If your child has high-grade fever or prolonged fever, report to the doctor.
Children are prone to certain diseases during the monsoon season such as influenza, dengue fever, leptospirosis or rat fever and diarrhoeal diseases. If adequate precautions are taken, we can prevent these diseases very effectively. Below child specialists have suggested some ways to prevent infectious diseases in children during rainy season.
The most effective way to prevent flu is getting the vaccine against influenza, according to Dr. C. Jayakumar, Clinical Professor and Head, General Paediatrics, Amrita Hospital, Kochi.
"This has to be given to all children less than five years and this has to be repeated every year also. Taking Covid precautions can also help prevent flu to some extent," he noted.
Regular hand washing, using boiled water and eating freshly prepared food are among important ways to prevent diarrhoeal disorders in children. "Better not to take food from eateries unless it is very sterile and kept in hygienic conditions," cautioned Dr. Jayakumar.
If your child gets diarrhoea, it's very important to keep his/her hydrated by giving him/her oral rehydration salts (ORS). ORS is a life-saving drug in the management of diarrhoea, the doctor noted.
Another common problem among children is leptospirosis or rat fever, which occurs due to contact with dirty water.
So, ensure that your child stays away from dirty water. If by some chance your child come in contact with dirty water, wash his/her feet and hands immediately, Dr. Jayakumar suggested.
Usually, leptospirosis is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline, which should be given early in the course of the disease.
Adults and children above six years can take a dose of doxycycline as suggested by the doctor. The prescribed dose is 6 mg per kilogram bodyweight and a single dose may be sufficient prophylactically, Dr. Jayakumar added.
Using mosquito repellents is one the efficient ways to prevent dengue fever, which causes symptoms like high fever, body aches and skin rashes.
Reduced WBC count and reduced platelet count are signs of dengue fever. If the routine blood examination shows these signs, it is better to consult a physician. The best medicine for dengue fever is intravenous saline, no other medicines are usually needed in such case, according to Dr. Jayakumar.
In severe case of dengue fever, inpatient care and sometimes care in the intensive care unit may be required.
Parents should ensure that their children don't eat from outside, especially fruit juices and liquids, to prevent them from getting gastrointestinal infections like diarrhoea, typhoid and hepatitis, said Dr Vaidehi Dande, Child Specialist and Neonatologist, Symbiosis Hospital, Dadar, Mumbai.
"Don't let water stagnate in house, common sites are flowerpots or flower beds, AC drainage, and balconies. These are breeding places for mosquitoes which carry dengue and malaria," Dr Dande advised parents.
She also cautioned that walking through stagnant water can increase risk of getting leptospirosis.
If your child has high-grade fever or prolonged fever, watery diarrhoea, rash, jaundice, decreased appetite or abnormal bleeding, report to the doctor.
Also, ensure that your child is vaccinated against influenza (flu), typhoid and hepatitis A, Dr Dande added.
