New Delhi, June 11 (IANS). Diarrhea is a common but serious health problem in children, which can have a serious impact on their health if not taken care of in time. Health experts say that one should be aware about the prevention and treatment of diarrhea and take necessary precautions to protect the health of children.
The National Health Mission (NHM) appeals to people not to ignore this problem and says that due to diarrhea, children may lack water and essential nutrients in their body. This can lead to weakness, dehydration and many other health problems. Therefore, instead of taking diarrhea lightly, it is very important to provide proper treatment and care in time.
NHM said that special attention needs to be paid to three important measures to prevent diarrhea. First, infants up to six months of age should be given only mother’s milk. Breastfeeding strengthens the immunity of children and helps protect them from many types of infections.
Second, special care should be taken of cleanliness. By adopting cleanliness, the risk of spreading infection reduces to a great extent. Providing clean environment to children, regular cleaning of hands and use of safe drinking water play an important role in the prevention of diarrhea. Along with this, timely vaccination against diseases like rotavirus and measles is also necessary. Vaccination protects children from serious diseases and helps in their healthy development.
Third, if the child has diarrhea, treatment should be started immediately. According to experts, during diarrhea, the child should be given ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) solution every time so that the deficiency of water and salts in the body can be compensated. Apart from this, giving zinc tablets for 14 days as per medical advice is also considered beneficial. Zinc helps reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea.
NHM pointed out that hygiene, breastfeeding and regular vaccination are strong foundations of a healthy childhood. If parents adopt these measures and get timely treatment in case of diarrhea, children can be protected from this serious problem. Health experts believe that awareness and timely care is the most effective means of keeping children healthy and safe.
–IANS
MT/AS