PREVENTION OF REPEATED FEBRILE ILLNESS AND HOW TO INCREASE IMMUNITY?

PREVENTION OF REPEATED FEBRILE ILLNESS

It is the responsibility of parents to teach & follow illness prevention behavior as prevention is better than cure. 

🔴 Prevention of germs

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There are many ways children can have febrile illness, here we are discussing 3 major routes of illness.

❇️ Air borne disease

It is the most common disease in children where one infected person transmits the infection to another directly or indirectly. In direct transmission, if an infected person coughs & sneezes then virus or bacteria transmit through air and enter via nose or mouth into another person. In indirect transmission, normal children pick up virus though by directly touching infected people or touching germy surfaces like the desk, door knob and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes before washing hands.

Example: Corona, Common cold, Measles & many more.

🔹 Prevention

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▪️ Taking age appropriate vaccines is the best preventive measure.

▪️ Ask children to use face masks in public places.

▪️ Encourage child not to play or share tiffen with child if he or she is having cough & cold. 

▪️ Encourage children to avoid touching their face unnecessarily.

▪️ Encourage children to wash hands frequently with soap & water.

▪️ Don't be source of infection

Don't send your kid with febrile cold / cough outside school.

Remember... An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

❇️ Water borne disease

Water borne illness is caused by eating or drinking water or food contaminated by bacteria, virus or parasites. It is transmitted if a child drinks infected water, eats germy food or put own germy hand in the mouth. We are seeing a decreasing trend in waterborne diseases.

Example: Gastroenteritis, Jaundice, Typhoid

🔹 Prevention

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▪️ Taking age appropriate vaccines is the best preventive measure.

▪️Water safety

# Drink boiled or filtered water.

# Make sure toddler or young kids are not drinking tap water particularly in the bathroom.

# Teach children not to swallow water while swimming.

▪️ Food safety

# Wash all raw vegetables or fruits before eating.

# Clean & sanitize all utensils, equipment and kitchen surface before making food.

# Make sure there are no cockroaches, ants, mice in your house.

# Wash hands before any activity in the kitchen.

# Avoid the kitchen if you are having active disease.

▪️ Personal hygiene

# Wash hand before eating food

# Wash hands after coming from outside.

# Daily bath

# Brushing teeth twice a day.

▪️ For infant and toddler 

# Wash there every 3 to 4 hourly.

# Change their dress two or three times in a day 

# Clean thoroughly after every poop or urine.

# Don't kiss near the mouth.

▪️ House cleaning

# Clean house twice a day by using water and chlorine based disinfectant.

# Clean bathroom daily.

❇️ Mosquito borne disease

Mosquito borne disease is caused by mosquito bite.

Example: Malaria, Dengue, chikungunya.

🔹 Prevention

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▪️ Only Japanese encephalitis & yellow fever vaccine is available.

▪️ Mosquito breed in clean water, complete their development in water.

# Remove all water holding container, cooler (if not using), tyre, bucket, empty pot from roof.

# Close all water holding containers if you are using.

▪️ Personal protection

# Wear loose fitting pants and a shirt while sleeping.

#  Use head net while sleeping

# Use full speed fan or air conditioner

# Use proper mosquito repellent.

# Use an electric bat or spray to kill mosquitoes.

# Install screen or net on windows and door.

Remember... The best treatment is preventive measures.

🔴 Increase immunity

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❇️ Immunization 

▪️ Take all vaccines if possible. Spending money on vaccines will prevent expenditure on diseases.

▪️ If you have not taken an age appropriate vaccine, consult your Dr for catch up vaccination.

❇️ Food

◽ Below 6 month

▪️ Exclusive breastfeeding till 6 month. 

▪️ Watch video on YouTube " Dr Ashish Agrawal"

◽ 6 month to 2 year

▪️ Appropriate weaning from 6 month of age. Watch videos on YouTube.

▪️ Continue breastfeeding along with weaning till 18 month to 2 year.

◽ After stopping breastfeeding.

▪️ Avoid

# One type of food is like a child drinking milk 3 to 4 times a day. Milk is good food but should not be given more than once in a day.

# Outside snacks like chocolate, chips, biscuits.

▪️ Encourage

#  Make sure the child is eating a variety of family traditional food.

# Rather than giving 2 or 3 major meals, encourage kids to eat small frequent meals.

# Include all types of seasonal fruits and vegetables in the menu.

# Food like fish, egg or chicken should be included in menu if you are non vegetarian

# If possible, include nuts like walnuts, almond.

# Immunity booster food

➖ Tulsi, Honey

➖ Turmeric milk

➖ Green tea or ginger tea

➖ Juice made from spinach, ginger, beet, carrot.

❇️ Get enough sleep

Sleep not only improves cognitive function of the brain, it restores energy, increases focus & attention span.

🔹 Why sleep is important?  

▪️ Improves immune system 

▪️ Improve overall health 

In short... Sleep is the best meditation 

❇️ Sports

Play helps in physical, emotional, social, moral and personality development thus boost well being feelings in a child. Child must play at least 2 hour per day with other children.

Dr Ashish Agrawal, Paediatrician and expert in child behavior, education and developmental problems.

Ph: 8888126037, 8483905330, 7057551985

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