ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTION IN CHILDREN

It is important to take some precautions if your child gets an attack of ARI since there are a lot of children claims lives because of this disease.



A child with common cold often becomes irritated and refuses the feeds. She/he often has fever, running nose, blocked nose. If these symptoms are noticed, it is advised to seek help of a doctor. Meanwhile, you can start giving steam inhalation to the child and apply some soothing balm on the forehead, chest and nose to alleviate headache and clear the blocked nose.



For steam inhalation, boil 3-4 mugs of water in a bowl. Sit on a chair with the child on your lap. Put the bowl with steaming water on the floor and cover yourself with the child and bowl in a tent of a bed sheet. Sit there for about 10-15 minutes even if the child crises. Alternatively you can close all the doors and windows and then boil water in a bowl on an electric heater in the room itself. Allow the steam to spread in the room for about 30 minutes.



Keep a watch on the child’s breathing rate. If the breathing becomes difficult, rapid and there is retraction of the ribs while breathing. It is a warning that you must see a paediatrician at the earliest. It can be pneumonia which will surely require antibiotics for its treatment. Pneumonia can be life-threatening.



As in diarrhea, continue normal feeding of the child during an attack of ARI. Never reduce or stop feeding the child.