Being a parent is a very rewarding experience but also a full-time job. It’s only natural that parents want to make sure their kids are healthy and happy and do everything in their power to provide them with the opportunities to lead a happy and healthy life. Regardless of the child’s age, parents always have some health questions and concerns. The situation has become even more worrisome in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hopefully, the following set of questions and answers will help the parents deal with potential issues in a more comprehensive manner and reduce the amount of stress.
- How Can I Protect My Child from COVID-19?
It’s true that kids can get COVID-19 but it’s also true that they’re not at a higher risk compared to adults. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, but the majority of children that have gotten sick so far haven’t shown overly serious symptoms.
To protect your child from getting COVID-19, it’s important to talk to them about preventative measures so that they can accept them easier, too.
Kids should wash their hands often and wear a cloth mask whenever they’re outside. Keep them at least 6 feet away from other people and avoid those who seem to be sick. At home, make it a point to do the kids’ laundry frequently and disinfect high-touch surfaces. Minimize in-person playtime. If your children feel stressed, you can organize play dates with family and friends who are also doing their best to stay safe.
- Are Vaccines Safe?
There have been many debates and worries related to vaccines but the fact of the matter is that vaccines are a crucial aspect of protecting young kids from some serious health conditions such as measles and polio.
The research that goes into vaccines is extensive and continuous, meaning that the practices get updated every single year, with improved schedules and safety protocols. The nation’s leading experts on disease prevention work on vaccines in order to ensure their efficiency and overall safety.
- Is There Something Preventative Parents Can Do for the Health of Their Kids?
Once a child gets sick, parents tend to beat themselves over it, wondering whether there was anything that they could do in order to prevent this from happening or help the child recover. It’s not easy to think about this, but in order to avoid these terrible situations, more and more parents decide to put their trust in a blood cord bank as a way to do everything they can for the future health of their child. Essentially, the bank stores stem cells from the umbilical cord’s blood and tissue in order to use it, if need be, for future research and health treatment of the child. What’s more, not only are these cells valuable for the baby, but they can also become a crucial part of future treatment for the mom and other family members, too.
- How Do I Prepare My Child for Surgery?
Going through surgery can be very traumatic for a child if the parents fail to talk about it with them and prepare them for the whole process. Choosing a pediatric hospital is the best solution in this case, as these hospitals specialize in dealing with kids, with appropriate toys, flavored anesthesia, trained staff, and everything.
Even if the reason for surgery is nothing too terrible, such as appendix removal or tonsillectomy, children need to be reassured that nothing bad is going to happen to them. Kids that are younger than 3 need simple reassurance so just tell them that you’ll be there at all times and that the whole ordeal is nothing to be worried about. Older kids will benefit more from you answering all of their questions. So, don’t hesitate to talk to them in a more logical manner, explaining every single detail of the surgery so they, too, can deal with the stress of it all.
- When Should I Call My Doctor About a Fever?
Depending on the child’s age, different temperatures may or may not be a reason for concern. For children who are under 3 months old, a 100.4˚F fever definitely requires an immediate call to the doctor. When it comes to kids between 3 and 6 months of age, a 101˚F+ fever combined with other inflammatory symptoms needs medical assistance. For kids who are older than 6 months, 103˚F+ accompanied by other inflammatory symptoms signifies the time to call the doctor.
In general, temperatures lower than 97°F and higher than 99°F that persist for an extended time period should be reported to a doctor.
The more you educate and familiarize yourself with common health concerns and situations the better you can react in every situation as a parent. Make sure to stay on top of regular pediatrician visits and immunization, and ask the doctor about any worries and qualms you may have.
Taylor Parker is an American based writer and blogger. She is very passionate about family, fashion, health and lifestyle. Taylor writes mostly lifestyle articles, but also you’ll find her in home improvement and other niches.Find her on Facebook and Twitter
