Cold and Flu Season is Here

Greetings to all,

It is no secret that the cold and flu season is here and not leaving us anytime soon. The news media has also kept us very well informed about how bad this season has been and I am sure that many of my Child Life parents have heard the very scary reports about the flu and its complications.

I thought this would be a good time to make some suggestions for keeping your child and your family healthy during this sick season.

1- I am a believer in ALL children receiving their vaccines in a timely manner and in particular, the flu vaccine. Staying up to date with vaccinations prior to an epidemic gives your child’s body the opportunity to create the proper immune response prior to being exposed to the flu or other vaccine preventable illnesses. In addition, even those children that HAD the flu vaccine and had the influenza virus anyway, had a much milder course of the illness than those who were unvaccinated.

2- Make sure your little one is eating a healthy, well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables tend to contain more vitamin C and zinc, which help the immune system to function properly. A multivitamin and probiotic in your child’s diet will also help to keep them healthy. Limit dairy because it can cause mucus to thicken. Chop up a bunch of vegetables and add them to a pot of chicken soup. Garlic, citrus fruits and foods with zinc, such as meat, chicken, peanuts and peanut butter, are also great immune boosters.

3- If your child is sick and/or has a fever, please do not send them to school. Make sure your little one’s fever and symptoms are improved for 24 hours before going back to school. Too many sick children are in school because parents do not follow this simple rule. This is one of the major reasons that the schools are having epidemics. Keeping your children home until they are well will ensure that they are well enough to return and will also avoid spreading their illness to others.

4- Children need to get plenty of rest when they are sick but sleep deprivation can also lower the body’s defenses and make children more prone to illness. School aged children should get a minimum of 10-12 hours of sleep per night.

5- Get your child in the habit of washing their hands before meals and as soon as they come home from school. Speak to your children about putting their hands in their mouths as, this is one of the top reasons that younger children get sick more often than adults. Also, on one of those warmer days, open the windows to your house and let some good old fresh air come in and let those germs out!

6- Teach your child to cough or sneeze into their elbow or tissue.

7- Make sure that your children drink plenty of water. Water is essential to the immune system response which is why your child needs more water when they are sick. Mucus also thickens and becomes harder to get rid of if your child is dehydrated. Drinking plenty of water will keep mucus thin when your child is sick and will help them to get rid of it easier.

8- Death from the flu is tragic but not common. Although news reports are scary, when your child is diagnosed with flu or has a fever, this does not mean that your child will suffer these severe complications. Please do not hesitate to call my office and set up an appointment for your sick child and after their exam, I will be happy to go over with you the things that you should be looking out for as well as ways to optimize your child’s health and well being.

Blessings to you
Stay well,
Robyn Cadet,MD