strengthen his immune system with the help of vitamins, vegetables, fruits, and in the summer it is advisable to take him to the sea (for at least 14 days). Then the baby will get sick less.
What to do if you have frequent ARVI illnesses
If children often suffer from viral infections, this means one thing - reduced immunity. In this case, you should not leave your babies without the supervision of a doctor. Complications may arise, and then parents will not understand what caused this.
ARVI is a disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets. In order to understand what kind of infection the child has, all the necessary tests prescribed by the doctor are taken. ARVI can be treated at home, but under the supervision of a doctor. In this case, changes in temperature, respiratory tract and nasopharynx are observed. If a child often suffers from ARVI, what should be done in this case to avoid relapses? Must be carried out complex method treatment. The diet must include fruits and vegetables.
It is better to offer your baby drinks in the form of juices, fruit drinks, milk with honey or compotes. If the child does not have a temperature, then mustard plasters can be applied. The medicine must be given according to a doctor's prescription. Only complex treatment will help the child to be cured for a long time. After an illness, it is better to try not to visit places where there are many people; the body needs to get stronger. The most important thing is to protect the child from all kinds of drafts. This is the first friend of the disease.
What to do if you have frequent bronchitis?
Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi. The first symptom of this disease is a cough of any form (wet or dry). Bronchitis is treated exclusively under the supervision of a doctor. If it is not treated properly or if you self-medicate, it will lead to pneumonia, etc.
Many parents are afraid of such consequences and ask the question: “The child often suffers from bronchitis: what to do?” First of all, your baby should be given daily inhalations, warm milk with honey to drink, and medications prescribed by the doctor. If a child suffers from bronchitis more than four times a year, a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis is made. If this disease is mild, then you can take medications orally; in severe cases, only injections are prescribed.
A child often suffers from bronchitis: what to do? Any doctor will advise him to harden him and walk more in the fresh air, and to make the child’s lifestyle as comfortable as possible. At frequent bronchitis The baby's room should be wet cleaned daily, so it will be easier for him to breathe. It is advisable to remove the entire dust container (in the form soft toys, carpets, etc.).
Causes of common childhood illnesses
Very often a child gets sick if the environment is unfavorable for him. It could be low quality products, improper daily routine, polluted air. Because of all these unpleasant factors, the child’s immunity decreases, as a result of which he begins to get sick more and more often. As a rule, after contact with children, a baby can get new infections, which will become increasingly difficult for his body to cope with.
Sometimes it is impossible to do without medications, but only for acute and running forms. A child often gets sick, what should you do in this case? At the initial stage of the disease, you can give the child tablets or syrups to maintain immunity, vitamins C and D. Warm, generous drinks, mustard plasters, and honey are also recommended. When coughing, compresses made from cottage cheese or potato cakes are effective.
When you have a runny nose, it is advisable to take mustard baths, but only if there is no fever. If the child is an infant, the most effective means The nose will be washed and instilled with mother's milk. For a sore throat, gargle every half hour. For children you need to make a weak solution. You should not take antibiotics or other medications right away. They weaken the immune system, which leads to frequent colds.
What Komarovsky says about frequently ill children
According to Dr. Komarovsky, it is quite normal for a child who attends a children’s group to get sick 6-10 times a year. He says that if in childhood they often struggle with various colds and overcome them, then these children very rarely take infections into their bodies when they become adults.
My child is often sick, what should I do? Komarovsky advises bed rest the first 5 days, since the virus can live longer in the human body only if there is no treatment at all. During illness, you don’t need to move much, as there is a risk of a long recovery and infection of others. When the temperature rises, it is necessary to give an antipyretic, but there is no need to give tablets, especially immunomodulators.
My child is often sick, what should I do? Komarovsky believes that it is quite possible to cure a baby with the help of natural vitamins and plenty of drinking. Getting ARVI often is completely normal and, according to the doctor, not scary. Main task parents - to cure the child without antibiotics and medications.
Viruses are transmitted less frequently in the fresh air than indoors, so you can go outside even with a sick baby, just avoid places where there are people. Daily ventilation of the room is mandatory, even when the baby is sleeping, leave the window open for 2-3 hours, and cover him.
Prevention, according to Dr. Komarovsky, is indicated for the entire period of the illness and you cannot communicate with people for 2 weeks after it. A weakened body can take on another infection, which can lead to complications if the disease recurs suddenly. As Dr. Komarovsky advises mothers, it is necessary to learn to be treated without pharmacies, they must be taken care of extreme case. At viral infections The first thing the child is given is liquid (milk, compote, herbs).
How to strengthen a child’s immunity so that he gets sick less often?
To strengthen the immune system, there is no need to rush to give medicine. First you need to create a comfortable lifestyle for the baby. Let him learn to maintain hygiene, wash his hands not only after going outside, but also after using the toilet. Mom can suggest that the whole family wash themselves daily. soap solution toys. During quarantine, try not to go to stores with your baby or travel in public transport. If it is possible not to attend kindergarten, then it is better to stay home while the virus spreads.
The child’s menu must include fish, meat, cereals, and dairy products. Try to give as little sweets as possible (buns, candies, sugar, etc.). Gradually you can accustom your child to hardening. Contrast shower very useful to use daily. If you create all the conditions, then the child will get sick less often.
In order for the child to get sick as little as possible, it is necessary to take care of him before his birth. Parents must live in an ecologically clean area and get checked for everything possible diseases. The main thing is that they are not passed on to the child. During pregnancy, a mother must be limited from stress and from communicating with a sick person.
When a baby is born, he needs to be breastfed for as long as possible. Enroll your child in kindergarten before three years not necessary, since the body is still weakened. He becomes stronger closer to four years, then communication in a team will not hurt him. If a child begins to get sick often, which is 10 times a year or more, then you need to undergo examination by the following doctors: endocrinologist, immunologist, allergist and pediatrician. Pass all relevant tests as prescribed by doctors. After the doctor has written a prescription, the baby needs to be treated as a whole and under no circumstances should it be interrupted so that there is no unpleasant consequences. There is no need to self-medicate, as you can harm him even more.
Conclusion
Help your baby be healthy. This is a lot of work for parents. Nothing is impossible, and it is quite possible to do without antibiotics and injections. Make your child comfortable living conditions, temper it. You yourself will be surprised that your child will begin to get sick less, without medications.
Children get sick most often early age(6 times or more). Over the age of 3 years, children who get colds more than five times a year are considered to be frequently ill, and those over 5 years old are considered to be sick more often than four times a year. In some of these children, the intervals between illnesses do not exceed 1-2 weeks. These children get sick throughout the year, regardless of the season. Usually these are children with reduced resistance, the reasons for which vary for each child.
Hereditary predisposition matters. Remember, didn’t you, your parents, have equally frequent illnesses in childhood? If there were, then this explains a lot, but should not discourage you. If this goes away with age, it does not mean that everything will end just as well for your child. Predisposition can be expressed in the form of diathesis: allergic, lymphatic. Chronic eating disorders, chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, digestive tract, endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, obesity), diseases of the nervous system.
Hereditary predisposition is realized in frequent diseases under the influence of adverse influences environment. The reason for frequent morbidity may be a decrease in resistance due to a deficiency of vitamins in the body, due to anemia. Long-term exposure to adverse environmental factors and prolonged use of products containing xenobiotics and dyes are important. A decrease in resistance to infections can be induced by long-term use of certain medications: antibiotics, hormonal agents, anticoagulants. A decrease in immunity to infections is often due to psycho-emotional and physical overload, as well as stress. The cause of frequent illnesses in a child may be unfavorable social conditions, passive smoking, premature onset child's visit to preschool.
As you can see, in all cases, the child’s frequent illnesses are associated with his low anti-infective resistance, but the reasons for this may be different. Therefore, the success of treatment depends not so much on how deeply you can study your child’s immunity (this, of course, is also necessary), but on identifying and eliminating these causes.
How to increase the resistance to infections of a frequently ill child?
Treatment of frequently ill children should be strictly differentiated and, as just noted, primarily aimed at eliminating external reasons reducing resistance to infections. Numerous studies have proven that stimulating therapy, which we will talk about now, can reduce the incidence of diseases by 6-12 months. But if the child continues to live in an environmentally unfavorable area, if he constantly breathes polluted air, if he is overloaded at school or does not have good relationships with classmates (etc.), he will again begin to get sick often.
Great value have rational mode day and a nutritious, varied diet. With frequent illnesses in the child’s body, the consumption of vitamins and minerals increases, which is not compensated by their content in food. Therefore, an obligatory component of the recovery of frequently ill children is vitamin therapy, during which it is advisable to use multivitamin complexes enriched with microelements (Revit, Undevit, Glutamevit, Centrum, Vitacitrol, Multi-Sanostol, Bevigshex, Betotal, Biovital, etc.).
The child’s nonspecific resistance can be increased by repeated courses of biostimulating agents: ginseng, Eleutherococcus, Chinese or Far Eastern Schisandra, Leuzea, Echinacea, Immunal, apilactose ( royal jelly bees), apidiquirita ( bee jelly with licorice), propolis (bee glue), linetol (a preparation from linseed oil), pantocrine (extract from deer antlers).
Herbal infusions can be used for general strengthening and vitaminizing purposes. For example, viburnum fruits - 10 g, mint leaves - 10 g, sage herb - 10 g, lemon balm herb - 5 g or nettle leaves - 10 g, rose hips - 5 g, elecampane root - 3 g. To prepare a decoction, 10 g of this collection, pour 200 ml of cold water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes, leave in a water bath for 1 hour and take 100 ml once a day after meals. Treatment with decoctions is carried out 2 times a year for 2-3 weeks.
A specific method for preventing recurrent respiratory diseases is vaccination. Currently, polyvalent vaccine preparations are being produced that provide protection for the child against a large number of pathogens of respiratory infections. Such drugs include bronchomunal, IRS-19 (nasal drops), as well as ribomunil (tablets or bags of granules), which combines the properties of vaccines and the immunocorrector. These drugs are used in long-term (up to 6 months) intermittent courses. To achieve the desired effect, you need patience and diligence.
Specific vaccines have been developed to prevent some of the most severe colds. These diseases primarily include influenza, the virus of which is very variable. The emergence and spread of a new variant of the virus every few years causes severe epidemics. Modern medicine quickly responds to the epidemiological situation by creating influenza vaccines. In anticipation of an epidemic, mass vaccination of the population against influenza is carried out, which is not included in the compulsory vaccination calendar and which parents often refuse. However, it should be understood that the risk of complications after modern influenza vaccines is very small, and the likelihood of severe influenza that can cause the most dangerous complications, very large.
The next direction of treatment for frequently ill children may be the use of immunomodulators - agents that directly affect individual parts of the immune system. Such agents include levamisole (decaris), prodigiosan, sodium nucleic acid, polyoxidonium, lycopid, immunorix. For the same purpose, drugs obtained from thymus gland, one of the central organs of the immune system (taktavin, thymalin, thymogen). Homeopathic remedies are also used to prevent colds. For example, the drug oscillococcinum has recently become popular.
In some cases, prolonged circulation of the virus in the child’s body is possible. In this case, the doctor may prescribe your child a course of antiviral interferon drugs (alfaferon, lokferon, viferon, roferon, reaferon) or drugs that stimulate their formation in the body (cycloferon, amixin, ridostin, poludon).
Interfering with the immune system requires caution. The choice of the drug that is optimal for your child, stimulating a specific weakened part of the immune system, the choice of treatment regimen, doses and duration of courses of therapy should be made by the doctor. Your task is to understand with understanding the need to strictly implement his recommendations.
Considering the mechanism of development of colds, when carrying out stimulating therapy, we must not forget about the need to harden the child.
Children of any age are susceptible to illness. In principle, it is normal to catch a cold sometimes. What if the child is often sick? colds, what to do? Some parents are very worried because children, for example, 5 years old, “do not recover from illnesses.”
What then can we say about 3-year-old children who have just started going to kindergarten? If the mother goes to work, if the child has frequent colds, she has to take sick leave or ask for time off. Sometimes this is perceived negatively by management.
In medicine, the term ChBD appeared. This is an abbreviation for the phrase “frequently ill children.” But not every patient can be called frequently ill. And so that parents do not sound the alarm ahead of time, a table has been created according to which you can find out whether a child is often sick and whether he can be classified as a CBD.
To draw a conclusion, you need to remember how many times your baby has caught a cold in a year, or it’s easier to look into medical card and count doctor visits over the previous year with complaints of acute respiratory infections. Compare the results with the table and get the answer.
In addition, the CWD group includes only those children who have colds that are not related to existing chronic diseases.
Why do children often get sick?
Because of weak immunity can happen to children frequent colds. At any year of life the doctor prescribes drug treatment which helps get rid of the disease. But medications can negatively affect the immune system, especially antibiotics, which kill both harmful and beneficial bacteria in the body.
Immediately after recovery, the child is still weak, and colds may recur very soon. Therefore, you should not immediately send your child to a children’s group (playground, nursery, kindergarten) or place large cluster people (transport, shops).
After defeating the disease, strengthening the immune system should follow by saturating the body with vitamins. Otherwise it might happen vicious circle: “the child is weak because he just got sick - the child got sick because he is weak.” You can get out of it only by strengthening the child’s body with healthy food, exercise and hardening. But these activities should not be started during illness or immediately after it.
What are the dangers of frequent colds in a child?
In addition to the fact that a sick child has to endure medication, he also misses school. Then catching up is very difficult and unpleasant. In terms of health, frequent colds are very dangerous. If a child often suffers from colds, complications may develop. They will also have to be treated, and this is an additional medical burden on the body. Most often, the following complications may occur as a result of colds:
- laryngitis;
- bronchitis;
- sinusitis;
- tonsillitis;
- otitis;
- allergic reactions.
Each diagnosis is scary in its own way. So, if your child constantly catches a cold, hurry to strengthen his immunity to avoid complications.
What factors reduce immunity in children?
The task of parents is to strengthen the child’s immunity and increase his tension. But very often, due to irresponsible and ignorant parents, the child’s immune system is weakened. The result is frequent illness. Each married couple who is planning a pregnancy or already has children should know what factors reduce the body's defenses:
- Intrauterine problems. A pregnant woman must clearly know and follow the regimen. She needs normal sleep proper nutrition, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Passive smoking. It has long been known that those who inhale smoke receive a greater dose of nicotine than those who smoke. Therefore, you should not smoke near a child, much less in a house where a 2-year-old child lives.
- Inadequate sleep. A child's body requires rest for 8 hours at night, and another 1-3 hours during the day (for children under 6-7 years old). During sleep, all systems rest and restore energy. A well-rested child will be much healthier than one who lacks sleep. Parents should monitor their children's bedtime.
- Stress, tense psychological situation at home or at school, kindergarten. A nervous, mentally “exhausted” child does not have proper protection from the external environment.
- Fast food, unbalanced diet. The body must receive everything nutrients, minerals, trace elements, vitamins. And there is nothing healthy in fast food and snacks. In other words, immunity is built from bricks, half of which comes from food (natural plant and dairy products, cereals, berries and fruits).
- Sedentary lifestyle. Anyone who always sits at the computer or in front of the TV does not develop their muscles.
- Overprotection. The habit of wrapping children up too much, protecting them from any breeze and the slightest load is observed more often among female half population. Frequent colds in a child may occur due to this reason. You can’t behave like this with children, they should be at least a little hardened and ready for weather surprises in the form of unexpected rain, wind, snow and other things.
- Too much heavy load: many sections, duties, except for school ones. It happens that parents try to make all their dreams and desires come true in their children and load them with additional activities, completely taking away their childhood. The result is permanent nervous tension, lack of time to restore vitality. Often, against the will of the child himself, from an early age he is sent to study languages, wrestling, dancing and handicrafts at the same time. And then they wonder why the child often gets colds. And he simply has no time to rest and relax.
- Lack of personal hygiene. Dirty hands and all other parts of the body are a step towards illness.
- Vagrancy. Absence permanent place residence has a negative impact on health.
- Excess of flour, sweets, and semi-finished products in the child’s diet.
- Forced eating when there is no feeling of hunger. This is a common problem for children and adults. Man eats to live. As soon as you feel hungry, you need to eat something. Snacks, eating through force is unhealthy attitude to eating. If children from the age of 4 get used to eating without need, but only because it is necessary, by the age of 10-12 they will be obese.
- Starvation. Not eating at all is also harmful. Everything should be in moderation.
- Lack of fiber in the diet. Vegetables are rich in fiber. It is useful for the body, as it cleanses of decay products, toxins, and increases defenses.
- Insufficient intake of vitamins. It is best to saturate the body with natural vitamins contained in berries and fruits. In cold seasons, pharmacy vitamin complexes are used for this.
How to strengthen children's immunity
Strengthening the immune system is a system of measures aimed at healing the body and restoring its defenses. How to strengthen a child's immunity? It's not too difficult. But the whole family may have to change their usual lifestyle a little. You can achieve what you want using the following actions:
- regular and nutritious meals,
- sufficient duration of sleep,
- walking,
- feasible physical activity,
- vitaminization,
- hardening.
Remember that everything is good in moderation. You shouldn’t get too carried away with any of the above. Regularity and common sense- this is the path to health.
How to prevent disease
There is no point in constantly being afraid and worried, much less worrying your baby. It is important to find out the causes of frequent colds. Sometimes they lie not so much in a weakened immune system, how much is due to the irresponsibility of parents and defects in upbringing.
It happens that a child leaves school during recess without a jacket; gnawing dirty nails; forgets to wash hands before eating; kisses homeless animals; pretending to be asleep, playing on the phone under the covers half the night. To eliminate the possibility of getting sick, monitor your children, make sure they correctly understand safety precautions and basic rules hygiene.
Conduct unobtrusive educational conversations, select books of appropriate content, go to a lecture famous doctor. Convince your son or daughter that everyone is responsible for their own health and can protect themselves from many problems by following simple rules.
How to prevent your child from getting frequent colds
You can find information on the Internet about how to treat colds. But you can’t do without a pediatrician, especially in difficult cases. Self-medication can end in disaster, so you should not resort to it. To treat acute respiratory infections, the doctor usually prescribes symptomatic medications: antipyretics, antihistamines, expectorants, etc.
But to prevent colds in children, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Herbal immunostimulants. They are the most forgiving. A course of taking echinacea, immunal or ginseng is recommended for 2 months. However, only a doctor should prescribe these medications to a child.
- Vitamin complexes are a chance to avoid colds. The composition and duration of administration are usually agreed upon with the pediatrician. At home, parents prefer to prepare the so-called “vitamin bomb” for their children. To do this, mix chopped dried apricots in equal proportions (1 cup each), walnuts and raisins. The juice of one lemon and half a glass of honey are poured into the mixture. The resulting medicine is stored in the refrigerator and given to the child in the morning and evening every day, 1 teaspoon.
- Interferon. It is only effective on early stages diseases. If the child begins to sneeze, this is the time to use interferon to stop the cold at the beginning of its development. But such drugs are not used as prophylaxis. They will not affect a healthy child in any way.
- Bacterial immunomodulators. This separate category. They contain very small doses of pathogens. And when the body copes with a negligible amount of bacteria, immunity is developed. Subsequently, he will be able to cope even with a large colony of harmful microorganisms of the same type. Only a pediatrician can calculate the amount of drug administered. It takes into account the weight, age, condition of the child, the strength of his immunity, and the frequency of previous diseases. Even a minimal deviation from the dose recommended by the doctor is fraught with serious consequences. Therefore, it is prohibited to take such a medicine without a doctor’s prescription. And “same dose as last time” may be completely inappropriate in next case ORZ.
Conclusion
The health of children is in the hands of parents as long as the children are small. Then it’s difficult to follow their every move. Therefore, it is so important to strengthen the immune system from childhood and vaccinate good habits by your own example.
Many parents complain that babies and children to school age They practically never get out of their sores. In most cases, such a weakening of the body's defenses is a consequence poor nutrition, lack of daily routine and insufficient sleep. If a child often gets colds after visiting crowded places and groups (for example, a kindergarten), this is a signal from the body that his immunity is reduced.
Who are frequently ill children?
The problem is when the baby spends more time at home rather than in children's institution known to many parents. The main thing in this case is not to start panicking and take all preventive measures at once. In the vast majority of situations, this condition is a temporary phenomenon that does not require special treatment for the child. This does not apply to situations where the baby’s immunity is so low that the slightest acute respiratory infection can cause serious and dangerous bacterial complications that are difficult to treat.
Depending on the age and frequency of diseases, experts have identified several groups of FSD (frequently ill children):
- children under 12 months who get colds more than 4 times a year;
- children aged 1-3 years who get sick 6 or more times in 12 months;
- preschoolers ( age group 3-5 years old) suffering from colds more than 5 times a year;
- school-age children who get sick more than 4 times a year;
- small patients in whom the duration of treatment for a cold is more than 2 weeks.
Why does a child often get sick?
There are several reasons why children often get colds. As pediatricians insist, quick solution Most of them depend on the parents themselves. Adults can influence the lifestyle, and their actions determine how strong and immune to infections children’s immunity becomes. Some children have active foci of infection in their bodies, which negatively affect their protective functions. If you have enlarged adenoids, a persistent cough or runny nose, you need to do bacterial culture to find out the nature of the pathogen.
In some cases, a decrease in a child’s immunity is caused by several factors:
- wrong image life – lack of proper daily routine, sleep daytime, walks, poor nutrition, lack of hardening procedures, walks in the fresh air;
- decrease in the body's defenses due to thoughtless self-administration antibiotics, immunomodulatory or antiviral drugs;
- lack of hygiene;
- decrease in protective forces after an illness (pneumonia, tonsillitis, bronchitis);
- inappropriate temperature conditions, air parameters ( low level humidity);
- infection from sick children and adults in children's team;
- failure motor activity, sedentary lifestyle.
A child under one year old often suffers from colds
At this age, the child does not yet have frequent contact with peers, so this is not the main reason for the decrease in immunity. Predisposition to frequent illnesses A cold may have another cause - congenital infection of the baby or prematurity. Great value for proper development protective forces of the baby's body has a feeding method - babies on breastfeeding As a rule, “artificial” people get sick much less often and more easily. In the presence of dysbacteriosis or hypovitaminosis, the likelihood of decreased immunity increases.
The child is constantly sick in kindergarten
Institutions for preschool children in most cases cause fear and panic in the child’s parents, since often in the initial period of adaptation to kindergarten the child gets sick every month. This situation really takes place, because children's collectives are a breeding ground for infections. As soon as the baby begins to visit playground or a garden group, snot and cough become frequent occurrences in life, and if these symptoms do not cause complications, this condition does not require special therapy.
What to do if your child is often sick
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out the reason for the frequent deterioration in the child’s health:
- foci of infection in the nasopharynx;
- adenoiditis;
- birth trauma, encephalopathy;
- problems with the endocrine gland;
- metabolic disorders;
- stressful state;
- a consequence of long-term medication use;
- ecological situation.
How to strengthen your immune system
The off-season is the most treacherous time of the year. During this period, due to the weakening of natural immunity, respiratory infections begin to flourish. If in the fall or winter a child constantly suffers from colds (ARVI, flu), accompanied by high fever, sore throat and runny nose, you should think about methods of improving the body’s defenses. The formation of immunity is a process that begins immediately after the birth of a child and never ends. If your child gets colds very often, it’s time to take care of the health of the whole family.
Nutrition
Since up to 70% of immune cells are in gastrointestinal tract, diet is of great importance for health. It must contain required quantity proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. It is believed that bottle-fed babies have lower immunity than babies fed breast milk, so special attention You need to pay attention to the selection of products during complementary feeding. They must be introduced gradually and carefully. A menu consisting of the same type of dishes is the enemy children's health.
The diet of all children should include cereals, vegetables, fruits and meat. To improve immunity, doctors recommend that older children (from 3 years old) include the following products in their daily menu:
- garlic and onion;
- fermented milk (kefir, yogurt, yogurt)
- nuts;
- lemon;
- freshly squeezed juices from fruits and vegetables;
- healing herbal teas and berries;
- fish oil
Hardening
A frequently ill baby requires special care including preventive measures. Hardening is one of the most popular methods of increasing the body's resistance. various infections. Many parents start by taking their children for long walks in the fresh air every day and often ventilating the children's room. But this rhythm of life quickly gets boring and everything returns to the usual way of spending time watching a TV or tablet. This is the most main mistake, because hardening is not a set of procedures, but a healthy lifestyle for all family members.
In the process of improving the health of children, follow these tips:
- You should not over-bundle your baby; although thermoregulation is not yet fully developed, this does not mean that he is cold all the time.
- The temperature in the room should not exceed 22 degrees, the air should not be too humid (up to 45%) or dry.
- We must not forget about daily walks And active games outdoors, in any weather, children should spend at least 2 hours outside.
- Regular ventilation is also very important for health.
- If parents decide to supplement their daily routine with hardening procedures, they should be carried out daily, at the same time, and only if the baby is in absolute health.
Water treatments
For some reason, many parents think that water treatments- this is bathing the baby in cold, ice water, like winter swimming. Although bathing, rubbing and dousing with water at a gradually decreasing temperature in itself is an excellent method of strengthening health and immunity. Experts recommend starting procedures at 33 degrees, weekly reducing the water temperature by 1 division. Children often enjoy this kind of pastime and improve their mood and appetite.
Air baths
Fresh air is a wonderful helper in the field of hardening. This procedure is completely safe and does not require special skills or much effort. For acceptance air baths it is necessary to undress the baby and leave him naked for a certain period of time. With the help of these simple manipulations, you can “wake up” the body’s immunity and accelerate the development of the thermoregulation system, which will help your baby get sick less and less often. The most important thing is that this procedure can be carried out from the first days of the baby.
The most common methods of taking air baths:
- airing the room (3-4 times a day, 15 minutes each);
- being naked in a ventilated room;
- walks outside, sleep and active games.
Healthy rinse
If a child is sick in kindergarten every week, then it is necessary to introduce time for rinsing. This is a wonderful prevention of illnesses, especially if the baby suffers from sore throat, tonsillitis and other diseases of the nasopharynx. Getting used to frequent, regular exposure to cool water hardens the throat and nasopharynx, it begins to react less and will hurt less often. For children under 3 years of age, boiled water at room temperature is used for the procedure. For older children and teenagers, to enhance the effect, you can prepare a garlic solution.
Video
What to do if your child is often sick
Children get sick, and parents are very worried about this. Adults pay little attention to their own illnesses, but children’s illnesses instantly become a cause of concern. This is normal, because people live in non-sterile conditions, so the body reacts this way to external environment. What to do if a child gets sick very often? The answer lies deep down - in the reason for such morbidity.
Does your child get sick often?
As they said, all children get sick. The only question is how often and where is the line between normal seasonal reactivity? child's body and pathological diseases.
Pediatricians believe that the normal incidence in children under 12 months is no more than 4 times a year. From three to six years, this figure ranges from 3 to 6 diseases per year. For school-age children – 1–3 times, which is due to the child being in a group. In kindergartens, in their real conditions, teachers cannot ensure that all children are well dressed and do not pick up anything from the floor.
Just like modern fathers and mothers, they cannot always sit at home with sick children and their colds are sent to kindergartens and schools, where they infect other children. This is especially clearly noticeable in kindergarten groups. If a child gets sick, after a few days everyone starts getting sick. So, if a preschool-age child gets sick more than 6 times a year, and a school-age child more than 3-4 times, this is a sign of frequent illness, and therefore a reason to pay attention to the child’s immunity.
In addition, it is one thing if a child often suffers from viral respiratory diseases, but quite another if almost any respiratory infection is complicated, for example, by a sore throat. The difference is that simple ARVI is caused by a virus, requiring intensive antiviral therapy. Sore throat (acute tonsillitis) is a complication when, against the background of immunity weakened by the virus, bacterial infection. It cannot be cured without antibiotics.
The main question is, if a child often gets a sore throat, then why? The infection can “attach” only to very damaged tonsils, inflamed, with enlarged lacunae - an excellent environment for bacteria. Sore throat is not easy to treat, and parents often stop treatment, leaving traces of inflammation that make acute sore throat chronic. The most serious cause of sore throats in children is considered to be correct treatment infections, weakened immunity.
Causes of regular child illnesses
There can be many reasons why a child may often get colds and sore throats. The main one is the presence of the baby in a children's group. It should be noted that many causes, including this one, do not need to be eliminated. It is better to influence other factors, significantly reducing the risk of disease.
Among the reasons why a child often gets sick, you need to pay attention to the following:
lack of required childhood vaccinations. Unfortunately, many parents deliberately refuse vaccination. Word of mouth reports about the danger, as well as the fact that then children allegedly get even more sick. Not true. A vaccine is a greatly weakened or killed pathogen that provokes the appearance of antibodies to a specific disease. These antibodies provide immunity that protects the baby in the future. There are only two ways for the formation of antibodies: vaccination (when the child just has a fever for a couple of days, but does not get sick) or the disease to its full extent. And it is better to give the baby immunity, for example, to measles, and protect him from the disease in the future.
chronic respiratory diseases. No matter what pharmacists say, all sinusitis is a chronic disease. If your child has been diagnosed with any type of sinusitis, there is a high probability that it will occur again. Chronic inflammatory process greatly weakens the protective properties of the mucous membranes. And the more often relapses appear, the stronger the mucosal defects become and the worse the immunity.
lack of additional immune enhancement. All children have weaker immunity than any adult. Therefore, it needs to be further strengthened. Old methods and new developments in medicine can significantly reduce the incidence of illness in children during dangerous periods: spring and autumn.
allergic tendencies . It is worth remembering the hereditary nature of any allergy. In other words, if one parent has a severe allergy of any kind, there is a high probability that the child will also have it. Children with a tendency to allergies get sick much more often. Therefore, any treatment should include antihistamines.
frequent presence in crowded places. This does not mean that you need to limit your child's communication. However, it should still be taken into account that visiting such places by a child under 10 years of age significantly increases the risk of disease. Prevention is necessary.
congenital immunodeficiency. Bad habits mothers before and during pregnancy, influence negative factors environment, unbalanced nutrition of the mother during feeding, lack of nutrition, defects, prematurity - these are the causes of congenital immunodeficiency in the baby.
refusal to breastfeed. Mother's milk is the best immunostimulant; neither people nor nature have yet come up with anything more effective. Milk has a completely individual composition, i.e. milk from a particular mother ideally meets the needs of only her child. It contains substances that cannot be artificially recreated and placed in a mixture for baby food. Because breast milk irreplaceable. In addition, studies show that babies who receive breast milk all the time they need get sick 3 times less and have good health.
All causes can be taken under control, thereby reducing the risk of a child’s illness.
What to do if your child is sick viral infections ?
These specialists may order a series of tests, including: general tests blood and urine; coprogram; fecal analysis for the presence of helminth eggs; immunogram; allergen sensitivity test; blood tests for HIV - there is no need to ignore them or panic, this standard procedure; Ultrasound of organs in the abdominal cavity.
After finding out the reasons, the doctor will give certain instructions on how to eliminate them. You should do the following yourself, regardless of how often your child gets sick:
If possible, pick up the child from preschool in the autumn-spring period. You can socialize him yourself, as well as teach him basic skills. Contacts with other children in confined spaces will be much reduced. Such contacts are acceptable and desirable outdoors, where there is good ventilation.
hardening. For children, it does not involve dousing with ice water or walking in the snow. However, playing sports, swimming in summer time can significantly strengthen the child’s immunity and prevent diseases.
proper treatment of acute respiratory infections. The doctor prescribes it to cure the child. If the prescribed treatment has become prohibitively expensive, you should contact your pediatrician again and ask if there are cheaper analogues or substitutes. Be that as it may, it is important not to forget that treatment for any acute respiratory infection should last at least five days, during which time the child should not attend groups, so as not to infect other children and not complicate his illness. You should also not resort to self-medication, and also stop treatment before recovery.
prevention. Now there are a number of drugs that stimulate the production of natural immunity. They are divided into interferons natural origin and artificial. The first interferons are more effective because they are completely compatible with the human body. It will not be superfluous to periodically take a course of multivitamins. For a detailed dosage regimen, you should contact your pediatrician.
You should not refuse vaccinations. If you have concerns about the quality of vaccines, you should consult and purchase the vaccines yourself. Try to keep up with the schedule. In addition, we should not forget about preventive seasonal vaccinations against influenza, which should be carried out in mid-to-late summer, so that antibodies have time to develop by autumn.
correct mode. The baby's food should be tasty, balanced and fortified. It must be remembered that the traditional effect of tea with lemon disappears as soon as the lemon is poured hot water. The same applies to currant compotes.
There is no need to force the baby to eat. The body knows when it needs nutrition. Children's is no exception. It is necessary to include in the diet as much as possible more vegetables and fruits. In order to receive specific recommendations, mother should contact a nutritionist.
The child should sleep at least 7 hours at night. Young children have their own sleep schedule. He is individual. The right mattress, pillow, and normal temperature conditions created by the blanket improve the quality of sleep. Warm milk with honey will help you fall asleep faster. To avoid overstimulation, you should not allow your child to watch TV or play computer games 2–3 hours before bedtime. A moderate physical activity, on the contrary, is welcome.
drinking water. The child should drink a lot. Moreover, portions of liquid should be limited to one glass every 2–3 hours. The toilet should be regular.
fresh air. Regular airing, good ventilation of rooms and walks improve lung function. In addition, it is important to maintain the correct temperature in the room. Ideal temperature for a children's room - 18–22°. The air should be moist and cool. Warm, humid promotes the growth of bacteria, dry overdries the mucous membrane, causes a runny nose, as well as a deterioration in the body's defense reactions.
timely consultation with a doctor. Regardless of trust in medicine, the illness of children is entirely the responsibility of adults. You should not be lazy to look for a qualified pediatrician; you should not neglect the advice of other specialists, postponing treatment. Diseases tend to pile on top of one another if neglected. It is necessary to achieve reliable diagnosis and treatment, and insist on monitoring recovery.
It is important to remember that high-quality prevention is more effective, cheaper, easier to treat. Therefore, it is necessary to do everything possible to prevent diseases in the child. Be healthy!
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