When a child falls ill, many parents doubt whether it is advisable to go out with the baby for a walk and whether this will worsen the course of the disease by causing any complications. Particularly relevant is the issue of the permissibility of walking with not too serious illnesses, for example, with the appearance of an allergic rhinitis, viral rhinitis or a chronic form of the common cold.
The benefits of walking
In most situations of the occurrence of a cold, going for walks with children is not only possible, but even necessary. Fresh air entering the respiratory tract will improve the condition of the mucous membranes, stimulate the secretion of mucus and facilitate breathing. In addition, it will improve blood circulation, which will help you get rid of toxins and germs faster. It is especially useful to walk with children with rhinitis if it is difficult to create conditions at home in which babies will breathe clean and moist air.
When is it forbidden to walk?
Leaving a child with a runny nose at home should be in such situations:
- The child has a fever, chills or fever.
- The baby's general condition is worsened, there is no appetite, weakness, lethargy and headaches are noted.
- The runny nose is of an allergic nature and arose during the flowering period of some plants. In this case, walks are possible, but the use of a cotton-gauze bandage is necessary.
Should you go for a walk in windy or cold weather?
Note that the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract perceives well any weather, so neither dampness, nor fog, nor snowfall, and nor light rain should be an obstacle to walking. Only too dry air, both hot and cold, has a harmful effect on the nasopharynx. However, even here it all depends on the characteristics of the organism, for example, some children calmly breathe winter "prickly" air in Siberia, while others find it difficult to breathe even at -5ºFROM.
Recommendations for walking in winter or windy weather will be as follows:
- A runny nose will not be a reason to refuse walking if the baby tolerates the air temperature outside well. That is, if before the onset of rhinitis, the child normally walked in the wind or low temperatures, then in the event of a runny nose, he will feel good.
- If the air temperature outside is very low (below -15 ° C), you should refuse to walk.
- Do not put newborns and babies under 6 months old in the cold.
- If it's raining heavily outside, it's best to stay at home.
In a light drizzle or in fog (even if it is very thick), it is permissible to walk.
The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
A popular doctor assures that fresh air will only speed up recovery, provided that the walk is calm and the general condition of the child is normal. If the baby is active and wants to go for a walk, Komarovsky sees no reason to refuse children with a runny nose from daily walks.
You can find out more about the opinion of a famous children's doctor in the following video.
Tips
- Before you go for a walk with a child who has a runny nose, you need to clear the baby's nose. If the nose remains blocked, the child will breathe through his mouth while walking, risking a sore throat.
- It is best to choose clothing for walking in which you walk in a healthy state. The child must be dressed in such a way as to prevent hypothermia. It is not necessary to wrap up a child with a runny nose, as excessively warm clothing will cause sweating from active movements. This is the risk of colds during the recovery period, when the immune system is still weakened.
- Do not walk with a toddler with a runny nose in the playground. Having talked with other children, he can infect other children and catch a new infection from them.
- A consultation with a pediatrician about the permissibility of walking in specific weather conditions for your child will always be rational and appropriate. Especially when it comes to babies.
- The optimal duration of a walk is considered to be a period from 40 minutes to 1 hour. This time is quite enough to get the right portion of fresh clean air. In the cold season, the walking time should be reduced to 20-30 minutes.
- Avoid overworking your baby while walking. It is best that the child does not run or jump, but walks calmly.
