Six Signs that Your Baby is Getting Sick
In the autumn and winter season, parents are most afraid of their children getting sick. In fact, some diseases have signs before they occur, especially for infants who are prone to digestive system and respiratory system diseases. Parents should pay attention to observing the subtle changes in their children and find disease signals in a timely manner to prevent them.
1. Obvious decrease in appetite
If your child usually eats normally but suddenly loses interest in food or has a significant decrease or increase in appetite, it may be a sign of illness and the cause should be identified promptly. In clinical practice, loss of appetite can be caused by digestive ulcers, chronic enteritis, parasitic diseases, and more.
2. Dry stool
If your child suddenly has dry or loose stools, it may be a sign of illness. If the stools are particularly dry and difficult to pass, with a strong odor, it indicates undigested food in the intestines and the presence of internal heat and food stagnation. If the internal heat persists for a long time, the child is prone to colds and fevers. At this time, you can give your child some vegetable puree or consume fresh pear juice, white radish water, etc., to clear heat and promote bowel movements.
3. Unexplained and persistent crying
If a child feels uncomfortable in any part of their body, such as itching, headache, or abdominal distention, they may express it through crying. If a child cries for no apparent reason, parents should give the child a simple overall check to see where they are uncomfortable. You can also take their temperature to see if they have a fever. If the child continues to cry incessantly, it is necessary to go to the hospital for medical treatment, as it may be a sign of acute abdominal conditions such as intestinal obstruction.
4. Restless sleep
Sick children usually have poor sleep quality and are easily awakened. According to Chinese medicine, "a restless sleep is a result of an unsettled stomach." If a child overeats or consumes cold and hard-to-digest foods, it can cause bloating and discomfort in the stomach and intestines, making it difficult for the child to sleep soundly at night and causing them to toss and turn. Various types of pain, such as toothache, headache, and neuralgia, can also affect a child's sleep. In addition, if a child suddenly needs more sleep than usual, such as suddenly needing a nap when they normally don't, or always feeling sleepy, it may also be a sign of illness. Parents should pay attention to whether the child has symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, coughing, and feeling cold.
5. Bad breath
If a child's breath has a sour or rotten smell, the tongue coating is white and thick, the lips are red, and there is excessive eye discharge, loss of appetite, it generally indicates undigested food in the body, internal heat, and food stagnation. If a child has long-term food stagnation and refuses to eat, it can lead to malnutrition and hinder growth and development. At this time, you should control the child's diet, which should be light and easily digestible. Otherwise, it can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and worsen digestive problems.
6. Poor mental state
Sick children often exhibit abnormal emotions. For example, a child who is usually lively and active suddenly becomes listless, or a child who is usually calm suddenly becomes restless, feels particularly cold, always wants to sleep, and has red eyes. This may be a precursor to a fever, so it is best to see a doctor in a timely manner and give the child plenty of water to prevent getting chilled.
Secrets to Keeping Your Baby Healthy during Seasonal Transitions
1. Secret to keeping 0-6 month-old babies healthy during seasonal transitions: Bodysuits + Breast milk
Babies aged 0-6 months have the weakest resistance and cannot express themselves well. Parents can only judge if the baby is uncomfortable by their crying, but they need to rule out the specific causes one by one. Therefore, parents need to be careful and patient when taking care of babies at this age. To keep babies from getting sick during seasonal transitions, it is important to build a strong immune foundation and provide attentive care.
Signs of a sick baby, symptoms before a baby gets a cold, and signs before a baby gets sick
(1) Clothing: Bodysuits
With the greater temperature difference between day and night during seasonal transitions, parents need to adjust their baby's clothing in a timely manner. Especially at night, do not let the fan or air conditioner blow directly on the baby. To prevent the baby from catching a cold, you can dress them in bodysuits. You don't have to worry about the baby's belly getting cold, and it's also convenient for changing diapers. For autumn, long bodysuits are recommended because they can wrap around the baby's hands and legs and prevent them from getting cold from contact with the ground.
(2) Food: Breast milk
For babies aged 0-6 months, it is best to prioritize breastfeeding. Breast milk contains SlgA, an important substance that helps babies establish defense mechanisms.
2. Secret to keeping 6-12 month-old babies healthy during seasonal transitions: Blankets + Fungal complementary foods
Babies aged 6-12 months are slightly older and can already start to eat complementary foods. At the same time, their digestive ability has improved, and they can consume a wider variety of foods and nutrients, giving parents more choices. Additionally, babies at this stage will learn to roll over and crawl, and they will no longer stay still while sleeping, so be careful not to let them catch a cold while sleeping.
(1) Clothing: Blankets
Use blankets to wrap babies during sleep to prevent them from kicking off the covers with their active hands and feet. Many babies get sick during seasonal transitions due to catching a chill in the middle of the night.
(2) Food: Fungal and jujube complementary foods
Fungi and jujube are rich in nutrients. For example, black fungus is a rare nutritious food with high iron and calcium content. Eating black fungus regularly can help prevent iron-deficiency anemia in children and prevent respiratory diseases. Jujube not only contains a large amount of vitamins such as sugar, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C, but also contains nutritional elements such as ursolic acid. It helps improve lipid metabolism in children and is suitable for children with weak spleen and stomach, insufficient qi and blood, fatigue, and susceptibility to colds. Mothers can pay attention to their baby's daily diet and consciously select complementary foods that contain fungi or jujube for their baby.
3. Secret to keeping 1-3 year-old babies healthy during seasonal transitions: Jackets + Fruits and vegetables
Babies at this age are active and curious, and the small space at home is no longer enough for them. They are eager to explore the outside world. Compared to babies in the previous two stages, babies over 1 year old focus more on strengthening their resistance through physical activity during seasonal transitions.
(1) Clothing: Thin jackets
Children aged 1-3 can express their sensitivity to temperature, such as feeling cold or hot. However, their temperature sensitivity is not very accurate yet, so parents still need to adjust their clothing in a timely manner. For colder mornings and evenings, you can add a thin jacket that is easy to put on and take off. For warmer temperatures during midday or when outdoors, the jacket can be removed.
(2) Food: Fruit and vegetable chunks
The lycopene, carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E in fruits and vegetables can protect the baby's cells from damage and repair damaged cells in their body. Babies over 1 year old can chew small chunks of fruits and vegetables. Nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables like pumpkin can be given to babies during seasonal transitions.
