Prevention and management of common childhood diseases

More than 90% of common childhood diseases can be avoided through daily care. Even if they are sick, there is no need to blindly infuse or over-medicate. By grasping the three core principles of "prevention first, graded response, and individualized adjustment", children will suffer less and parents will be less anxious.

I have been working in a community pediatric clinic for almost 6 years, and I really don’t say this casually. I have seen too many parents treat small problems into big problems, and I have also seen many parents take good care of their children, so that their children cannot go to the hospital even once a year. Last month, I treated a 3-year-old baby who just entered kindergarten. My mother said that in the first 3 months, she had to take leave almost every week. She either had a fever or a cough. As soon as she went to the hospital, she asked for antibiotics, which she said would heal her quickly. However, the disease relapsed within two days after each meal. Her blood tests showed viral infections every time. The antibiotics were not symptomatic at all. Instead, they disrupted the baby's intestinal flora, and her immunity has been unable to improve. Later, I gave her two small suggestions. One is to pick up the baby after school. Don’t take her home first. Let the baby play outdoors for 20 minutes before going back. When you get home, wash your hands and change into home clothes. Adults have to change clothes and wash their hands before touching the baby after work. ； Another is that when the baby first develops a runny nose or a slight cough, don't rush to give medicine. Boil some warm onion water and drink it first. If the body temperature is not reaching 38.5℃ and the mental state is good, physical cooling should be given priority. As a result, almost two months ago, the baby had a fever of 37.8℃, and it went away by itself after drinking water for two days.

There are indeed many controversies about children's respiratory care. For example, whether to rinse the nose with saline water every day. Most doctors from the evidence-based medicine school recommend daily rinses, which can remove germs and allergens from the nasal cavity and reduce the probability of colds and allergic rhinitis. However, many doctors of traditional Chinese medicine and pediatrics have pointed out that the air is dry in autumn and winter, and frequent nasal rinses may destroy the natural barrier of the nasal mucosa, making it easier for germs to invade. In fact, there is really no need to stand on any side. If your baby doesn't resist, it's absolutely fine to wash her two or three times a week. If your baby cries and complains of pain as soon as you wash her, it's not too late to use it when she gets sick. There are not so many black and white rules in raising a baby. Oh, by the way, the most uncontroversial way to prevent respiratory diseases is to get vaccinated. Influenza vaccines, pneumonia vaccines, etc., you can get them. Don't believe that "it's useless if you still get sick after taking it." Even if you get infected, the symptoms will be much milder. This has been verified by countless clinical trials.

In addition to coughs and fevers, the biggest headache for parents must be digestive tract problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, and reluctance to eat. Not long ago, a grandma came with her grandson. She said that her grandson suddenly had a fever of 38°C and had neither a runny nose nor a cough. I saw that the tongue coating was thick as if there was a layer of frost. When I asked, I found out that the day before my grandma had fed him more than half a bowl of braised pork, and she also stuffed two steamed buns. It is a typical fever caused by food accumulation. In this case, you don’t even need to take antipyretics. Just eat twice a day, drink more warm water, and go for a couple of runs to digest. As for viral diarrhea such as whorls and norovirus, many parents rush to give antidiarrheal medicine when they see their baby. In fact, this is wrong - diarrhea is the body expelling viruses, and forcibly stopping diarrhea will keep toxins in the body. As long as you pay attention to supplementing oral rehydration salts and don't let the baby become dehydrated, the baby will usually recover in 3 to 7 days. This is industry consensus and there is no controversy. However, there are indeed different opinions on whether to use probiotics for conditioning. Some studies say that it can shorten the course of the disease, and some say that the effect is minimal. My suggestion is that if your child usually has a weak stomach, you can prepare some. If you rarely have stomach upset, there is no need to stock up. If it does have diarrhea, it will be too late to buy it.

Many parents always think about giving their children this and that supplement to improve immunity, but it is really unnecessary. Your child's immunity is like a newly bought electric car battery. You have to charge it more and discharge it more to make it last longer. Let your child go out for a run and bask in the sun more often. Don't always stay in a spotlessly disinfected home, which will make it less likely to get sick. Oh, by the way, there is another pitfall that everyone easily falls into, that is, once the child is sick, he will completely stop outdoor activities. In fact, as long as the child is in good spirits, does not have severe coughing and asthma, and if the outdoor air is good, going for a walk will make him feel better faster. The last time my child had a cough, I took him to the park for half an hour every day, and he recovered much faster than being sullen at home.

Don’t let everyone bear it. If your baby has any of these symptoms, you must go to the hospital quickly: For example, if your baby has a fever above 39 degrees Celsius and cannot recover for more than 24 hours, is depressed, complains of headache or chest pain, has a significantly faster breathing rate, or has vomiting and diarrhea for a long time without peeing, and some babies as young as 3 months old have a fever, don’t delay in these situations. Go to the hospital when you should go, and don’t force yourself to take care of yourself at home, which may cause problems.

After working in this industry for so long, the biggest feeling is that there is really no standard answer to raising a baby. No matter how good others say it, it is not as reliable as observing the state of your baby yourself. You don’t have to stock up when you see others stocking up on medicines, and you don’t have to shoulder it when you see others saying “you don’t need to go to the hospital.” Be flexible and relax. Your baby is much stronger than you think.