Food Related Childhood Illnesses

Food-related childhood illnesses

COLD

With colds and flu, there is usually no appetite. It cannot be otherwise: at high temperatures, the body mobilizes all its forces to fight the infection and saves on digestion. It's okay if the child goes hungry for two or three days. A large amount of protein (for example, a couple of sandwiches with caviar) will almost certainly cause a spike in temperature. At this time, you need to ease the work of the intestines as much as possible: give your baby well-boiled porridge, pureed vegetables, casseroles and cutlets. Fermented milk products that stimulate digestion are useful: kefir, yogurt.

To get your child to eat at least something, try playing with food: make a funny face out of orange and apple slices, build a tower out of pieces of casserole. But what a child with flu really needs is plenty of fluids. The liquid accelerates the removal of toxins and facilitates the difficult fight against viruses. The best options are tea with raspberry jam, cranberry juice, and rosehip drink.

ALLERGY

The first rule of nutrition for children with allergies is a strictly gradual introduction of new foods into the diet. After your baby has tried an unfamiliar treat, do not give him anything new for several days. If a rash or loose stools appear, return to your old, proven diet.

For the youngest, this may be exclusive breastfeeding, since allergies to cow's milk proteins are quite common. In such cases, you have to completely abandon products that contain them. Keep in mind that these proteins can be in butter, margarine, cooking fats, and whey. In addition to dairy products, you will have to give up cookies and soy-based products: every third allergic child has an atypical reaction to soy.

To compensate for the lack of substances contained in dairy products, give your child more meat, and be sure to add vegetable fats (for example, sunflower or corn oil) to salads. Perhaps the doctor will additionally prescribe multivitamin preparations containing vitamins A and D.

ANEMIA

Lethargy and poor weight gain may be symptoms of anemia. After the doctor makes an accurate diagnosis (based on a blood test), he will most likely prescribe iron-containing medications. However, in mild cases, you can compensate for the lack of iron yourself.

Meat and liver, seasoned with parsley or dill, are a wonderful source of this trace element, as well as carrots, beets, cauliflower, figs and dried apricots. And in the summer, the baby can easily get the iron he lacks - apples, pears, cherry plums, strawberries and tomatoes are rich in it.

RICKETS

Impaired bone formation (rickets) is most often associated with a lack of vitamin D and calcium. In order to fully provide the body with the building material from which growing bones are formed, the baby must lean on fruits and vegetables. Dairy products (cottage cheese), fish, and nuts are also rich in calcium.

The sun is another irreplaceable food for a rickety child. Therefore, spend as much time as possible with him in the spring sun. Under its rays, vitamin D is converted into an active form, and the process of bone growth is in full swing.

DIARRHEA

The main danger that awaits a child's body during diarrhea is dehydration. If your baby asks for water all the time and his skin is dry, it means he is rapidly losing fluid. To restore balance, dissolve a sachet of rehydron in a liter of water. This medicine contains all the necessary salts in the correct proportion.

By the way, you can prepare such a solution yourself: add 0.5 teaspoon of salt and soda and 2 tablespoons of sugar per liter of water. Give it to your child as often as possible, even when vomiting. If the baby categorically refuses the medicine, take a pipette and drop the solution deep into the mouth on the root of the tongue. Older children can be interested in medicine if they drink tea from a straw or a small spout