Spring flu is prevalent after school starts. How can we protect ourselves? Pediatric experts give us some advice!

With the arrival of winter and spring, many seasonal childhood diseases such as influenza and mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are at their peak. So how should parents take scientific and effective measures to reduce the risk of disease? We invited Li Qin, director of the Pediatrics Department of Xiangtan Airenhe Hospital , to answer these questions.

Director Li Qin pointed out that the temperature fluctuates greatly in winter and spring, with a significant temperature difference between morning and evening. This is a high incidence period for children to catch colds and other respiratory diseases. Parents should pay close attention to weather forecasts and add or remove clothes for their children in a timely manner according to weather changes. Avoid letting children wear too little and catch a cold, and also prevent them from wearing too much and catching a cold after sweating.

Open windows regularly every day to keep the indoor air fresh. Especially in cold weather, many parents will choose to close doors and windows to keep warm, but this can easily lead to indoor air pollution and increase the risk of disease transmission. Therefore, it is particularly important to open windows and ventilate appropriately while ensuring that the room temperature is appropriate.

1. The key to preventing infectious diseases is to strengthen your physical fitness

Improve your child's physique through daily life conditioning. You can start from the following aspects:

1. Appropriate exercise: Encourage children to engage in moderate outdoor activities, such as walking, running, playing ball, etc., to enhance their body's immunity.

2. Diet and nutrition: Ensure that your child’s diet is balanced and that he or she eats more foods rich in vitamins and proteins, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, etc. Avoid picky eating and partial eating.

3. Sufficient sleep: Children are at a critical stage of growth and development, and sufficient sleep helps improve immunity. It is recommended that preschool children sleep no less than 10 hours a day, and school-age children no less than 9 hours.

4. Drink more water: The climate is dry in winter, and children are prone to dry mouth and tongue. Parents should remind their children to drink more warm water to maintain water balance in the body.

5. Personal hygiene: Educate children to develop good habits of washing hands frequently and covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing to reduce the chance of spreading germs.

2. Vaccination is an important line of defense

For some diseases that can be prevented by vaccines (such as influenza, chickenpox, mumps, etc.), Director Li Qin recommends that parents vaccinate their children in a timely manner according to the national immunization plan and the doctor's advice. Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent infectious diseases and can significantly reduce the risk of children getting sick.

The healthy growth of children is the top priority for every family. In the special period of winter and spring, parents should be more vigilant and respond to various disease threats scientifically. Help children stay away from diseases by paying attention to weather changes, strengthening daily protection, and paying attention to diet and daily life.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Ye from Xiangtan Aier Renhe Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)