Health experts say that children have a low immune system; therefore, they are prone to falling sick more often than adults.
One of the most common illnesses in very young children is a cold. This, experts say, can be prevented if good hygiene is maintained, among other factors.
Professor Joseph Mucumbisti, a paediatrician at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, and president of Rwanda Heart Foundation, says cough and flu are common illnesses in small children.
In some cases, he says, when a child has a cough, it can be a sign of a more serious illness, like pneumonia or even tuberculosis, so seeking medical attention is important.
Statistics by World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that pneumonia is the world’s leading cause of death in children under the age of five. Around two million children die from the illness every year.
What to expect
Mucumbisti notes that children lose their body heat easily when they have a cough or cold.
"As a parent, whenever a child is coughing or has a cold, they should try to keep them covered up and warm at all times. Over the counter medicine most of the time doesn’t work. Cold and cough tend to go away without medication, especially if mild,” he says.
He adds that children with a mild cold and runny nose with no breathing issues can be treated at home and recover without necessarily giving them medicine.
The only thing, however, he says, is to keep children warm, and if they are at the food-eating stage, they should be given plenty to eat and drink.
Christian Bahati, a nurse at Polyclinic in Kigali, says if the cough is accompanied with a fever, the child needs to be given attention as the fever may mean something else.
For instance, he says, bathing them with cool water, rather than cold, is ideal. They should be kept well-hydrated by taking lots of fluids.
He explains that this is so because in some cases, the fever could be caused by malaria, which is dangerous if not treated.
Bahati adds that the nose of the child with a cold or cough should be cleared often, especially before the child eats or goes to sleep.
"In many cases, a baby with a cold or cough finds it difficult to breastfeed properly, and some may fail to do it completely.
If this happens, a mother can pump milk from her breast and put it in a clean cup then feed the baby that way.
He says that this is important because breast milk helps in fighting illnesses, and is vital for a child’s growth. The milk, he says, also helps to clear the baby’s nose if it’s blocked with secretion.
After a child recovers, Bahati says, they should be given extra nutritious food daily to ensure that they regain their normal weight.
Adults with cough and cold should avoid coughing, sneezing or spitting near children, rather, they should cough or sneeze into their elbow or a tissue and dispose, and wash their hands well after.
This is because cough and cold spread easily, and if caretakers of the children are sick, it’s easy to pass it on.
What to watch out for
Francis Kazungu, a general practitioner in Kigali, says that there is reason for concern if children breathe much quicker than usual. Also, he says, if they are breathing with difficulty or gasping for air.
"Breastfeeding helps to protect the baby from many illnesses, therefore it’s important to give breast milk alone for the first six months of the baby’s life,” he advises.
After six months, Kazungu says, parents or caretakers should ensure that a child eats a variety of healthy foods and continues to be breastfed, to ensure they get the nutrients necessary to stay healthy.
On the other hand, Mucumbisti says that practicing good hygiene at home can help keep some common illnesses in children at bay.
For instance, he points out that safe water and good hygiene practices help to reduce the number of diseases among children. Hygiene, he says, includes washing vegetables and fruits, keeping food preparation surfaces clean and washing hands with soap and water.
He adds that making sure that each and every child completes the recommended series of immunisation is important.
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