Main mistakes of parents when children get sick

Children are easy prey of diseases until their immune system develops and parents must learn to treat them based on the experience gained and the successive visits to the pediatrician. However, in this obstacle course of illnesses and accidents, parents make mistakes, especially with the first child because of inexperience when all are doubts and uncertainties about the symptoms when seeing the sick child.

In addition, many times the parents act erroneously alarmed by the fever that your child has, by the blood that springs from a wound produced or by the scare due to a head injury, among other things. In these situations of stress and trouble, it is possible that you act in an incorrect way, so it is convenient to know which are the most frequent failures to try to avoid them.


7 mistakes of parents when children get sick

Dr. Paloma Nacher, head of the Pediatric Emergency Service of the Hospital La Milagrosa in Madrid lists a series of cases in which it is better to act differently.

1. Take him to school when he is bad. When a child wakes up with a fever but no other symptom is still apparent, it is quite common for parents to administer an antipyretic to lower the temperature but, still and all, take it to school. The child should not go to school because there is some reason that has triggered the fever, which among other things can be contagious, and is the cause that is not in normal conditions to follow the school routine and it is recommended that the child rest .


2. Give him antibiotics on his own. These medications are not effective for the treatment of colds or cough and, in fact, are contraindicated to treat viral disorders. Being drugs to attack bacteria and their symptoms, if they are administered for common constipation, usually caused by a virus, it can create resistance to the antibiotic. The AEP recommends avoiding child self-medication.

3. Alternate medications. Many parents tend to alternate medications, usually ibuprofen and paracetamol, to lower the fever of their children because with one they do not get it. This practice is unadvisable because it does not provide benefits and can lead to errors with doses.


4. Home remedies for fever. It is also not advisable to use wet cloths, alcohol rubs and showers or toilets to reduce fever. The important thing is to keep the child without much or little clothing, in a room with a normal temperature.

5. Act before possible reactions to vaccines. It is not advisable to administer paracetamol or ibuprofen after vaccination as a method of preventing febrile reactions or inflammations in the injection area. These medications can be given if those symptoms appear because of the vaccine, but not before.

6. Be alarmed by the cough. Many parents are concerned when they hear their children cough and choose to administer a cough suppressant or cough syrup, without taking into account that it is a way for the body to try to eliminate mucus. Therefore, it is preferable that the pediatrician advises or prescribes its use.

7. Prostrate him in bed. The child who is ill can stay in bed during the most acute phase of the pathology, but must be with the rest of the family, provided that the disease is not very contagious, and in other dependencies of the home at the time the one who feels better and wants it, since inactivity harms the little ones in the house.

According to Dr. Nacher, the person who must define the diagnosis and appropriate treatment is the pediatrician. The child is not a small adult and needs different care and treatment than an adult person may need. It is important to always go to the specialist before any doubt that can be had regarding the health status of the child since it will be the pediatrician who will help the parents to know how to act in each case.

Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice. Dr. Paloma Nacher, neonatologist and head of the Pediatric Emergency Service of La Milagrosa Hospital in Madrid

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