How can you protect your child from infections?
Get vaccinated on time and remember to wash your hands – nothing better has been invented yet. Garlic on the neck, masks, OTC immunostimulants, homeopathic medicines, wearable virus blockers, oxolinic ointment, echinacea have not been proven to be effective in qualitative studies.
In general, the child should be vaccinated in accordance with the national immunization schedule. But it must keep in mind that the national calendar, which is approved by the Ministry of Health, is compiled taking into account not only the epidemiological situation, but also the financial capabilities of the state. Because of this, some important vaccinations do not get there, but they are worth getting. For example, a child, in an amicable way, should be vaccinated against hepatitis A, human papillomavirus, rotavirus and meningococcal infections, as well as chickenpox. If you wish, you can focus on the American calendar: it is more or less complete.
It is better to vaccinate against influenza with vaccines that meet the standards of the World Health Organization and do not contain little-studied immunostimulants. Unfortunately, they have not yet been vaccinated against ARVI.
When can you say that a child is sick suspiciously often?
On average, healthy children suffer from ARVI 6–8 times a year, and some even more often. The World Health Organization believes this is not a cause for concern. But in fact, the frequency, in principle, is not very important – much more important is the severity and duration of the disease. It is possible to suspect something serious in a child, namely, primary immunodeficiency, only if there are at least two signs from this list.
A child to be ill for school, when can he be sent to school?
In most cases, there is no universal answer to this question. And if you sent your child to school, and then he got worse, this does not mean at all that you did the wrong thing: even doctors cannot always predict such a development of events. When making a decision, it is important to be guided by three circumstances:
- the child must be able to learn.
- there should be a situation in the school so that the teacher can give the child enough attention and tell you if it gets worse.
- the child should not have a dangerous infectious disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that you can not leave your child at home if the disease is not very serious. For example, ARVI or lice. But with chickenpox it is better, of course, to sit at home. If it’s a common cold, then the child just has to sneeze, cough and blow his nose correctly. You need to sneeze and cough in a paper handkerchief, which should be thrown away immediately, and then washed your hands. If there is no scarf, then you can do it at the elbow. If you sneeze or cough into the palm, then with its help the child easily shares viruses with others, touching various objects.