A child’s immunity is still sensitive and prone to infections in their younger years. Furthermore, they are exposed to other children’s illnesses at daycares, schools, and their friend’s house. It is quite stressful for a parent not knowing what kind of illness has befallen their child. The most common type of infections children gets have to do with the skin, airways, and digestive system. Read on to learn care and prevention, which includes nutrition recommendations like a fiber and vitamin rich diet or formula (e.g. Similac Total Comfort) for feeding intolerances due to the illness itself to support.^1, 6

Allergies or Allergic Rhinitis

If your child’s eye area is red, combined with a runny congested nose that lasts for more than a few days, they may have allergic rhinitis.³ These types of allergies are often caused by the weather and the environment and if it persists, it can give a child poor sleep quality. It also affects appetite due to taste and smell being lost from inflammation and excess mucus in the nasal.¹

Prevention and Treatment: Avoid triggers like strong smells, flowers, and clear the house of dust regularly. It is best to visit a doctor if the symptoms do not go away and are affecting a child’s daily enjoyment. Provide them with citrus fruits and vegetables, and fatty fish rich in vitamin C, D, and omega fatty acids that boost immune cell function and reduce inflammation.^3, 5

Chicken Pox

It may start with a fever and fatigue and take about 10 to 21 days for spots to show up.² In a usually healthy child, the symptoms may be milder, but still cause distress. This is why it is very contagious and your child most likely could have been infected by their peers. It spreads from chicken pox flakes and bodily fluids from the infected child.³

Prevention and Treatment: Avoid crowds and inform the school of the infections so that they can take necessary measures to control the spread. See a doctor right away if the eye area looks rash the child is vomiting, or is complaining about headaches. Provide your child with plenty of water to drink and a diet of wholegrains, beans, fresh fruit, and vegetables for vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system. As a treat to temporarily alleviate mouth sores, sugar free popsicles are an option.^2, 3

Constipation

Though the frequency is not really a definite indicator of constipation, the ease of the movement and stool consistency is. The easy way to tell is when they are more irritable when a bowel movement is near or the abdomen area is hard when they complain about a tummy ache. Causes can range from changes in diet, holding bowel movements too often, emotional distress, or medication for other illnesses. Before giving your child remedies, consult a medical professional.^3, 4

Prevention and Treatment

Keep a check on their emotional status and talk to them without judgement as stress is one of the causes of constipation. Encourage physical activity as it is a stress reliever and increases blood flow. Increase fiber intake as fiber bulks stool and absorbs water to soften for easier passing. A high fiber diet also needs plenty of water so do not forget to keep your child well hydrated. Prebiotic fibers in food help maintain a healthy gut by feeding the good bacteria (probiotics) to keep bad ones at bay, thus improving immune system ability.^4, 5

During sensitive tummy and skin illnesses, you may find it difficult to feed even the tastiest anti-inflammatory foods like vitamin C rich oranges, nutritious almonds for magnesium, salmon for vitamin D, or fortified yogurt for probiotics due to mouth soreness.^2, 5 For this, sometimes a child needs the support of nutritional supplements. For example, the unique blend of no palm oil easy to digest proteins, probiotics (2`-FL), and lactose free formula of Similac Total Comfort is designed with an exclusive IMMUNIFY^Ⓡ immune support system to provide relief to sensitive tummies where it is needed. Also enriched with vitamin A, B6, C, D, and iron to further bolster and fill what is missing from food. Always consult an appropriate Medical Professional before making any dietary changes for your child.

Visit Similac Myanmar for more information and signing up for samples.^1, 6

References:

1. https://abbottfamily.com.sg/articles/toddler/common-illness
2. https://www.novapharmacy.com.au/all-health-topics/other/chickenpox/
3. https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/640/top-10-common-childhood-conditions-ehb
4. https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/697/common-childhood-conditions-constipation
5. https://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/foods-fight-allergies
6. https://abbottfamily.com.sg/products/page/similac-total-comfort-3