Saturday, July 10, 2004

Monsoon Hungama: My child & the rain

Monsoon is the time of getting drenched in puddles & rivulets of water, tea , pakoras, and maybe a few holidays from school!
What fun, but it is also a time when a few common diseases strike children.
Dirty water can be a big risk for children, leading to diarrhoea, vomiting & dehydration. Treatment would involve adequate fluids like ORS, neembu paani, salty Lassi (Buttermilk), light juices, curd, bananas etc. Antibiotics should not be taken without a doctor's consent.
Poor quality of water can also lead to Typhoid & hepatitis A, prevention lies in using a filter or boiling the water. Please ensure that your child has taken vaccination for both these vaccine preventable diseases. Remember Typhoid vaccine is needed every 3 years. Hepatitis A vaccine is not the same as Hepatitis B vaccine and needs to be given separately. Avoid eating cut fruits, chaat or drinking juice from roadside vendors.
Foods To Eat: The monsoon brings with it the magnificence of mangoes, the aroma of roasted corn and the sweet tasting jamuns, enjoy them.
Small boils & pustules are very common in rainy seasons, prevent them by regular baths especially after playing in th rains. Treatment with antiseptic creams usually suffices, though a doctor's opinion should be taken in case of no improvement.
Malaria is another side-effect of the abundance of stagnant water during the monsoons. Avoid having stagnant water in your house. Empty the water coolers, the unused flower pots etc. Use a mosquito repellant & a Mosquito net if possible. Some of the other diseases you will prevent by these measures include brain fever (viral encepahlitis like JE), and Dengue fever.Any high grade fever should prompt a visit to your Pediatrician.
So enjoy this season with tea, bhuttas, hot snacks & by following some of these common precautions.

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