The rains are here and the kids are making the most of it – splashing in the puddles, making paper boats and floating them and generally enjoying themselves getting soaked. I'm sure you did the same things when you were growing up. I particularly like the fresh smell of wet earth when it starts raining. But the monsoons bring an onslaught of illnesses that affect kids and adults. Humidity, flooded roads, mosquitoes, diseases, dirty and unhygienic environments are all an unfortunate part of this season.
Let's have a look at some of the illnesses kids catch during the monsoon and what you should do to keep your little ones safe.
Common Cold & Flu
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The fluctuations in temperature during the monsoons can cause nose blockage and headaches. One minute it's pouring cats and dogs and the temperature has dipped; a few minutes later the sun is out and the humidity is through the roof. You don't know whether to dress your child in full sleeves when they sleep or let them run around in their bare necessities since it is so hot and sticky.
What Can You Do: Build up the body’s resistance by giving your children multivitamin supplements. Vitamin C & E help reduce the chances of falling sick by charging up their antibodies to fight the common cold virus faster. Make sure you all eat a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables which are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost your child's immunity. Check out some home remedies here that can help your child when he/she has a cold/flu
You may also like: All You Need To Know About Boosting Your Child's Immunity
Viral
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The germs that float around during the monsoons make life very difficult for little ones. If your child is experienced high fever, chills or rash, the chances are that he/she may have contracted a viral fever. This is airborne and can be transferred by contact as well. Sneezing, not washing your hands, sharing food with someone whose ill are ways viral infection can spread.
What Can You Do: Make sure the kids wash their hands frequently, especially when they come back home after playing. Carry a hand sanitizer for when you're outside the house and unable to wash their hands with water. Neem is an excellent antiseptic. Add a few drops of neem oil or some neem leaves in your babies bath for some extra protection. You can also give tulsi pani to them. Tulsi is an anti-virulent and helps build immunity.
You may also like: 2 Simple Hacks To Make Kids Wash Their Hands This Monsoon!
Malaria
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When the rains hit, water tends to pool up. The stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitos and flies. Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya are some of the diseases your child and you can contract if you don't keep your surrounding clean and dry.
What Can You Do: Make sure you use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets to insect-proof your house. Full sleeve clothes and staying away from dirty puddles where mosquitoes may breed is key to keeping the infection at bay. You can burn citronella, camphor or lemongrass in the house to keep them away.
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Typhoid/Diarrhoea
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We all love eating out, but the monsoons are not the season to indulge in street food especially. Typhoid is a water-borne disease and you never know if clean water has been used to prepare your food.
What Can You Do: If you're going out, either carry food from home or stick to fresh vegetables and fruits which have fewer chances of getting contaminated. Always carry water from the house when you travel.
Stomach Infection
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Every child I know puts his/her hands, toys and anything else within reach into their mouth. Germs and dirt transfer via this to their little sensitive tummies. You could also give your child a stomach infection. If you don't wash your hands frequently or change diapers and don't sanitize your hands, you will be transferring germs too.
What Can You Do: Kids touch and put everything in their mouths. So keep their nails trimmed and clean so that there is no chance of any infection passing to their tummies. Use of liquid handwashes is recommended during this season to prevent the spread of any infection to others.
You may also like: Food Substitutes And Recipes When You Give Leafy Greens A Miss This Monsoon
Rashes
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It's not only the summer heat that can cause rashes all over your child's skin. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by walking in dirty water. So when your child jumps in a puddle of dirty water and has any cut or skin abrasion the organism enters through the skin and causes body pain and fever and a horrible rash all over the body. During the monsoons skin conditions like scabies, ringworm and eczema can also occur. These are fungal infections and are infectious.
What Can You Do: Make sure they don't walk through water without gumboots. They should be given an anti-bacterial bath the moment they come home to wash away any contaminants. The towels used should be dry so that they don't harbour any bacteria. If your child experiences any kind of skin irritation, you can apply multani mitti (fullers earth) paste or sandalwood and rosewater paste to soothe the area.
A couple of things you should also do is to make your child has a bath if he/she gets soaked in the rain. Keeping them in wet clothes can cause fungal infections. Also, invest in good raincoats and gumboots to keep their body and feet protected. Making sure they stay hydrated is a good practice. A hydrated body stays healthy and fights disease and infection better.
You may also like: Monsoon Essentials For Kids You Have To Shop For Before It Starts Pouring! (Buy Here!)
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Mansi Zaveri
Sai Rajeswari
KSP Team
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