Seasonal infections in children

When the autumn and winter periods come, many parents wonder if their children will get sick again, as every year at this time. Whether disease every fall is this the norm for a child? What does it come from poor immunity in the fall and how can it be strengthened? What causes respiratory infections in children in winter? Learn how to protect your child from falling illnesses typical of autumn and winter.

Four seasons - four different weather seasons and different seasons in terms of infections that children can develop. Autumn and winter are new - different than summer - challenges for parents. Many of them worry that their children will still get seasonal respiratory infections again. Does the autumn and winter period have to be associated with such diseases?

Illness and the autumn and winter period

Unfortunately, the autumn and winter weather can be capricious and changeable. Large temperature differences make it easier to cool down our body. The fall period is wair humidity increases, a lot of rainy days, and additionally, the day is getting shorter and shorterñ. More and more often, such weather also persists in winter, interspersed with short episodes of frost and snow, which the body is harder to get used to.

Poor immunity in the fall and winter

Children stay in nurseries, kindergartens and schools, i.e. closed rooms that are often inadequately ventilated because they are too rarely ventilated. The air in such rooms may be too dry, which is not good for the mucous membranes of the respiratory system. Excessive drying in such conditions impairs their proper functioning, at the same time making them more susceptible to infections. Moreover, children, especially the youngest ones, are not always dressed appropriately for the weather conditions - parents often dress them too warm.

Where do they come from respiratory infections of children in autumn and winter?

The most common cause of infections occurring in this period are viruses, which are favored by such conditions - especially low temperatures - because they become more active. In addition to viruses, bacteria can also be the cause of respiratory infections in fall and winter, although rarely as the primary cause. They are more often a complication of a previous viral infection.

Common cold: a disease every fall and winters

Often found the common cold is perhaps the most popular viral infection. It is most often caused by rhinoviruses, but also adenoviruses or coronaviruses - the one responsible for the SARS-Cov2 infection also originates from this type of virus. A child with a cold is a child who has a cough, runny nose, sneezing, may have elevated temperature, feel worse - it is more cranky, has no appetite. Most of these infections are mild, self-limiting respiratory infections that can even be treated with home remedies.

Flu: Why Should It Not Be Underestimated?

Flu is a more dangerous viral infection in the fall. Here the symptoms can be much more intense and more serious than in the case of an ordinary cold. High fever, large general symptoms such as muscle and joint pain and possible complications - especially of the heart (myocarditis) and pulmonary (influenza pneumonia). The awareness that the influenza virus does not always respond to administered medications should be an indication for parents to spare their children from such conditions. They just need to be vaccinated against the flu.

Currently, an intranasal (administered to the nasal mucosa) vaccine is available, so the argument about the fear of prickling falls short. The flu vaccine is a seasonal vaccine - prepared for a given season - we repeat it every year during this period.

COVID-19: A New Seasonal Disease

The latest time is also about infections caused by a special type of coronavirus - SARS-Cov-2, which also affects children. Unfortunately, it is more and more aggressive and does not spare even the youngest. In the near future, it will also be possible to vaccinate children from 5 years of age, the older ones are already vaccinated. Such a chance to avoid a severe course of infection in our child should not be wasted - causative drugs, such as this type of infection, unfortunately, we do not have.

Bacteria and respiratory infections in children

The bacteria most often attack the respiratory tract as a complication of a previous viral infection. These types of bacteria include:

• pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumoniae),
• pertussis stick (Bordetella pertussis),
• hemophilic stick (Hemophilus infuenzae),
•  mycoplasma (Mycoplasma pneumoniae).

Prevention of respiratory infections in children 

Such prophylaxis starts very early - implementation of the mandatory and recommended immunization program it is a great strengthening of the child's immune system. Too breastfeeding is a natural prevention of infection. An extremely important element of prevention is proper nutrition, exercise and physical activity in the fresh air. In autumn, in our conditions, we feel the lack of sun, which results in a deficiency of vitamin D. It is necessary to supplement it not only in infants - also in older children.

Important air quality and humidity

Due to the much shorter days, children stay more indoors. Unfortunately, air quality is often not perfect in them and is a factor contributing to the development of infection.

If the poor air quality in the room where the child is, causes excessive drying of the mucosa - its proper functioning is disturbed and an infection develops more easily. Smoking cigarettes, so tobacco smoke in closed, poorly ventilated rooms is also an important factor that impairs the function of the mucosa of the respiratory tract and conducive to the development of respiratory infections.

The role of daily hygiene in preventing infection

Certainly, every parent would like their child not to be ill during this period or to be mildly ill. If we take into account all the above recommendations and implement them, or at least try to fulfill them, our children's immunity will be much greater. Finally, one more reminder - washing your hands frequently is also a way of preventing infection. Many of them spread by droplets, so daily hygiene is very necessary. We should start developing this habit in our child as early as possible.