Keeping Your Kids Healthy During the Rainy Season

The arrival of the monsoon season is a relief from the scorching heat. It offers opportunities for fun, where kids can also be seen splashing in puddles and enjoying the cool temperature. However, it is also a time when various health problems can crop up. Parents and caregivers need to be aware of these health risks and take steps to keep kids healthy and active.

Every parent and caregiver must take preventive healthcare actions and strengthen good hygiene behaviours to keep their kids from getting sick. Maintaining a child-safe living environment that minimises standing water becomes equally important as it can increase illnesses. 

Common Rainy Season Illnesses in Children

Kids' immune systems are still developing, making them more vulnerable to infections. Illnesses flourish in the damp environment of the monsoon season. Common diseases that are prevalent during this season include:

1. Colds and flu are highly contagious and can spread rapidly in damp settings.
2. Respiratory infections are easily transmitted during this season.
3. Gastroenteritis is a common infection caused by contaminated food and water sources. This is rampant during the rainy season due to heavy rains and poor hygiene standards.
4. Fungal Infections result from contact with water and high levels of humidity.
5. Waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid are prevalent due to rainwater collecting and the resultant contamination of water.

How Rainy Season Makes Kids Contract Diseases

The rainy season is that time of the year when, due to the various environmental factors, falling ill is more common, especially in children. Here are a few common reasons for that:

1. The damp atmosphere becomes an ideal place for bacteria, viruses, and fungi to breed.
2. Increased humidity levels during the rainy season make the resistance to diseases low.
3. Due to flooding and water logging during the rainy season, supplied water can get contaminated.
4. Collected water acts as the perfect breeding site for mosquitoes that carry diseases.

Ways to Keep Kids Healthy During the Rainy Season

Here are ways to keep your children safe during monsoon:

1. Maintain Hygiene

Encourage your children to maintain hygiene. Here are some tips:

• Make sure your kids wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Kids must use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol.
• Children should cough or sneeze into a tissue that covers their mouths and noses.
• They should not touch their faces and keep their nails trimmed, which helps keep germs and dirt at bay.

2. Keep Dry

• Get children waterproof raincoats, umbrellas, and boots so they can avoid getting soaked.
• When you come indoors, make it a point that your children change out of wet clothes immediately.

3. Encourage Healthy Eating

Feeding your children a balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can improve their immunity. Below are a few tips to follow:

• Include various fruits and vegetables in meals.
• Avoid street foods as they may be adulterated and unhygienic.
• Include foods that keep up overall health and build their immunity.

4. Water Consumption

Monsoon brings humidity, which causes sweating and dehydration among kids. It is important to keep your body hydrated, especially at times when your body tends to lose more water. Following are a few tips to keep your kids well-hydrated.

• Get them to drink adequate quantities of clean and safe water throughout the day.
• Ensure the water your kids drink does not contain any trace of contaminants by replacing normal drinking water with filtered or boiled water.
• Add fruits and vegetables to their meals as this will help increase the water levels in their body.
• If the child has a fever, give him or her more fluids to avoid dehydration.

Recognizing and Treating Symptoms

By recognizing the symptoms of an illness and knowing how or when to get medical attention, you can get your children treated effectively.

Common Symptoms of Sickness in Children

Parents should always look out for these common symptoms of sickness in children:

1. A cough can be a sign of an infection in the body; fever can be another way the body may respond to such an infection. Hence, this may be a sign that it is battling a virus or bacteria.
2. A cold or congested nose may be a sign of a cold or flu.
3. Any congestion in the throat may signal the onset of an infection in the throat region.
4. Symptoms such as nausea or stomach ache can be indicative that something is wrong.
5. When your child is more lethargic than usual or shows crankiness, this could be a sign of an illness about to set in.
6. Rashes or patches on the skin can indicate an infection caused by the moisture in the air.

When to Consult a Doctor?

Here are signs that you must seek expert medical advice to get the adequate care your little one needs:

1. If your child’s fever stays high for more than a day.
2. If a cough extends for more than a week and is accompanied by breathing difficulties.
3. If your child is dehydrated and suffers from vomiting.
4. If there is blood present in their vomit or stool.
5. If your child experiences diarrhoea for more than 24 hours.
6. If your child has severe or ongoing pain, particularly in one area.
7. If your child develops a rash that spreads or forms blisters.
8. Any signs of breathing issues require immediate medical attention.
9. Signs of excessive sleepiness or unresponsiveness.

Conclusion

Implementing these practices and seeking expert medical assistance allows your children to fully relish the beauty of the monsoon without falling sick. Collaborate with Bharosa.life, a platform that will connect you with expert paediatricians or consultants and offer you real-world childcare experiences to make informed decisions. This platform provides genuine, bias-free reviews that will help parents find the best care for their child's needs. 

Visit the website today and fulfil the basic needs of your newborn with expert guidance and assistance!