Hello! Here’s the final post on the Health Series and it focuses on Children’s Health.

Children’s Health is a matter that must be handled with utmost care because the early life of a human matters a lot and goes a long way in determining what the latter part of the life would look like. Therefore, children need to be adequately taken care of, given the right thing at the right time, strictly monitored and properly parented.

Read on to know specific and important areas of a child’s life that need optimum attention.

BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding is the act of feeding a child milk from the breasts of a lactating woman. It is advised that a mother exclusively feeds her child with breast milk for the first 6 months, and she can choose to continue to a year and can also supplement with solid food.

Breast milk contains every nutrient a baby needs. It contains about 87% water, contains proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, smaller amounts of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and plenty of vitamins.

VACCINATION

Vaccination is the introduction of a small bit of a weakened germ of a disease into a body in order that the body might learn how to respond to that disease if it shows up in the future. Every child has to get vaccinated.

CDC has given a full breakdown of all the vaccines a person has to take starting from birth.

Click here to see the full list.

Children need to get vaccinated against chicken pox, Diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis) (DTaP), pneumococcal, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and polio before the age of 3. COVID-19 vaccine is equally very important.

PROTECT CHILDREN FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT

As much as possible, shield children from direct sunlight. Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays (UV rays) that can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer later on as they grow.

Sunscreen must not be used for children below 6 months, instead, clothe them fully with hats and clothes that cover their hands and legs.

Meanwhile, be careful, children tend to get heated up real quick, so watch out for dehydration and heat rash and do the needful as soon as you notice any of these things.

SLEEP AND EXERCISE

These are very crucial factors for the growth and development of a child.

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html

There’s a link to CDC’s sleep recommendation for children. Follow it strictly so that your child can get the optimum gain from sleep.

Also, ensure that your child engages often in physical activities, give time to play. This will give room for healthy growth and development. Exercise is key for a child’s growth.

HYGIENE

The hygiene of a child is extremely important. It makes a child completely healthy and fit. Simple hygienic habits must never be overlooked. Habits such as:

• Regular hand washing

• Brushing the teeth twice a day (morning and night) and flossing

• Washing of fruits and vegetables before eating

• Taking regular baths or showers with soap and clean water

• Keeping the environment clean and tidy at all times

• Keeping all their personal belongings clean and tidy always and many others.

HEALTHY DIET

As I’ve said earlier, every child below the age of 6 months must be exclusively fed with breast milk as it contains every nutrient that the child needs.

But then, as the child grows beyond 6 months, solid food needs to be introduced into the child’s diet. This doesn’t mean breastfeeding is to be stopped. It could be continued up to a year or a year and half.

After 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, a balanced diet must be given to the child. Diet that contains the right amount of carbs, proteins, lipids, vitamins, plenty of water, enough fruits and vegetables. This will help the child to grow properly and have all the parts of the body function properly.

MENTAL, MORAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Give plenty of attention to your child’s mental health. Children must not be made to undergo much mentally taxing duties. Their brains are still developing. Mental stress is the last thing they need.

Train up children morally, in a socially acceptable way. Teach them to do good deeds and good habits.

Give plenty of attention to the emotional part of a child’s life. Talk about their feelings, their dreams, help them boost self esteem, encourage them, sometimes it is good to give them privacy, especially adolescents even though they need a lot of attention.

So, that’s it on Children’s Health. Take good care of all children around you. Feel free to drop your comments in the comment section below. Also, do like and share massively. Merci 💪