Monsoons excites the little kid residing in every heart. Splashing in puddles, making paper boats and floating them, enjoying getting themselves soaked are the things I am sure everybody must have done while growing up. However, the sad part is monsoons bring an onslaught of illnesses that affect our health adversely. Humidity, flooded roads, mosquitoes, water borne diseases, dirty and unhygienic environments are all an unfortunate part of this season.Needless to say, kids remain most vulnerable during this season and we should be on our toes to protect them from the vagaries of weather. So below are some useful tips that will help you keep your child fit during the monsoon season.

• Keep your children’s room clean and dry. Maintain normal room temperature and keep their rooms ventilated during the day time.
• Close all the doors and windows at evening to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering your house.
• Do not switch on ACs in the monsoon as it makes the room temperature low thus providing perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
• Give your child a hot bath during the monsoon. It makes them feel fresh and relaxed.
• Wear dry clothes in the monsoon. Even slightly wet clothe can make your child catch flu.
• Serve moderately hot food for your child. Avoid eating outside especially roadside food during the season.

Let’s have a look at some of the illnesses kids catch during the monsoon and what you should do to keep your little ones safe.

1. Common Cold & Flu

Due to temperature fluctuations during the monsoons can cause nose blockage and headaches. One minute it’s pouring cats and dogs leading tolowering of environmental temperature, within next few minutes we may see sun (higher temperature and humidity)

What Can we Do: Give a healthy diet of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost the immunity. We can also supplement multivitamins such as vit. C & E which tend to charge up antibodies to fight the common cold virus.

2. Viral Fevers

If the child is having high fever, chills or rash, there are chances that he/she may have contracted a viral fever. This is airborne and can be transferred by contact, sneezing, not washing your hands,  and sharing food.

What Can You Do: Hand washing plays a key role. Hand sanitizer may be used in case the children are out and unable to wash hands.

3. Malaria

The stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitos and flies. Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya are some of the diseases these mosquito spreads.

What Can You Do: Use mosquito repellents and nets, wear full sleeve clothes.Also try to stay away from dirty puddles and stagnant waters.

4. Stomach Infection

Every child tends to put his/her hands, toys and anything else within reach into their mouth. Germs and dirt transfer via this to their little sensitive tummies.

What Can You Do: Kids touch and put everything in their mouths so keep their nails trimmed and clean so that there is no chance of any infection passing to their tummies. Use of liquid hand washes is recommended during this season to prevent the spread of any infection to others.

Despite your best efforts your children may get sick once in a while, although not as often as if you didn’t take any precautions at all. But getting sick is part of growing up and is the way that your baby’s immune system will learn to fight off infections in the future. However make sure to take your baby to the doctor if the baby acquires illness.