Home Remedies For Children
Home Remedies For Children
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is nature,s way of eliminating the offending agent from the system. Watery diarrhea are generally are due to infection caused by a virus. No antibiotic is effective against such virus. In fact antibiotic can be harmful in such a situation.
However, while diarrhea helps to eliminate the offending agent, important salt and water are also lost from the body.This can result in dehydration if not managed properly.
Severe dehydration can have serious consequences. Passing less urine is one of the significant symptoms of dehydration. Monitoring the frequency, color and quantity of urine is essential to ensure that the child does not get dehydrated. It is more important to count the number of times the child passes urine rather than the number of watery motion.
There is no cause for concern as long as the child passes light colored urine frequently. The number of motions is not that important. One child may pass several small motions, but continue to remain active and pass urine frequently. Another may pass only a few large watery motions, but become listless, stop passing urine or pass very little dark, concentrated urine during the period of 6-8 hours. The later child needs attention.
Do not put a diaper on your infant if she has diarrhea , this will allow you to watch the color and frequency of urination. Remember that a watery stool can give the appearance of urine and may mislead you.
In some children , the diarrhea gets better within a day or two. In other children, it may take longer, sometimes even a week.
Frequent motions in an exclusively breastfed child, who is otherwise active, is normal. At times, these motions are watery, frothy and green or may contain mucus. This is nor diarrhea and needs no treatment.
Management
If your child develops diarrhea, start the following treatment immediately.. Do not wait for the signs of dehydration to develop. Even if the child has developed mild moderate or severe dehydration, do not panic but start the treatment. Most cases of dehydration can be managed at home. But if the child looks sickly, listless and passes too little urine, she may need intravenous fluids and hence a doctor must be consulted.
Start the treatment as follows:
- A child with diarrhea needs food and fluids. Do not starve the child; this results in malnourishment and consequent lowered resistance to fight the disease. It is true that some amount of food given in diarrhea is lost in motions. But a moderate amount is absorbed into the system even in the presence of acute watery diarrhea. Let the child eat or drink what she likes. Breastfed should continue breastfeeding, as breast milk supplies the essential nutrients and include all that is required for re hydration. If the child is older and is having a few breastfeeds and more of other foods and liquids, increase the frequency of breastfeeding. Breast milk also have anti-infective factors that may help fight bacterial as well as viral diarrhea.
- If your child,s appetite is diminished, encourage her to have small frequent drinks of any liquid she may prefer-breast milk, soup juice, coconut water, dal water, barley water, buttermilk, weak tea with plain water in between. In general, rice preparations and potatoes tolerated in diarrhea. A khichadi of rice and moong dal with curds is an excellent combination. banana is good in diarrhea.
- Rice cunjee and water salt sugar solution are the most important 'medicines' for the treatment of diarrhea and dehydration. In watery diarrhea, no other medicines is needed. Such liquid preparations prevent dehydration and also help re hydrate the child. Of course the best re-hydration solution for an infant is mother's milk. If the child is too weak that she cannot suckle , express the milk by hand and give it with a spoon.
- Rice cunjee is made by cooking a handful old rice powder with water for 10 minutes to make a thin liquid . To this, add one level spoon of salt and more water to make it up to 1 liter (5 glasses of 200 ml each). Alternatively powdered pop rice can be used (without further cooking) with added salt and water.
- Water salt and sugar solution is made by taking:
1 level teaspoonful of salt.
8 level teaspoonful of sugar
- Child should always be given boiled and cooked water to drink. If that is not possible , have bottled water.
- Let the family get used to frequent hand washing and plain soap to prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections. There is no difference between plain soap and anti-bacterial soap.
For children less than two years, aim at giving 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the above solution. after each watery stool. If child does not take much at a time or tends to vomit, give 2-4 teaspoons every 5 minutes, day and night.The idea is to make sure that the child passes enough light colored urine without becoming puffy. A child who is given too much fluid (which happens very rarely) will develop puffy eyes.
Fortunately, vomiting associated with diarrhea is mostly a transient phenomenon. If the child vomits, wait for 10 minutes or little longer and than start offering a few sips or a few spoons of fluid mentioned earlier every 5 minutes. An older child may be allowed to suck on a little ice. It often helps. Consult your doctor if vomiting persist.
- Ready made W.H.O oral re hydration formulas are available in the market to be added to one liter of water. There are also small packets to be dissolved in one glass (200 ml) of water. If available, prefer the smaller packets.I am against the packets who do not follow W.H.O or government recommendations. Most of these packets have too much of glucose in them, which is likely to worsen the diarrhea.
The above mentioned solutions are not meant to stop diarrhea. Let nature take its own course. The above advice is only meant to prevent dehydration. If the loss of fluids due to diarrhea (with or without diarrhea ) is more than the intake, the child can show signs of dehydration. At times the losses can be so great that the child may need administration of fluids by vein. As mentioned before such a child looks weak, is listless and passes little or no urine. Occasionally, she may develop fast breathing.Such a child should be given urgent medical attention.
Milk in Diarrhea
As mentioned earlier breastfed children must continue to be breastfed.
It is well known fact that artificially -fed children are more prone to diarrhea. But if child wants milk , do not hesitate to give it to him.
If the child is not keen, stopping milk for about 12 hours may be preferable.
The milk may be diluted for a day or two. But after that , give undiluted milk if the loose motions continue.
In case where loose motions continue, some doctors change over from animal milk to soya milk preparations. It is not recommended because in acute diarrhea, intolerance to animal milk is often a temporary feature. Soya milks are not to be considered in persistent, proven intolerance to animal milk. Sometimes, pathologist may report the presence of reducing substances in the stool. Do not change the child's diet without consulting your pediatrician.
Recovery
All children loose weight during an episode of diarrhea. They regain the lost weight soon after recovery. The process of recovery can be hasten by offering an extra meal to a child recovering from diarrhea.
The only drug which helps in diarrhea is Zinc. A child less than 6 months of age needs 10 mg and older one 20 mg per day. Other drugs in diarrhea are given if the child has Bacillary dysentery along with abdominal pain. For the moment it is suffice to say that drug causes more harm than good in the management of diarrhea. They should only be considered if the diarrhea is accompanied with blood / or obvious mucus in the stool.
In conclusion, note carefully that you can handle almost all cases of diarrhea at home with food and fluids and without the aid of drugs.
Fever
In most cases fever can be managed at home.It helps to remember that fever is a friend; it helps your child fight infection. The high temperature helps release substances in our body that attacks the disease causing organisms. Such a defense mechanism either helps us to cure disease or limits its spread. To some extent, it may be fair to say that fever is the fire in which the invading germs are likely to get destroyed.
Wait Three Days...
If a child has definite bacterial infection (like Acute Tonsillitis), your doctor may prescribe antibiotic. Otherwise 3-4 days waiting period is recommended before starting medication. to allow other symptoms if any to develop. On the first day, a doctor is not likely to reach any conclusion to the cause of fever.
If the child develops a thin, watery discharge from her nostrils and start coughing because this discharge falls down her throat from the back of her nostrils, then a doctor knows that he is dealing with a viral infection in which antibiotic can be harmful. After 3 days of waiting, the child is more likely to develop clinical features that may point to the cause being either viral or bacterial. If it is viral, a doctor would like to observe the child without undertaking any investigations and without giving any antibiotic.. If a bacterial cause is suspected she may either start an antibiotic if required or ask for some investigations to be carried out. A blood leukocyte (white blood cells) count of more than 15,000 cu mm3 often points towards a bacterial cause needing antibiotics.
By not taking any drugs during these three days you allow the body to handle the infective agent with its own defense mechanism. After that even if a doctor feels that the antibiotic must be started, the drugs are likely to work better, hand in hand with the body that is all set to take care of the offending agent.
Consult Your Doctor...
- If the fever persist for more than 3 days.
- If the child having fever, behaves in a manner that is not normal, for example if she is not fully alert, or is looking in one direction and has a fixed gaze is persistently listless or irritable or has vomiting or has unusually fast breathing or has the typical feature of malaria with alternate days of fever with rigors. If instinct tells you that she is not her normal self and the look of herself causes anxiety, do seek professional help. But if she is active playful and alert, there is no cause for concern.
- If the child is less than 2 months old, before contacting the doctor , see if the little one is active, and taking her feeds normally. Also check that she has not been overheated from been wrapped up in too much clothing . If the baby is not sucking well, take her to doctor even if the fever is not very high.
- If the child has heat stroke with temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Management of Fever
- Generally with fever, the child's appetite goes down. Some children may not even like to drink water. This can lead to dehydration. Make sure therefore that the child has enough liquids. Offer it in different forms like plain water, soup, fruit juice, coconut water etc. No colas and other aerated drinks. Allow her to take these if she is consuming them in the past.
- If the child demands regular meals, give her these even if the fever is very high. But do not force the child to eat. There is evidence to show that eating promotes the formation of such helper cells which help fight viruses. Conversely, poor appetite promotes the formation of such helper cells in the body which fight bacterial infections. Some people hesitate to give a so called 'cold' things like banana to a febrile child. If the child has been taking the banana before and has been enjoying them without showing any signs of allergy to them. Bananas would be strongly recommended, whatever the temperature may be. A child may feel weak during the febrile period, because of not eating well but this should be taken care of as soon as the child starts eating. Vitamins are not necessary.
- High fever makes most children uncomfortable. Don't try to lower the temperature, if the child is Okay with it, but make all the attempts to keep the child cool if she is irritable, cranky or restless. because of high fever. This would involve keeping the clothing to a minimum, putting preferably cotton cloths on her; keep the windows open and use the fan. Switch on the air-conditioner. Let the child cover herself if she wants to.
- You can try to lower the temperature with a quick bath warm water or sponging the whole body with water. This is preferable to the use of drugs. Sponging should not be done with cold water or alcohol. Slightly warm water is the best option.. However if the climate is such that your child would prefer tap water or stored water go ahead, and use it. In case of hyperpyrexia, where the temperature goes above 105 degree F Or for heat stroke, a cold water bath or shower is given for rapid cooling.
- If you must use a drug to lower the temperature, choose paracetamol (Calpol, Crocin, Metacin, etc. over aspirin, as aspirin can cause serious side effects (Rey's syndrome) in children with influenza or chickenpox. This diseases results in 'swelling' of the brain and damage to the liver. If paracetamol is used, give it in proper dose (15 mg / kg / dose) Give after 4-6 hours if required. Avoid more than 4 doses in 24 hours.
- If a child is prone to convulsions (fits) with the sudden rise of fever , paracetamol must be started as soon as you notice that the child appears unwell. If the drugs take time to start acting, sponging should be started. Unfortunately, in children with fever associated convulsions (febrile convulsions) , the convulsions may appear even before anyone notices that the child has significant fever. So do not delay giving one dose of paracetamol. Usually, these convulsions last for a short duration. Most children get just one convulsion at the onset of the illness and the convulsion do not reoccur even if the fever remains high during the next few days.
Recording Temperature
- Some children as well as adults normally have a worm head or warm palms. They are otherwise normal and the thermometer does not record a temperature of more than 98.4 degree f (37 degree C) . In other cases, normal temperature in a child who is otherwise fit can range from 96 degree F to 100.8 degree F.
Temperature can be recorded in the mouth or the armpit or in the rectum. (with a special rectal thermometer). If you are reporting to your doctor, tell him how you have recorded the temperature- whether in the mouth or armpit or rectum. Do not try to guess the temperature your self by adding or subtracting in case you have not recorded the temperature in the mouth..
The new strip thermometer (to be placed on the fore head)) often gives false reading and are not recommended. The digital thermometer are satisfactory.
By the time your child goes to school, train her to accept the thermometer in the mouth to record temperature. The thermometer should be placed below the tongue. The child keeps it in place with the lips and holds it with the hands. In the beginning adult can hold the thermometer in her hand while the child is learning to keep it in place under the tongue.
If use of thermometer is not possible, use the back of your (the baby's caretakers) hand to screen for a significant fever. If the skin is cool, record zero; if warm , note a + for a low fever ++ for high fever.
"Use organic brown sugar."
Ayurvedic Home Remedies
Indigestion
Overeating and eating unwholesome junk food is a serious problem in today's children. It often leads to indigestion. A mixture of ginger and lemon juice with a pinch of salt taken frequently in sips help to overcome indigestion.
Constipation
Most common cause of constipation is the lack of sufficient intake of water. For younger children, dry black currents soaked in water and given with warm water at bed time would help. A cup of warm milk with half a teaspoon of ghee is also a good remedy. It is advisable to eat fruits like papaya, melons, and ripe bananas to prevent constipation. Mothers should train the babies for answering nature's call at a fixed time every day, preferably in the morning.The habit of suppressing nature's call should be discouraged.
Pain in Abdomen
This is the most common symptom found during childhood. Give a mixture of Ajwain, Saunf and Saindhav powdered together along with lukewarm water for relief. Pain occurring due to gasses is relieved by externally putting drops of castor oil on the naval and applying asoefoetida (hinga) over the abdomen. Regular use of aniseed water would prevent frequent occurrence of this symptoms. In older children, use of garlic in diet is effective. It is advised to avoid excessive use of maida products like white bread and biscuits.
Common Cold
Fresh juice of Tulsi leaves with honey is an effective remedy. Lime juice in lukewarm water along with honey is also good. Use warm water for drinking, Onion soup with an extra pinch of pepper powder and flakes of ginger is a good remedy.
Throat Infection
Gargling with concentrated solution of warm salt water helps. Yshtimadhu stick given for chewing has a soothing effect. Turmeric boiled in milk is a good remedy.
Cough and Wheezing
Avoid curds, ice cold milk, ice-cream, chilled water, fruit like custard apple and banana. A juice of Tulsi leaves with honey given every 2-3 hours is a good medicine. For an older children with productive cough, an addition of Adulsa leaves would be beneficial.. For allergic cough and wheeze, add Yashtimadhu powder to tulsi leaves juice and honey.
Dental Caries and Toothache
Neem leaves, Khadir bark, babool twigs, turmeric powder and clove buds boiled in water and regularly given for oral rinse helps maintain good dental and oral hygiene. For caries of teeth keep cotton swab of clove oil and Asafoetida on the cavity. Cotton swab soaked in eucalyptus and camphor oil helps relieve tooth pain.
Worms
It is a traditional practice to give milk to children having boiled it with Vidanga seeds. These seeds have shown anti-worm properties. Palash beej powder, Vidanga seeds, neem leaves, jeera powder and saindhav salt boiled in water and given regularly for a few weeks helps prevent repeated worm infestation.
A First Aid Kit For Home Use
The kit should include :
- A pair of scissors
- A pair of tweezers
- A bottle of antiseptic solution (like Detol or Savlon)
- Band-aid
- Bandages (1-2 inches wide)
- Cotton wool
- Packets of sterile gauze
- Paracetamol
- A rubber tube
- Elastic bandage
- Leucoplast
- A hand towel
- Rubber syringe (to be used as a nose cleaner)
- Digital thermometer
- Petroleum jelly
- Disposable syringe (5 ml)and needle
- Phone number of hospital, doctor and a close relative or a friend.
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