With the monsoon season continuing its vice-like grip over the country, our kids are yet again susceptible to the diseases and other complications that come along with it. Fortunately, there are some easy steps we can take to protect them from the contagion lurking around.
- Dress for the weather: Keep a set of loose fitting cotton clothes handy, with a jacket for the times when it gets chilly or starts raining. Light cotton allows the skin to breathe, enabling it to rejuvenate itself. In case of infants, change their diapers frequently and give them a sponge bath regularly. Keep an eye out for any kind of fungal or skin infections.
- Hygienic, Healthy Food: Be sure to give your little one only boiled water, and also cook the food in boiled water. Keep the food and other ingredients in airtight containers to prevent them from getting damp. In case you’re still breastfeeding, make sure you eat only homemade food, for good health and well-being of your unborn child. Do not give raw vegetables unless they’re cooked properly. Ensure an adequate supply of nutritious food, particularly Vitamin C and clean water handy at all times to cleanse the digestive system. Avoid roadside food at all costs.
- Regular hand wash: Inculcate the practice of washing their hands thoroughly at regular intervals with a good antiseptic, especially after they’ve come from outdoors. Disease-causing bacteria and germs can make their way from the hands to the stomach, which is one of the main causes of illnesses.
- Cover the water containers or empty them: Stagnant water is a haven for mosquitoes and their larvae. These are responsible for causing dengue, malaria and other ailments among humans.
- Keep their hands off their eyes: Touching or rubbing the eyes frequently and unnecessarily can lead to many kinds of eye infections such as conjunctivitis, dry eyes etc. In case of itchiness, rinse their eyes with cooled boiled water.
- Vaccination: Do not miss your child’s vaccination dates at any cost, as they are an important arsenal in your child’s immunity system. This will protect him/her from diseases that can wreak havoc with their body defense, making them more vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather.
- Fun and frolic: The monsoon/ rainy season and the winter months needn’t prevent your kid from playing outdoors, provided you’ve taken adequate protective measures. Exercising and playing outdoors can build up your kid’s immunity system and provide them with the vital Vitamin D from their exposure to sunlight.
- Adequate shut-eye time: Sleep allows your kid’s body to produce white blood cells which helps combat diseases. Infants need about 14 hours and school-going children need about 9-10 hours of sleep a day.
