Is your child coming home from school with a new illness what seems like every other week? From getting bright, colorful school gear to seeing friends every day, the back-to-school season is such an exciting time for children and parents! However, the fun adventure of a new school year is often accompanied by new germs too.
Find out how to keep your child as healthy as possible throughout the new school year!
Common illnesses for school-age children typically include the stomach bug, common cold, head lice, strep throat and flu. These contagious infections are typically treatable at home with extra rest and TLC but can occasionally require additional care. Common illnesses are highly contagious and are normal to occur constantly at the start of a new year in schools and child care.
Here’s what you can do to build up your child’s immune system, help prevent them from frequently getting sick and reduce the chances of spreading illnesses to your entire family.
Handwashing is a quick and highly effective task to limit the spread of infections and keep our immune systems healthier.
Practice hand hygiene 101 with your child by following the steps below:
Eating a balanced diet rich in vitamins, fruits and vegetables helps to give your growing child the nutrients they need for a stronger immune system and protects them better against illnesses.
Kid-friendly foods recommended to boost immunity include:
Maintaining lower stress and anxiety levels is helpful for promoting great overall health for your child.
Some strategies to do this are:
Vaccines help avoid harmful diseases, reduce the spread of infections and keep your child’s health in good standing. Annual wellness checkups are a simple way to stay on course with vaccinations, prevent illnesses, and track development and growth! Schedule your child’s wellness visit this year.
As parents ourselves, we fully understand that when a child is sick, you want to do everything in your power to get them well and back to their normal self as fast as possible! This is often overwhelming for parents as anxiety can kick in quickly, but we want to remind you not to panic. Thankfully, many ordinary childhood illnesses naturally subside and can be cured with plenty of fluids, rest at home and extra care. Alarming symptoms include persistent high fevers or any fever over 100.4 for a baby less than 2 months old, signs of dehydration or lethargy, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea, unbearable pain, trouble breathing and a lingering or worsening cough. If you are unsure of what to do or notice that your child’s symptoms rapidly progress from mild to advanced, we urge you to make an appointment right away to partner with an expert provider!
Regardless of the date published, no content on this website should ever be used as a replacement for direct medical advice from your primary care provider or another qualified clinician.