Common Monsoon Illnesses That Affect Children And Tips To Prevent Them
For most of us, the monsoon season brings joy in the form of piping hot tea, mouth-watering pakoras, and pleasant weather after the scorching hot summer season. But, such is not the case for 36-year-old Neha, a lecturer by profession. Neha dreads the monsoon season. Bringing with it a plethora of infections, she has a tough time keeping her 5-year-old son from falling sick during the rains.
As a parent, Neha is not the only one concerned about her kid’s health in the rainy season. With the world still reeling under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are even more anxious about keeping their children safe from monsoon infections.
Here in this blog, we have discussed three distinctive factors that trigger illnesses during the monsoon season. Also, you can find below some easy-to-practice remedies for parents to help prevent monsoon maladies in their children. Read on...
3 Reasons Monsoon Triggers Illnesses in Children
During the rainy season, your little one is more at risk for illnesses. Here’s why:
1. Increase in number of mosquitoes and flies: Carriers of many disease-causing germs such as dengue, malaria, chikungunya, and encephalitis, kids need protection from these insects. During monsoons, due to water collection, mosquitoes and flies breed easily and spread illnesses.
2. Easy contamination of drinking water: Water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and cholera are seen commonly in children in the rainy season. This is due to favorable conditions presented for microbes to grow and contaminate drinking water.
3. High humidity levels: During the rains, the air is cold and damp. When small children inhale this moist air, it flares up their tonsils and adenoids. This in turn leads to congested breathing and poor sleep. Also, if breathing passages get infected with microbes, it can cause sinusitis and pneumonia in children.
Things Parents Can Do to Prevent Their Children from Monsoon Sickness
So, as a parent what can you do to prevent your child from calling in sick? Here are some tips:
1. Give boiled and cooled water to your child. The risk of getting a waterborne disease increases in the rainy season and contaminated water may end up in your water supply. So it's always best to consume boiled and cooled drinking water to reduce the chances of infections
2. Apply mosquito repellent cream on the exposed parts of your kid’s body. Spray disinfectant in your house to keep away flies and mosquitoes. Keep carpets and mats out in the sunlight to disinfect them.
3. Dress your child in full-sleeved clothes to prevent mosquito bites. Girls can wear long and thick socks or tights under their skirts when going to school. Keep their skin dry as moist skin leads to fungal infections during monsoons.
4. Make sure your child is not eating street food or food from open vendors as they do not maintain food hygiene. Give them fresh, home-cooked meals to strengthen their immunity.
5. Avoid storing moist and processed foods for a long during the rainy season as they get spoilt easily. Foods such as cake, bread, milk, jam, and pickles tend to have fungal growth in the rainy season due to their high moisture content.
6. Practice healthy habits at home such as washing hands with soap after coming back from school, changing into clean, dry clothes once they are home, and washing fruits properly before eating them.
7. Ensure there is no stagnant water in and around your house and neighborhood. Avoid storing water in open vessels and buckets for long as they can turn into breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Moreover, during monsoons, absenteeism from school rises due to ill health. In fact, frequent infections can negatively impact your child’s academic performance in school. If you suspect your child is not feeling well, you can consult your healthcare provider or book an appointment online. You can consult our Pediatrician online anytime, 24x7, at your convenience. So, this time let your little munchkin enjoy the rainy season with freedom from infections and sickness!
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Good blog to educate young parents about rainy season illnesses in kids.
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