Prevention guidance on common childhood diseases

There is no need to stock up on a bunch of immune supplements with unknown efficacy, or deliberately raise children in a "sterile greenhouse". As long as the three core dimensions of "non-drug daily protection, basic immune building, and early identification of abnormal signals" are grasped, more than 80% of common diseases in the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and infectious children can be avoided.

Last week, I just picked up a 3-year-old boy from the clinic. My grandma was afraid that he would catch a cold in the winter, so she didn’t let him go downstairs for two whole months, and she didn’t even go to the community garden in front of her house. As a result, her parents wanted to send him to a kindergarten after New Year’s Day to adjust. The fever reached 39.2 degrees in half a day on the first day. They came to check whether it was Mycoplasma pneumoniae combined with influenza B. My grandma sat at the door of the clinic and wiped her tears, saying how she could be so protected and still sick.

Don't tell me, I encounter more than a dozen cases of this kind of "over-protection leads to recruitment" every month. Many people's understanding of protection is to wear a mask, wash hands frequently, and not let children touch dirty things. In fact, this is not the case at all. Take the most debated question of "whether to disinfect children's toys every day". The mainstream view of evidence-based pediatrics is that there is no need to frequently wipe toys and hands with alcohol- and chlorine-containing disinfectant wipes in ordinary daily environments. Children originally build their own immunity in the process of being exposed to microorganisms in the environment. Excessive disinfection will destroy the normal flora on the skin surface and intestines, and may lead to repeated allergies and stomach upsets. ； However, some colleagues in the Department of Infectious Diseases suggested that if it happens to be the peak season for infectious diseases such as Norovirus and influenza A, or if several children in the community have already been infected, then there is no problem with high-touch building blocks, picture books, dining stools, etc., being wiped with low-concentration hypochlorous acid every day. This level can be flexibly adjusted according to the current environment, and there is no need to stick to a certain standard.

There is another point that many people tend to overlook: the source of cross-infection in most families is not children touching the virus outside, but viruses brought home by adults. I have seen too many parents come home from get off work, without changing their hands or washing their coats. They kiss their babies while holding them. If they catch a cold, they put on a thin mask and continue to take the baby to sleep. As a result, the adult will be cured in two or three days, but the baby will have a fever of 40 degrees and develop otitis media. It is really a pity. Adults are exposed to complex environments outside. Carry hand sanitizer in your pocket, change into home clothes, wash your hands and face before touching your baby when you get home. If you do this well, you can reduce household infections by half.

As for the most frequently asked question, "Should we give our children immunity-boosting supplements?" I will tell the truth: There is currently no clear evidence from evidence-based medicine to prove that Internet celebrity supplements such as lactoferrin and spleen aminopeptides can generally improve the immunity of healthy children. Only children who are clearly diagnosed with immune deficiency or have recurrent respiratory infections more than 6 times in a year need to use them as needed under the guidance of a doctor. Many colleagues in traditional Chinese medicine believe that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of children’s development. As long as they are not picky about food, sleep regularly, and have normal bowel movements, their own immunity is completely sufficient, and there is no need to spend a lot of money on supplements. Two years ago, my best friend followed the trend and spent more than 3,000 yuan to buy half a year's worth of imported lactoferrin. As a result, her child still caught a cold once a month. Later, after listening to the advice, she stopped eating ice cream and cream cakes every day, and went to bed at 9:30 pm. She has not even been prescribed antipyretics for more than half a year.

Of course, don’t skimp on the vaccines that should be given. Many parents think that only the free first-class vaccines are necessary, while the second-class vaccines are products that can be used to make a difference in price. This is really not the case. Influenza vaccine, 13-valent pneumonia vaccine, hand, foot and mouth vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, etc. are all very cost-effective second-class vaccines. If your family has a limited budget, you should give priority to these vaccines to avoid a lot of serious risks.

There is no need to run to the hospital as soon as you see your baby has a fever. Many parents panic when the temperature exceeds 38 degrees and rush to the emergency room with their babies in their arms in the middle of the night. In fact, you can observe the condition first: if the baby has a fever of 38.5 degrees and can still play with toys, eat well, and respond normally to calls, just physically cool down at home and use children's antipyretics as needed. Drink more water and rest, and it will usually be cured in three to five days. By the way, a reminder, children under 12 years old must not use aspirin to reduce fever, as it may induce Reye's syndrome. Don't give adults' medicine to children casually. But if your baby complains of a headache, frequent vomiting, a rash on his body, or a wheezing noise when breathing, don’t hesitate to go to the hospital quickly, don’t force yourself to do anything.

In fact, many pediatricians around me take care of their babies, and they raise them very extensively. They don't care about crawling on the ground, touching the sand, or playing in the mud. They just wash their hands after playing. Occasionally, they don't take it seriously if they are cold and have a runny nose. On the contrary, the babies they raise rarely get sick. Really, you don’t have to be too stressed when raising a baby. The occasional cold or fever is not a bad thing. Just think of it as immunity upgrading. As long as you pay attention to the core things, most common diseases can be prevented.