Parenting Tips for Parents of Children with Dengue

PARENTING COLUMN

Some possible symptoms of dengue in babies are as follows: high fever for more than 5 days, low body temperature(less than 96.8 degrees F), skin rashes, vomiting multiple times a day, bleeding gums and nose, feeling sleepy all the time, irritability and crying a lot.

Monsoons bring a lot of diseases with it and dengue is one of the serious mosquito-borne diseases among them. It happens when one gets bitten by a mosquito carrying dengue virus. Dengue leads to high fever and a patient's blood platelet count suddenly drops. However, the intensity of the symptoms varies in kids and adults. An affected child will be ill for 10 to 14 days which can make parents really worried and anxious.

Symptoms

Notably symptoms of dengue are comparatively mild in kids as those in adults. There are even cases when kids do not show significant signs of dengue fever at all. Some possible symptoms of dengue in babies are as follows: high fever for more than 5 days, low body temperature(less than 96.8 degrees F), skin rashes, vomiting multiple times a day, bleeding gums and nose, feeling sleepy all the time, irritability and crying a lot,

Some toddlers and children might also show signs like pain behind the eyes or light sensitivity, headache, high fever, muscle pain, and joint pain.

Dengue in Kids

The symptoms of dengue in kids may start appearing a couple of days after they are bitten by the infected mosquito. Some additional dengue symptoms in children may also be: patches on the body, nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, and inability to perform physical activities.

Risk factors of dengue in kids

As a parent you should be aware about the importance of diagnosing dengue on time and provide proper aid. If it's not done, complications can eventually be severe. One of the severe complications is dengue haemorrhagic fever. The only way to manage these symptoms and prevent one from potential risk to life is to seek proper medical aid in time. Dengue fever tends to subside in a few days. If it doesn't subside and your child is showing the following symptoms, you need to realise that it is an indication of something serious: cold sweaty skin, vomiting a lot, blood in stool and/or vomiting, restlessness, extreme tiredness, breathing either very fast or slow, abdominal pain and liver failure.

Toddlers who are between the age of 3-5 years are highly likely to get severe dengue. Parents of children belonging to this age category thus need to be extra cautious and look for visible signs and symptoms of dengue in kids. Immediate medical aid will reduce the risk of complications.

Special care that you can take for your child with dengue:

As mentioned earlier, dengue can be mild to severe depending upon the symptoms. If your child's dengue symptoms are limited to fever and weakness, it is okay. You need to worry when more symptoms like joint pain, rashes on skin, etc. develops. In that case, immediately consult a doctor and get your child tested for dengue. Refrain from giving self-medication to kids as it can worsen their health. You can take these measures to ensure their safety: ensure that your child is resting well; make him/her drink a lot of healthy fluids (preferably homemade juices and coconut water); children should eat light and healthy food. It is important to feed your baby frequently if it is suffering from dengue. This will help replenish fluids and get nutrients to recover. Prefer giving your toddlers and children ORS instead of giving medicines. A common practice is to use sponge or wet cloth to bring the fever down.

Prevention is better than cure. Medical practitioners always suggest that parents should take extra care of their children during monsoons. Ensure that your child wears full-sleeved clothes, use mosquito repellents while going out, avoid going out in parks during evening and have proper intake of nutritious foods.

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