IT's THAT TIME AGAIN!
Dear Dr.Bear,
My child always seems to be sick this time of year. What can I do to prevent some of the colds and other illnesses he's had?
Sincerely,
Winter Illness
Dear Winter Illness,
Your feelings are understandable. It's very hard to see your youngster not feeling well! Unfortunately this is the time of year illnesses are more common, probably due to the increased contact with others during the winter months. Even stay at home children get an average of six colds a year, and that number doubles for children in day care. It helps to understand how infectious diseases are spread:
* Nose, mouth, and eye secretions are the most common sources of respiratory infections. These secretions are usually spread by contaminated hands or occassionally by kissing. Toddlers are especially prone to spreading these infections because of their habit of touching and mouthing everything.
* Droplet spread from coughing or sneezing is a less common means of transmission of respiratory illnesses. Droplets can travel up to six feet.
* Fecal contamination of hands or other objects accounts for the spread of most cases of diarrhea. There can also be other methods of disease transmission, such as contaminated hats or combs spreading lice or ringworm,
contaminated food causing food poisoning, or direct contact with infected wounds or body fluids.
The following preventive actions can help reduce the spread of disease within your household:
* Encourage hand washing. This will stop the most common (or ten most common!) methods of disease transmission. It is not necessary to use an antibacterial soap- in fact, widespread use of antibacterial products may actually cut down on your body's protective or "good" bacteria, and may cause resistance to increase in "bad" bacteria. But teach your child to wash their hands with soap and dry them before eating, after using the bathroom, after handling pets, and several times during the day. Make sure your day care center staff also practices and encourages handwashing.
* Don't smoke around your children. Passive cigarette smoke exposure increases the severity and frequency of colds, coughs, croup, ear infections, and asthma in children.
* Prepare your food carefully. Thoroughly cook meats, poultry, and eggs; wash fruits and vegetables; use plastic cutting boards and clean them thoroughly. Encourage your child not to share drinks with friends or family members.
* Keep your child's immunizations up to date. In addition to the standard vaccinations against polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis, hemophilus (HIB), hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella, vaccines are available against varicella (chicken pox), influenza, and pneumonia. Check with your child's health care provider to see if your child meets criteria for these vaccinations.
* Encourage a healthy lifestyle for your children. Be a role model for them as well as encouraging them to eat a low fat diet including five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, exercise several times a week, and get sufficient sleep. Diseases are more frequent and severe in patients whose "resistance" is low. The data is not conclusive for the use of dietary supplements such as vitamin C or eccinacia, and their use is not encouraged
in children.
Hopefully these tips will serve you well throughout the year to keep your family in good health!
Sincerely,
Dr. Bear
