Weather changes are like clockwork. They take place every year without fail. And every time there is a drop or increase in temperature, infections are on the rise. Cold, sore throat, flu, allergy and tummy troubles are some of the ailments that happen frequently with every change in season. 

Studies have shown that climate change is not directly responsible for illnesses. The change in weather just provides a conducive environment for the viruses to multiply and spread. All they need is cool and dry air, and they will thrive. Though you may not be able to control the weather, you can protect your child by following a few simple dos and don'ts.

1. TEST ALLERGIES

Falling sick does not really have to be an illness and can be caused by allergies too. So, the first and foremost thing you can do if your child suffers cold-like symptoms constantly during certain times around the year is to check for seasonal allergies or asthma. 

If you see a pattern of your children falling sick and not recovering after several consultations with your doctor, speak to your doctor and get a referral to an allergist. These are medical professionals who can test and figure out if constant seasonal symptoms can be due to allergies and not because of illness.

2. VACCINATION

Keeping your children up to date on their vaccination tracker is one way to help protect children from most diseases and to also boost their overall immunity. Vaccinations help lower severity of many illnesses and help children recover faster. Regular vaccinations that are required for your children need to be administered at their appropriate ages, so make sure you do not miss any vaccination.

3. PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE

Good hygiene is among the most important lessons you can teach your children. Most viruses such as rhinoviruses survive for three hours outside the body, but can sometimes live up to 48 hours on surfaces that are touchable such as doorknobs, tables, chairs, switches, et cetera.

So it is extremely important to make sure our children wash their hands in regular intervals and avoid touching their faces, eyes, nose, et cetera when they’re in a public place to keep off potential risk of catching any infections. 

Constantly remind them to develop the habit of frequently washing hands especially after visiting the washroom, or playing in dirty surroundings, or after being outdoors along with emphasising the importance of learning good toilet habits.

4. IMPROVE NUTRITION 

There can never be any substitute for the nutritive needs of a growing child. Nutrients from vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat are all essential in building a healthy immune system in order to prevent illnesses.

• The importance of vitamins: Eating a bit of extra vitamin C during changing seasons can act as a booster dose and help your children boost their immunity. Some foods that are rich in vitamin C are oranges , pineapples, strawberries, kiwi, papaya, etc.  Other vitamins, like vitamin A, are important in promoting strong development. Give your children a lot of yellow and orange vegetables, along with milk, eggs, and cheese. Vitamin B is essential to help energy levels and metabolism, so foods such as chicken, milk, nuts, fish can be given. The importance of vitamin D goes hand in hand with the calcium needs in our bodies, and the best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight.

• The importance of getting enough dietary fibre: Many children often catch what is called the stomach bug or the stomach flu causing typical symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, stomachache, abdominal pain, fatigue and so on. When children eat food outside or even home-cooked meals, no matter how carefully prepared, can be a major source of pathogens and disease-causing germs. In order to defend their bodies against such pathogens, it is crucial that we help them consume a good amount of fibre. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure we feed our children fibre rich food such as black beans, peas, lentils, broccoli, oatmeal, Chia seeds, pears, carrots and so on.

• Importance of eating protein rich food: Children grow and develop at a quick pace and in order to keep their developing bodies strong, especially their muscles, it is important we provide them with a good amount of protein. In fact, all germ-fighting antibodies are actually complex protein structures that need to be built. So make it a point to include eggs, chicken, fish and other such protein-rich food in your children’s diet.

• Apart from these, you can give your children dried fruits and nuts for energy and make sure they consume almonds, raisins, walnuts, dates, figs, and apricots regularly. Yoghurt and curd contain a lot of good microorganisms. They have a lot of added benefits apart from being calcium rich and act as probiotics. Also, the use of everyday ingredients such as ginger, turmeric, tulsi, cardamom, cinnamon can also be helpful to keep seasonal illnesses away. 

5. MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN GET ENOUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND REST

Exercise, rest and good sleep are all as important to growth and healing as is our diet. Many parents may want to keep children indoors because of the season changes outside. This reduces their physical activity to a great extent. Make sure your children get at least 30 minutes of basic exercise when they are indoors even if the weather is not good enough to venture outside for physical play.

Similarly, sleep is the time for our bodies to rest, repair, and rejuvenate. According to many paediatricians, children aged 6 to 12 lead 9 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep and teenagers require 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Adequate sleep is essential to help your child have a healthier immune system to fight illnesses better.

Along with exercise, good rest, and proper sleep, natural light and staying outdoors can also boost mood and Immunity in children.

CONCLUSION

Being well hydrated and proactive in itself can save you and your child a lot of discomfort and anxiety. So inculcate these simple habits and practices early in your child’s life to help them build better mechanisms to fight diseases and to lead a strong and healthy lifestyle. As it is said, good health is often the result of good sense!

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