A baby with a cold and fever is a phenomenon that mothers often encounter. A full first-aid kit is always ready, mom understands diagnostics and treatment better than the local pediatrician, and life becomes a fight against drafts and eternal observation: is it a very light jacket, a hat, is a scarf covering your neck.
The common cold is a common name for a viral or bacterial infection of the respiratory system. In other words, when a child has a runny nose, coughs and sneezes often, it’s probably a cold. Doctors often ask mothers to check the color of their baby's mucus. If it changes from watery to yellow or greenish, it is more likely to be a cold.
Why does a child often get colds?
If a child often suffers from colds, this means that the body's defense is still not enough to protect it from adverse environmental conditions.
Coughs, colds, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea - children's immune systems learn to cope on their own.
Illness is a baby's way of strengthening their immune systems for their future health.
When babies are born, they take the strength of the immune system from their mother. Antibodies are special proteins that fight infection, and babies are born with a lot of them in their blood. These maternal antibodies make a good start in helping fight infections.
When a baby is breastfed, this effect is increased because the mother's milk also contains antibodies that are passed on to the baby and help fight the disease.
As the child grows up, the antibodies that the mother gave die, and the child's body begins to create its own. However, this process takes time. In addition, the child must come into contact with pathogens in order to create protective factors.
More than 200 different viruses and bacteria cause colds, and the child develops immunity to them one by one. Each time a pathogen appears in the body, the children's immune system increases the ability to recognize the pathogenic organism. Nevertheless, there are so many pathogens around that when the body overcomes one disease, another infection comes. Sometimes it seems that the child is constantly suffering from the same ailment, but usually these are several different pathogens.
Unfortunately, it is normal for a child to be sick. A toddler gets sick more often than adults because his immune system is not yet functioning at full capacity. In addition, it does not yet have immunity to various viruses and bacteria that cause colds.
Being around other children also increases the risk of colds. Other carriers of viruses and bacteria include older siblings who bring the infection home from school or kindergarten.
Studies have shown that children in school have more colds, ear infections, runny nose and other respiratory problems than children at home.
During the colder months, the child often suffers from colds, as viruses and bacteria spread throughout the country. This is also the time that the indoor heating comes on, which dries out the nasal passages and allows colds viruses to thrive.
What is the normal incidence of colds?
It would seem that the norm should be considered as the absence of a disease, but medical statistics have established that the normal development of a child after birth does not exclude a relapse of the disease.
If a child under one year old has had a cold at least 4 times, he can already be referred to as frequently ill. From 1 to 3 years old, these children catch cold 6 times a year. From 3 to 5 years, the frequency of colds decreases to 5 times a year, and then 4 to 5 acute respiratory infections every year.
An indication of a weakened immune system is the frequency and duration of the disease. If an acute respiratory infection and a cold do not disappear after 2 weeks, then the child's immunity is weakened.
Causes
A number of conditions undermine the health and immune system of the child:
- premature birth;
- intrauterine infection;
- early interruption of breastfeeding;
- contact with a large number of peers and adults;
- surgical intervention;
- a serious illness that compromises the immune system: pneumonia, sore throat, the consequences of a severe flu;
- the presence of parasites;
- chronic diseases (often chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, adenoiditis);
- inability to follow the correct daily routine (lack of complete and timely rest, poor nutrition);
- long-term drug therapy with certain drugs (antibiotics, immunosuppressants, steroids).
- complications of the common cold.
Frequent colds can lead to quite serious complications in a child. While these complications are not very common, it is important to be careful and keep them in mind.
Complications that may occur soon after a child has a cold:
- there is a risk that babies who have the common cold will develop an ear infection. These infections can be infect if bacteria or a virus moves into the space behind the baby's eardrum;
- a cold can lead to wheezing in the lungs, even when the child does not have asthma or other respiratory problems;
- colds sometimes lead to sinusitis. Inflammation and infection of the sinuses are common problems;
- other serious complications of the common cold include pneumonia, bronchiolitis, croupous and streptococcal pharyngitis.
How can I help my child?
It is known that the child's health will depend on the mother's behavior during pregnancy and her planning. Early detection and treatment of existing infections and proper nutrition, good health and a successful birth have a beneficial effect on the health of the baby. This is also important during infancy.
For example, not all parents understand that it is not only mom's smoking that is dangerous for a child, but also volatile substances from tobacco products brought by family members on their hair and clothes. But these measures are ideal as preventive measures.
What to do if a child often suffers from colds:
- Proper nutrition. It is necessary to teach your child to eat healthy, because the correct diet allows you to get the required vitamins and minerals. Various snacks are not only harmful in their composition, but also suppress the natural feeling of hunger, forcing the child to give up wholesome and healthy food.
- Organization of household space. A common mistake of moms is the organization of complete hygienic sterility, which could compete with the conditions of the operating room. But to support the health of the child, it is enough to wet cleaning, airing, removing dust collectors.
- Hygiene rules. Developing the child's habit of washing hands after the street, using the toilet and before eating is the main rule. The sooner the child is taught hygiene skills, the more likely he will begin to practice them without being under parental control.
- The hardening that a healthy child receives naturally - light drafts, walking barefoot, ice cream and drinks from the refrigerator. But this is a prohibition for a constantly ill child. However, in order to accustom him to natural conditions, it is necessary to spend holidays at sea or in the countryside, and morning rubdown with cold water does not look so scary.
The child is often sick in the kindergarten
Almost everyone has this problem. When the baby stays at home, he almost never gets sick, and as soon as the child goes to kindergarten, the diagnosis of acute respiratory infection (ARI) is made every 2 weeks.
And this phenomenon depends on a number of reasons:
- adaptation stage. In many cases, the child is often sick in kindergarten during the first year of his visit, regardless of the age of the child. For most parents, the hope is that the habituation period will pass, stress will decrease, and constant sick leave will end;
- an infection from other children. Not wanting to go on sick leave (or not having the opportunity), many parents bring children with primary symptoms of a cold to the group, when the temperature has not yet been raised. A runny nose, a slight cough are faithful companions of those visiting an educational institution. Children easily infect each other and get sick more often;
- inappropriate clothing and footwear. Children go to kindergarten every day, except for especially cold days and weekends.
Make sure that your child's clothes and shoes are appropriate for the weather and comfortable for him. Shoes and outerwear should be waterproof and warm, but not hot.
If a child is very often sick in kindergarten, the only way is to try to strengthen his immunity. Start a step-by-step hardening, ventilate the rooms, enroll the child in the swimming section, follow the principles of healthy nutrition and give vitamins. For the latter, consult a pediatrician first.
The ideal way to properly adapt to the kindergarten is to gradually get used to it. In the first 2 - 3 months, it is better for mom or grandmother to take a vacation or work part-time, so as not to leave the child in the group for a long time. Increase the time in stages to reduce your stress levels.
And when the child is sick, do not rush to go to work and return the child to the group. It is important to wait for absolute recovery so that there are no relapses or complications.
Why does the child often get sore throat?
The common cold is, in fact, a big threat.
Lack of proper therapy and avoiding bed rest are fraught with complications.
The most common type of complication of respiratory disease is sore throat or, medically, tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsil tissue due to infection of a bacterial and viral origin.
The tonsils are part of the lymphatic system and constitute the body's first line of defense. They are present on the left and right sides inside the throat and are two pink formations at the back of the mouth. The tonsils protect the upper respiratory system from pathogens that enter the body through the nose or mouth. However, this makes them vulnerable to infections, which leads to tonsillitis.
As soon as the tonsils are affected and inflamed, they become huge, reddish, and covered with a whitish or yellowish coating.
There are two types of tonsillitis:
- chronic (lasts more than three months);
- recurrent (frequent illness, many times a year).
Causes of tonsillitis in children
As mentioned earlier, the predominant cause of tonsillitis is an infection of a viral or bacterial origin.
1. Viruses that usually lead to angina in children:
- enteroviruses;
- influenza virus;
- adenoviruses;
- parainfluenza viruses;
- herpes simplex virus;
- Epstein-Barr virus.
2. Bacterial infection is the cause of 30% of cases of tonsillitis. The main cause is group A streptococci.
Some other bacteria that can cause tonsillitis are chlamydia pneumoniae, streptococcus pneumoniae, staphylococcus aureus, and mycoplasma pneumoniae.
In rare cases, tonsillitis is caused by fusobacteria, the causative agents of whooping cough, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
Tonsillitis is quite contagious and spreads easily from an infected child to other children by airborne droplets and through household use. This infection is mainly spread among young children in schools and among family members at home.
Reasons for recurrent infection include a child's weakened immune system, resistance (resistance) to bacteria, or having a family member who is a carrier of streptococcus.
One study has shown a genetic predisposition for developing recurrent tonsillitis.
3. Dental caries, inflamed gums cause the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth and larynx, as a result of which sore throat also occurs.
4. The infected condition of the sinus, maxillary, frontal sinuses of the nose quickly provoke inflammation of the tonsils.
5. Due to fungal diseases, bacteria accumulate in the body that are difficult to treat, which reduces resistance and causes frequent relapse of tonsillitis.
6. Less commonly, inflammation can be caused by trauma. For example, chemical irritation from severe acid reflux.
When a child has frequent sore throats, you must understand that every time he gets a lot of damage. The tonsils are so weakened that they cannot resist germs and protect against infection. As a result, pathogens begin to cling to one another.
A child who often has a sore throat can have many complications.
Tonsillitis can lead to the following consequences:
- adenoid infection. The adenoids are part of the lymphatic tissue, just like the tonsils. They are located at the back of the nasal cavity. An acute infection of the tonsils can infect the adenoids, causing them to swell, resulting in obstructive sleep apnea;
- peritonsillar abscess. When the infection spreads from the tonsils to the surrounding tissue, it results in a pus-filled pocket. If the infection subsequently spreads to the gums, it can cause problems during teething;
- otitis. The pathogen can quickly find its way to the ear from the throat through the Eustachian tube. Here he can affect the eardrum and middle ear, which will cause a completely new set of complications;
- rheumatic fever. If group A streptococci cause tonsillitis and the condition is ignored for a very long time, it can cause rheumatic fever, which manifests itself as severe inflammation of various organs of the body;
- post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Streptococcus bacteria can find their way to various internal organs of the body. If the infection enters the kidneys, it causes post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The blood vessels in the kidneys become inflamed, making the organ ineffective at filtering blood and making urine.
What if a child often suffers from angina?
Persistent sore throat can affect nutrition, lifestyle, and even a child's education and development. Therefore, it is common practice to remove the tonsils if their inflammation is a regular problem.
However, tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils) is not the preferred treatment option. If your child has frequent tonsillitis, there are some ways to prevent it.
How to prevent recurrent sore throat?
1. Frequent hand washing.
Many of the germs that cause tonsillitis are highly contagious. A child can easily pick them up from the air he breathes, and this is often inevitable. However, hand transmission is another common route that can be prevented. Good hygiene is the key to prevention.
Teach your child to wash their hands often with soap and water. Use antibacterial soap whenever possible. Antibacterial hand cleansers work well when you are on the go. Teach your child to always wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating, and after sneezing and coughing.
2. Avoid sharing food and drinks.
Saliva contains germs that can cause infection. By sharing food and drink with an infected person, a child inevitably allows microbes to enter their body. Sometimes these germs are in the air and can land on food and drinks, which is inevitable.But the exchange of food and drinks must be excluded. Teach your child not to share food and drink to avoid cross-contamination. It is better to split or cut the food, pour the drink into glasses, but avoid sharing.
3. Minimizing contact with others.
You should try to prevent your baby from getting an infection that will lead to tonsillitis. When your child has tonsillitis, you should minimize contact with others. This applies to any infection, especially if you know it is highly contagious. Let the child not attend school or kindergarten during the illness, do not come too close to the rest of the family at home, who may become infected. Even going to the mall or taking other walks means that the child can infect others. Let the child rest at this time and keep contact with people to a minimum.
4. Removal of tonsils.
Tonsillectomy is a very effective way to stop the frequent relapses of sore throats. This does not mean that the child will never have a sore throat again. But it will give him a better quality of life. There are some myths and misconceptions about tonsillectomy, but it is a very safe procedure and complications are rare. Surgery is especially necessary if tonsillitis does not respond to antibiotics or if serious complications develop (for example, tonsillar abscess).
5. Gargle with salt water.
This is one of the simpler solutions, but also very effective. 1 teaspoon of regular table salt in a 200 ml glass of water makes this method quick and inexpensive.
It should only be used by children who have reached the age when rinsing is safe. Remember that while gargling may be helpful, it is not a substitute for medication prescribed by your doctor. Gargling with salt water soothes the throat and can give a child short-term relief from tonsillitis symptoms, but prescription drugs such as antibiotics will kill the bacteria that are causing the problem.
6. Maintain cleanliness and humidity.
Airborne irritants such as cigarette smoke are known to increase a child's chances of developing tonsillitis.
Cigarette smoking should be definitely eliminated from the home, but care should also be taken with cleaning agents and other harsh chemicals, the vapor of which can also be an airborne irritant. Even dry air that does not contain harsh chemical vapors can be irritating. A humidifier increases the moisture content of the air and helps with tonsillitis if you live in dry climates.
7. Rest and plenty of drink.
Adequate rest for a child with angina can affect the duration and severity of their condition. It is necessary not only to be away from school or kindergarten and sleep all day.
It is equally important to maintain vocal peace. Try to keep the conversation to a minimum while his throat heals.
Give your child plenty of fluids. Liquid foods are better tolerated than solid foods, which will chafe and irritate the tonsils further. Maintain good nutrition to support the immune system that helps fight disease along with the medications your child is taking.
8. Watch out for acid reflux.
Acid reflux is a common digestive disorder. The acidic contents of the stomach ascend into the esophagus and can reach the throat and nose. Therefore, the acid will irritate the tonsils and even damage them, which increases the chances of infection. Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux, but sometimes it doesn't.
Always keep an eye on your child. And if he has acid reflux, change his diet and lifestyle.
Why does a child often get bronchitis?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the walls of the bronchi - the airways that connect the trachea to the lungs. The bronchial wall is thin and produces mucus. She is responsible for protecting the respiratory system.
Bronchitis refers to diseases of the upper respiratory tract. This often affects children from 3 to 8 years old due to immature immunity and structural features of the upper respiratory tract.
Causes of frequent bronchitis
The main cause leading to the development of bronchitis is a viral infection. The pathogen enters the upper respiratory tract, then attacks. This causes inflammation of the lining of the airways.
Other causes of frequent bronchitis:
- bacteria. The child often puts toys and other objects in his mouth. Together with these objects, the bacteria that cause this disease enter the body;
- allergic reactions to dandruff, mold, dust, food. When such reactions occur frequently, it causes persistent inflammation, which ultimately leads to chronic bronchitis;
- inhalation of vapors of various chemicals. Dust, impurities in the air of any toxic substances, gases, cigarette smoke play an important role in the development of the disease;
- not completely treated viral infections or colds;
- the presence in the body of a large number of parasites. They are able to penetrate into the lungs and settle in them, constantly irritating and causing inflammatory reactions in the bronchi;
- congenital defects in the structure of the upper respiratory tract.
When a child often has bronchitis, what should be done?
Bronchitis itself is not contagious. However, the virus (or bacteria) that causes bronchitis in children is contagious. Therefore, the best way to prevent bronchitis in a child is to make sure they are not getting a virus or bacteria.
- Teach your child to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating.
- Give your child nutritious and healthy food so that his immune system is strong enough to fight off infectious pathogens.
- Keep your child away from family members who are sick or cold.
- Once your child is six months old, give him the flu vaccine every year to help protect against this infection.
- Do not allow family members to smoke in your home as secondhand smoke can lead to chronic illness.
- If you live in a heavily polluted settlement, teach your child to wear a face mask.
- Clean your baby's nose and sinuses with a saline nasal spray to remove allergens and pathogens from the mucous membranes and nasal villi.
- Supplement your child's diet with vitamin C to strengthen their immune system. Check with your pediatrician to find out the correct dosage for your child, as high doses of the vitamin can lead to diarrhea.
Parents should not limit their baby's exposure to germs and disease. After all, all children are susceptible to the classic childhood illnesses - either by natural infection or by vaccination.
Your little one is often sick now because this is the first natural effect of childhood illness on him, not because something is wrong with the immune system.
Building and strengthening his immune system during these early years helps prevent future complications from contracting these diseases later, when they may have more serious consequences.
The best way to keep your kids healthy is to follow your doctor's recommended vaccination schedule, wash your hands often, eat healthy foods and stay healthy, and give your baby time to build a healthy immune system.
