Preventing Illnesses in Children

‘Health is wealth’ and ‘Prevention is better than cure’ are proverbs which go to show how important it is to keep your child healthy and protect her from the attack of illnesses. Good nourishment and good hygienic surrounding help to keep away illnesses to some extent. Regarding nourishment, breast feeding is best to keep your child healthy. Breast milk contains immunoglobulin which are glycoproteins and function as antibodies. A child’s immune system is weak and does not produce antibodies efficiently to resist the attacking germs. Breast milk allows the mother to pass on the antibodies present in her milk to her infant. Once the infant starts taking solid food, more vegetables and whole grains will strengthen the infant’s immune system. Junk foods should be avoided until at least into the third or fourth year of the child, because they weaken the immune system and also trigger allergic reactions. These are generally not diagnosed and they manifest themselves as illnesses.

Regarding hygienic surrounding, keep the entire household clean, especially the child’s room and her playthings. The Day-care center is another location where there is a likelihood of germs spreading from an infected child to a healthy child, because of her weak immune system. Since the day-care center cannot be totally avoided, look for a day-care center with less number of children. This will reduce the chances of your child picking up an illness. Inspite of these provisions, children may be prone to illnesses during their growing years. In such situations where prevention is unsuccessful, and the child is affected by illness, obtain quick treatment as illnesses left untreated come in the way of the normal development of the child. Read through to learn about certain common illnesses that may affect children, their symptoms and remedies.