Here’s How You Can Protect Your Kids From The Flu Monster This Winter

KLAY play schools is an award-winning care and education provider, with 53 centres across India. It is the most preferred onsite daycare for Fortune 500 companies like Pepsi, IBM, Accenture, HUL and more. KLAY centres have 24 hr CCTV surveillance so you can see your child wherever you are. KLAY centres are colourful, clean and child-friendly. Their Multiple Intelligence based curriculum ensures that children learn at their own pace, through their individual interests. They ensure there is an adult to child ratio of1:3, you can rest assured that your child will receive personalised care and love by the well-trained staff. KLAY was built to be a parenting partner so that parents can enjoy a stress and guilt-free parenting journey.

A-tishoo! And we all said ‘God bless’! But when your baby or toddler cries all night from a blocked nose or stops eating and feels cranky from a headache, then as a parent, don’t you feel those butterflies in your stomach? Is it a simple seasonal cold? Is the fever a viral flu or deadly dengue or malaria? Or is your baby’s stomach ache, a result of a painful rotavirus? Autumn and winter in a tropical country like India is a season for festivals, but thanks to that nip in the air, it is also a season of a hundred diseases. Blame it also on the ever-increasing pollution in cities, babies and toddlers are more prone to severe allergies and viral attacks these days. So, don’t panic at the onset of autumn-winter, just be prepared.

You may also like: Baby essentials every new mom must have to sail through winter

That oh-so nagging common cold:

Blocked or running nose and a mild headache, common symptoms you should be prepared to face this season. Some children do not sneeze, but they get cranky as they cannot express the problem of a blocked nose that hampers breathing when they sleep. Best is to keep the child warm and for a toddler, try home remedies with tulsi steam, honey in warm milk, or home-made yummy hot soups. Teach your toddler to wash their hands at regular intervals as viruses transmit through touching an infected doorknob, a book or other surfaces. Keep rooms well ventilated to keep viruses at bay.

You may also like: The perfect recipe to cure a sore throat

Counter that Asthma attack

Research claims Asthma is more common in autumn-born children, as they have an increased exposure to allergens in their early months of development, such as house dust mites, pollens etc. Urban kids these days, are increasingly showing signs of allergic asthma, due to exposure to pollution and many toddlers need inhalers from an early age. Do not neglect asthma attacks in children as the dry air of the season tightens their airways and makes it difficult for them to breathe, leading to attacks that need immediate attention and medical intervention. Make some changes at home, keep it dust and smoke-free, and avoid dusting in front of your kids.

You may also like: 7 Warm Drinks For A Sore Throat

Witchy-itchy skin

If you get to see your toddler scratching their scalp, or hands and legs, do have a look. The dry season results in winter itch, that is not necessarily a skin disease. It goes away with spring but can be very irritating, making a child cranky. Instead of using chemical-laced skin creams, follow grandmother’s skin treatments. Rub your baby’s skin with lemon juice and honey, or ask your doctor if you can use coconut or almond oil to keep it moist. Contrary to popular belief, moisturising lotions do not get absorbed by the skin. Instead, they seal the pores and cause skin diseases.

You may also like: Why You Should Include More Ghee In Your Winter Diet

Does that throat hurt?

Sore throats are common, caused either by bacterial or viral infection. A sudden change of temperature aggravates the condition. Teach your child to regularly gargle with lukewarm saline water, the best way to fight that sore throat!

Naughty stomach bug

Winter in India is also a season of jaundice and typhoid and even if your child is vaccinated, they might get exposed to a range of notorious stomach bugs leading to infections that they pick up from schools. Keep your child hydrated, if you find them vomiting, oral rehydration is a must.

You may also like: All about boosting your child’s immunity

Give your kid a flu jab

Though it lasts for just a year, flu vaccines are gaining popularity in India like the West, as seasonal flu is fast catching up, including the deadly Swine Flu. The best way to prevent getting flu is to have the flu vaccine that also comes in the form of a nasal spray for young kids.

But remember, you cannot keep your children wrapped up in cotton wool forever. Let them step out, play, get some sun and enjoy the outdoors. Just be prepared when you hear that first sneeze.

Image source: healthyessentials.com

This post is written in association with KLAY Daycare and Preschool Group.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Soundcloud & Instagram or subscribe to our YoutubeChannel for more information.