Babies and young children – especially those attending crèche – are vulnerable to viral infections during winter because littlies are still building-up immunity. They’re also outdoors in the cold mornings and evenings and ‘share’ germs at school when they play close together.
Respiratory tract infections – snotty nose, cough, sore throat, bronchitis, difficulty breathing, croup, pneumonia with a fever and rapid pulse – can be bacterial or viral. Antibiotics deal with bacterial infections but viral infections have to be eliminated by the body’s immune system or prevented by immunisation programmes. ‘Nasty’s’ like whooping cough, pneumococcal diseases and haemophilus influenza are three culprits that can be outsmarted by immunising baby according to the schedule outlined by the Department of Health.
Viral infections are virulent even in hostile conditions. They spread easily because they’re carried in the air and can be passed on simply by breathing them in! I go so far as to caution pregnant women in their first trimester to avoid busy people-places to protect their developing babies from invisible, harmful viruses.
The South African Vaccination Schedules includes polio and TB, the rota virus, diphtheria and tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). Protection from respiratory tract infections - Whooping Cough (also called pertussis), pneumococcal diseases and haemophilus influenza type B are given at 6, 10 and 14 weeks with a booster dose at 18 months. It’s important to complete this schedule to ensure maximum protection against these viruses. If immunised babies become ill from these infections, their illness will be mild and definitely not as dangerous as they used to be.
I enjoy the change to a winter menu – thick, home-made vegetable soup, stew (potjie Kos) tasty vegetables and fresh seasonal fruit rich in vitamin C. Keep rooms warm but don’t overheat. There’s no need to keep children cooped inside – they should play in the sunshine when the day warms up. Long-sleeve vests work by keeping little bodies warm, even when they’ve peeled off jerseys and jackets!
Finally, winter-rainfall areas can be doubly miserable when everything gets cold and wet! Make sure you have a back-up dryer and repair leaking roves before the cold sets in! All of nature prepares for winter – so should we!
