When a child is ill, it is a great stress and frustration. The child may suffer while fighting the disease, and you worry and think whether you need to call a doctor. If your child is sick, there are some simple ways to make him feel better and heal faster.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Providing Comfort for a Sick Child
Step 1. Support your child emotionally
When a child is sick, he or she does not feel well, and this discomfort can worry or upset him. If the child is sick, give him more attention, for example:
- Sit next to your child
- Read a book to your child
- Sing a song to your child
- Hold your child's hand
- Hold the baby in your arms
Step 2. Raise your child's head higher
If the child is lying on a flat surface, the cough may worsen. That is why it is important to place the child so that his head is slightly higher. Try placing a book or a towel under the mattress, or placing something under the legs of the bed on the side of your child's head.
You can also give the baby an extra pillow or use a wedge pillow to keep the baby in the correct position
Step 3. Turn on the humidifier
Dry air will only make your cough or sore throat worse. Try using a humidifier or evaporator to increase the humidity in the room air. This will help reduce coughing, mucus buildup, and discomfort.
- Change the water in the humidifier as often as possible.
- Clean the humidifier according to the manufacturer's instructions to avoid mold and mildew growth.
Step 4. Provide peace and quiet
Try to keep your home quiet and peaceful so your child can rest better. Televisions or computers won't let you sleep, and sleep is essential for recovery, so you can even remove all such devices from your child's room, or at least limit the amount of time you play on mobile devices or watch TV.
Step 5. Make sure that the temperature in the house is comfortable
Sickness may cause the baby to feel hot or cold, so adjusting the temperature in the baby's room will help ensure comfort. Temperatures around 18 ° C - 21 ° C may be most favorable in the home, but you can adjust it depending on how the child is feeling.
For example, if a child complains that he is cold, you can slightly increase the temperature on the heater (or on the radiator), or give the child a warmer blanket. If your child complains about being hot, turn on the air conditioner or fan
Part 2 of 4: Feeding a Sick Child
Step 1. Give your child more drink
Dehydration, which is at increased risk with illness, can worsen a child's condition. To prevent dehydration, make sure your child drinks frequently. Offer your child:
- Water
- Fruit ice
- Ginger ale
- Diluted fruit juice
- Electrolyte drinks
Step 2. Give food that is easy to digest
Give your child nutritious foods that are not heavy on the stomach. In some cases, the choice of food may depend on the symptoms. Good options would be:
- Salted crackers
- Bananas
- Applesauce
- Toast
- Boiled cereals
- Mashed potatoes
Step 3. Give your child chicken soup
While warm chicken soup is not a cure-all, it can reduce symptoms of a cold or flu by thinning mucus and providing anti-inflammatory benefits. There are many recipes for chicken soup, so you can choose any recipe your child likes.
Part 3 of 4: Treating Your Child at Home
Step 1. Give your child more rest
Let your child sleep as much as possible, if he wants to, encourage it! Read fairy tales or listen to an audiobook to make it easier to fall asleep. The child needs to rest as much as possible.
Step 2. Use over-the-counter drugs with caution
If you are going to give a medication, give only one medication, such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, and not other alternatives or combinations. Ask your doctor or pharmacist which drug is best for your child.
- Do not give ibuprofen to children younger than 6 months old.
- Avoid giving cough and cold medicines to children under the age of 4, and it is better not to give these medicines until 8 years of age, as they can cause life-threatening side effects, and these drugs have not been shown to work in children.
- Do not give aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to babies, children, and even adolescents, as it can cause a rare and very serious condition called Reye's syndrome.
Step 3. Have your child rinse their mouth with salt water
Add ¼ teaspoon of regular table salt to 230 ml of warm water. Have your child rinse out their mouth and then be sure to spit out the salt water. Gargling with salt water can help relieve sore throat.
If the child is too young or has a stuffy nose, you can use salt water (saline solution) in the form of drops or sprays. You can make your own saline solution or buy one from the pharmacy. If the child is still young, you can use a special aspirator to suck out excess mucus from the nose after the saline solution has been applied
Step 4. Try to get rid of any irritants
Try not to smoke where the child is and do not use perfumery products with an overly strong odor. Set aside activities such as painting or cleaning with chemicals. Vapors of paints, various detergents or perfumes can irritate the throat and lungs, which will only aggravate the condition.
Step 5. Ventilate the nursery periodically
Periodically open windows in the room where the child is sick to ventilate it. Do this only when the child is in another room. Give your child an extra blanket if needed.
Part 4 of 4: Calling a Doctor
Step 1. Determine if your child has the flu
It is very important to know what the flu symptoms are and to take the illness seriously. Influenza is a potentially dangerous illness that develops suddenly. Call your doctor if you think your child has the flu, especially if they are under 2 years old or have certain medical conditions, such as asthma. The flu symptoms are:
- High fever and / or chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Body or muscle pain
- Headache
- Fatigue and / or weakness
- Diarrhea and / or vomiting
Step 2. Take your baby's temperature regularly
Check if the child has chills, is hot, or is sweating. If you don't have a thermometer, feel your forehead to see if it's hot.
Step 3. Ask your child if something hurts
Ask your child if something hurts and where the sore spot is. You can press gently on the spot the child is pointing to to see how severe the pain is.
Step 4. Watch for signs of serious illness
Pay attention to all symptoms if the child is sick. See your doctor right away if you notice any of the following:
- Fever in a child younger than three months old
- Severe headache or neck stiffness
- Breathing changes or any breathing problems
- Discoloration of the skin (the child looks very pale, reddish, or bluish)
- The child refuses to drink or has no urination
- The child cries without tears
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- The child is difficult to wake up or does not respond
- The child is unusually quiet and too lethargic
- The child shows signs of severe irritability or pain
- Pain or pressure in the chest or stomach area
- Sudden or prolonged dizziness
- Confusion of consciousness
- Flu symptoms do not diminish, but only get worse
Step 5. Ask for advice
Talk to your pharmacist at your pharmacy if you are not sure whether your child should be seen by a doctor. The pharmacist will tell you if you need professional medical attention for any of your child's symptoms. The pharmacist can also recommend a particular drug.