The first time our children get sick, we are frightened because they may have fever, cough, diarrhea or vomiting. As a new mother, some do not know very well how to act in these situations and after a few visits to the doctor, these fears are disappearing as they acquire necessary experience to deal with the diseases of their children in the future. But it is not necessary to wait for a doctor to know how to take care of our children, since we have answered the frequently asked questions regarding taking care a sick child.
Please read on, so you know how to face common illness that affects children.
When should the child be taken to the doctor?
if the child is less than three months of age, it does not matter if is only a mild fever, diarrhea or cough, it is always convenient to take the baby to the doctor for examination. In other cases in which the child is older, many doctors recommend taking him to the hospital only if the fever stays for more than three days or if he has thick mucus, a lot of cough, short breathing or pain in the ears. In case of allergies and mild discomfort, the visit to the doctor will be at your discretion. What to do in case of fever? Many specialists do not recommend bathing the child with cold water when they have fevers hotter than 38.5 ºC.
The medications that should be given to help lower the fever can be found in any pharmacy. In case the fever is coming with symptoms as vomiting, muscle aches, seizures or decay, the child should be taken to the hospital for a check-up in order to rule out viruses or infections. What medications should be given to the sick child?
The doctor is the only person who can authorize the use of certain medications to accelerate the healing process of the child, so you must adhere to their instructions in order to avoid major problems due to incorrect medication administration. In the case that the child is under treatment of antibiotics, he must comply with the treatment until the doctor says so and not when the child shows signs of improvement. When should the child return to school? The child must return to school one day after the fever has disappeared although if it is a contagious disease, the return to classes should not be made until the child has fully recovered from the illness.
What should the child eat while he is convalescing?
Unless the doctor indicates otherwise, the child can eat anything you want and in case your child does not want to eat or find it hard to eat, it is advisable to give him/her plenty of water and natural juices of various fruits to get the vitamins and minerals necessary for recovery. Soup is also recommended.