How Can Hygiene And Lifestyle Reduce Flu Risk In Children?
Influenza (commonly known as flu) is one of the most prevalent pediatric issues.
According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), flu-related complications cause an estimated 20,000 hospitalizations annually in children aged five years or below.
Flu is fatal too. While deaths are preventable through vaccination, many continue to succumb to this viral illness. Most victims are usually those with underlying medical conditions, although mortalities among healthy children are fairly common as well.
Influenza has always been associated with weather changes and poor personal hygiene. However, mounting evidence suggests that certain lifestyles may equally predispose our younger ones to this deadly illness.
Therefore, effective flu management calls for a multi-pronged approach.
This post looks at the various hygiene and lifestyle habits you can implement to minimize flu risks in your young ones.
Getting Started With Immunization
Vaccination is the first line of defense against influenza. To protect your kids from the flu, ensure they’re up to date with the required shots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends flu jabs for all children aged six months or older.
Taking your baby for a flu shot shouldn’t be a one-time measure.
To effectively combat the virus, consider a vaccination annually, preferably by the end of October. This provides the vaccine with about two weeks to fully take effect before the flu season peaks.
Remember that flu is highly contagious. So, vaccination protects both the child and other household members.
Hygiene Practices to Minimize Flu Risks in Children
1. Encourage Frequent Handwashing
Cultivating a handwashing habit can minimize the spread of multiple diseases, including flu. Encourage your children to wash their hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds.
Handwashing is particularly critical before eating and after using the bathroom.
Besides, children coming from public areas (such as schools or playgrounds) must wash their hands. This can help wash down the flu virus down the drain before it has time to replicate.
2. Incorporate a Hand Sanitizer
Water may not always be available. And even if it does, many children will be uncomfortable spending 20 seconds every few minutes in cold water.
That’s where a hand sanitizer comes in.
Choose a sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Then, place it in strategic spots to ensure your little ones never miss a chance to disinfect their germy hands.
3. Clean High-Contact Surfaces Frequently
High-touch surfaces can harbor the flu virus and increase its spread.
Therefore, clean and disinfect these areas frequently.
Examples of high-contact surfaces include doorknobs, toilet handles, stair railing, shared toys, and television remotes.
4. Minimize Contact With Sick People
Is a member of your household already down with the flu?
If yes, educate your little ones to minimize direct contact with such individuals.
Teach your child that they can still be in the same general space as someone with the flu. However, cuddling, hugging, and holding hands can wait.
5. Reduce Facial Contact
The flu virus typically enters the body through the nose, eyes, or mouth. Therefore, limiting contact with these areas can help manage its spread.
If your child is already infected, teach them proper sneezing and coughing etiquette. They should cough into a tissue, and then dispose of used tissues safely.
Other habits include sneezing into the elbow and turning the face away while coughing.
Lifestyle Practices to Minimize Flu Risks in Children
1. Practice Mindful Dieting
Diet plays a significant role in disease prevention.
Especially encourage antioxidant-rich foods, such as fresh fruits and leafy vegetables.
You might also introduce more seafood and nuts into your child’s diet. Such foods are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, two powerful anti-inflammatory compounds.
2. Keep Your Little Ones Active
Regular exercise can provide several physical and mental health benefits to your little ones. While best known for managing anxiety, keeping your children active also boosts their overall immunity.
In fact, studies have shown that engaging in moderate exercise may help the body resist the influenza virus.
Increasing physical activity can support flu treatment by stimulating the circulation of immune cells. It also reduces stress, which could slow down recovery from the virus.
3. Ensure They Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep is critical to a robust immune system.
Adequate sleep lowers cortisol response, inhibiting the hormone’s adverse effects on your child’s immunity. Sleep also stimulates the production of infection-fighting compounds like cytokines and antibodies.
Children under 10 years should preferably sleep 9 – 12 hours every night. For infants, you can aim for up to 16 hours of restful sleep every 24 hours.
4. Withdraw Them From School
Withdrawing your little ones from school during the peak flu season can prevent them from contracting the virus from other sick children.
If your child is already infected, it ensures they equally don’t spread the disease to their peers.
Besides, it’s easier to monitor your sick child’s condition when you’re with them 24/7. Keeping them from school enables you to effectively implement the recommended flu management tips, such as drinking plenty of fluids and staying in well-ventilated rooms.
Taking a Proactive Approach to Flu Prevention
Flu may resolve itself in most cases. However, the virus can cause severe complications even in healthy, vaccinated children.
Cultivating the above hygiene and lifestyle habits can help protect your vulnerable ones from the dangerous illness.
Remember to also beware of flu symptoms in children and take appropriate action. The virus typically presents fever, cough, lethargy, restlessness, inappetence, and body aches.
If these symptoms persist beyond 3-4 days or worsen over time, contact your doctor immediately.
