Protection from disease

Child's health significantly affects the healthy and carefree childhood, and acceptance of healthy lifestyle habits is an important condition for maintaining the health through the adult and old age.

Protection from diseases is carried out by a program of mandatory vaccination, regular medical monitoring of babies during infancy and school age, and especially by physical examination which determine physical and mental development of children, observe negative effects on the health, and reveal the innate or acquired abnormalities.

Program of mandatory vaccination

Lately, there is discussion on safety of vaccines and many parents are scared because of side effects, and some believe that it is not necessary to vaccinate a child, due to the reduced occurrence of certain infectious diseases. Expert epidemiologists agree that the vaccine have their own side effects, but children should be vaccinated because it is the only way to protect them from infectious diseases, and by protecting them we protect the society. In many countries the program of mandatory vaccination is in force, and all parents are advised to discuss their doubts about vaccines with the child's doctor and epidemiologist.

Proper diet for every age

• Proper diet begins with breast-feeding.
  • Breast milk over the first six months of life is the best food for the newborn and meets all nutritional needs for its growth and development, protecting it from the first infections and it is important for the mental and cognitive development of the child.
• Mothers who cannot breast-feed should, with the help of a doctor or pharmacist, choose a high-quality dairy foods adapted to the age and needs of the infant.
• In between the ages of 4 and 6 months, other foods are slowly included in the child`s diet, and from 12 months to three years of age, with adapted dairy foods, the child needs to get used to diverse diet.
• Diet of older, especially school children, requires a highly nourishing foods, arranged in five regular meals. The basis of the diet are bread and pasta from whole grains that will give them energy, fruit and vegetables as a source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, meat, fish and eggs from which they obtain proteins and fats, dairy products which provide their body with calcium, protein and fats.

Importance of physical activity

Physical activity of the child develops bones, muscles and immune system, coordination and body strength, prevents obesity, and extremely affects the proper psychological development of the child, because it improves mood, boosts self-esteem and teaches the child social relations. Children should be encouraged to engage in some physical activity with fun outdoor games, and during school age they should for at least an hour a day engage in some form of physical activity.

The recommendations of health experts are that, no matter how difficult and exhausting, it is necessary to limit the time your child spends in front of a television or computer for a maximum of an hour and a half to two hours a day.

In doing so, the child should be encouraged to have fun with educational content and games that develop speed and coordination, concentration and ability to solve problems, and aggressive content should be avoided, as they often encourage violent behavior, social isolation and lack of recognition of reality.

Recently, there is evidence on the evolution of video game addiction.

Fever - a symptom of disease

Children's diseases are normal during growth, particularly frequent colds, but certainly we have to try to prevent them and reduce their symptoms.

• Fever is the most common first symptom, but it also means that the body fights against the pathogens.
• As a rule, the temperature in infants should be lowered if it is above 37.5 ° C and in children if it is above 38 ° C, although it depends on the child who through changes in behavior (fatigue, drowsiness, crying, and irritability) shows how difficult it is.
• The child should wear lighter clothes, give him/her plenty of fluids, and lower the temperature with cold wraps or warm shower.
• If the child's temperature does not drop or if it grows too fast, he/she should be given a medicine to lower the fever: paracetamol or ibuprofen at a dose that corresponds to the age of the child.

Medicines for children

Medicines for children should be carefully selected in relation to their age, or weight. Children should never be given any medicines without consulting a doctor or pharmacist, who will assess whether even to give them medicine, which medicine is most appropriate and at what dose.