The long awaited monsoon is finally here and your little one has major plans of jumping in every puddle of muddy water that he comes across. Thoughts of germs, dirt, sickness and long visits to the doctor enter your head, as your little one continues jumping away to glory! But Monsoons need not be so nerve wracking for you, when it comes to the health and safety of your child, for a few simple measures can easily ensure that your child not only enjoys the monsoons but stays healthy too.
But first, let us know what health risks can befall your child this Monsoon
Monsoons mean a lot of water everywhere! And given the age old British sewage systems that we are still reliant on, most often water gets clogged in places. Clogged water means still water that forms ideal grounds for mosquitoes to breed upon, which leads to Malaria, Dengue and other such diseases.
Another risk that Monsoons pose for your child is that of water-borne diseases such as Cholera and Dysentery, which spread due to the contamination of drinking water. Typhoid, a water- borne disease is also know to affect us Indians during Monsoons, owing to the contaminated food and water.
Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that usually rears its head during the monsoons along with common cold, fever and gastroenteritis should more or less complete the list of health risks that can befall your child during the monsoons.
So, how do you keep your child healthy this Monsoon?
Keeping kids under control is a difficult task at any given time of the year. However it’s the rainy season that really sees them spiraling out of control, especially when confronted with a puddle or when given an opportunity to run around in the rains while splashing mud!
Kids being kids will always be up to some mischief or the other owing to their in-born curiosity and desire to explore the world around them. But you as a parent can follow some of these simple tips to protect your child from falling prey to diseases this monsoon.
Simple Tips to keep your child healthy this Monsoon
- Boiled Water works Wonders!
Given that most kids fall prey to water- borne diseases during the monsoons, as rain water gets mixed with the drinking water, boiling drinking water is one of the best ways to keep your child healthy this monsoon! Boiled water ensures that most of the disease causing pathogens, are killed due to the heat. Most often people end up boiling water for up to 20 minutes, which is quite unnecessary as the boiling point of water i.e. 100oC- which is considered enough to kill most pathogens, is reached within 3-5 minutes of the boiling process!
Other than boiling, one could also opt for water purifiers that are available in the market.
Typhoid is one disease that strikes many children as well as adults during the monsoons. It occurs due to the consumption of contaminated food or water, and given our Indians love to eat out even during the rainy season, the chances of contracting typhoid are plenty. To protect your child from typhoid, ensure that he eats only home cooked food as it is cooked in a very hygienic setting as opposed to the street – side food that is cooked in anything but a hygienic setting!
During Monsoons it would be a good idea if you could avoid having street side food along with meals in restaurants and hotels as there is no guarantee of the hygiene factor there too! But in case of a major tantrum thrown by your little one, ask for the food to be served piping hot as the heat generated during cooking kills most of the bacteria within the food.
Also in case you are serving leftover food from the night before, re-heat it at 140o F in the microwave oven to kill all the bacteria that might have grown overnight!
- Mosquitoes are Bad, very Bad!
To protect your child from dangerous diseases such as Malaria and Dengue, it is important to keep him away from the mosquitoes. If you have still water accumulating under your AC or anywhere around your house, make it a point to have it cleared, to keep the mosquitoes from breeding and spreading malaria and dengue to your kids!
Mosquito repellants/Creams should be applied or sprayed regularly if you live in a mosquito infected area. An excellent way in which you can keep the mosquitoes from biting your kid is by making use of the mosquito net. The mosquito net allows for good ventilation while keeping the mosquitoes out. Also remember to close your children’s room windows after dusk, as this is the time when mosquitoes become the most active!
- Gumboots v/s Skin Infections!
While a raincoat and an umbrella may be mandatory for your child, it is the Gumboots that provide protection to their little feet. Feet are that part of the body, which come in contact with all the mud, dirt and dirty rain water due to which skin infections are quite common during the rainy season along with Leptospirosis. However children owing to their delicate skin are much more susceptible to skin infections during the monsoons and this is where Gumboots come into the picture.
Gumboots are excellent to keep their feet dry, even as they make it a mission to jump in every puddle they come across! And if Gumboots are protested against, you can always opt for sandals that are designed in such a way that they don’t hold water in. (Crocs are a good option of monsoon footwear)
If you child has mastered the art of nail –biting, this monsoon is the time you put a stop to it! Nails as we all know, if not cut regularly, begin to accumulate dirt in them and on biting, this very dirt gets transferred to your child’s stomach, paving the way for a variety of gastric diseases.
Monsoons bring cold rains and cold winds with them. The sudden change in temperature most often does not bode well with us hot and humid atmosphere loving Indians! As a result of which all the little ones are found sniffling, sneezing and coughing their way through Monsoons. While as parents you can’t do much about the weather, you can make sure that your child has a yummy piping hot chicken soup, as it is known to grant relief from congestion and cold.
So, now that you know of these simple tips which can help you to protect your child from any untoward illnesses this monsoon, we are sure that you will let him jump in as many puddles as he wants!
