How to ensure the comfort of a sick child at home
The place of a child should be the street to play, the school to learn and the bed to rest, among many other locations. However, on many occasions the youngest are confined at home to recover from an illness resulting from a fall or discomfort such as the flu virus, a cold or any other problem that makes them stay keeping rest.
In these cases it is the parents who become their support and their private nurses. The mission during these days of both parents and other members of the household is to maintain their comfort and make them recover as soon as possible. For this reason, from the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEP, these tips are provided.
Every case is a world
From AEP it is explained that each case in children It's a world. It is not equal to a minor that goes through a viral process like the flu that others have had a fall that prevents them from moving normally. Each situation requires attention and these should always be defined by the pediatrician who attends the minor during the medical visit, a professional who can give the best indications.
On the other hand, the child can also give his opinion. There are minors who prefer to be in the room and not feel alone in the room. In these cases, if the need for rest is not excessive, the child can be allowed to use the common spaces from the house to enjoy the company of their own. What must always be taken into account is that the area where the children are present must have good hygiene and a stable temperature.
In the first days it is possible that the state of the children makes them not want to eat. Do not insist on taking food unless the child wants it, because progressively they usually regain their appetite. It is convenient that drink fluids so that it is hydrated (water, juices, broths, infusions). When you have an appetite you can offer small portions of food and nutritious liquids such as milk.
Many diseases, such as flu and colds, heal by themselves with the usual measures. But you have to remember that they are highly contagious, so you have to think about the other children at home and avoid sharing cutlery Y glasses to prevent the transmission of infectious agents.
Antibiotics and fatigue
AEP also recommends parents not to use antibiotics unless the doctor recommends it, and remember that anticatarral medications should not be used in young children. Self-medication is never a good idea and before giving a drug you should take into account the opinion of a pediatrician and the history of the children to avoid possible side effects
To alleviate the discomfort you can use the antipyretics and common analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Aspirin will be avoided in children under 18 years of age. Parents should also take into account the fatigue that these situations cause in parents, the moments of rest should be done alone. Do not lie on the couch and sleep with a baby, even if both are very tired.
Damián Montero
