Home medicine: being a nurse to your child
Mothers make excellent nurses because they put the health and comfort of their children before almost anything else.
© DK
Few mothers will escape being called upon to act as a nurse - all children fall ill at some time. Mothers, however, make excellent nurses because they put the health and comfort of their children before almost anything else.
Many children become “babyish” when they are ill and want to be with their mothers all the time. Very often it's not just your company they require but also your physical contact. Ill babies need a lot more nursing, cuddling and affection than usual. If you're still breast-feeding you'll probably find that your baby wants more “comfort sucks”. However, at the same time as being as loving as possible, guard against starting habits you don't want to continue.
Should your child go to bed?
Unless your doctor advises otherwise, it's best to trust your own common sense and your child's natural inclinations. If he wants to stay up he should be allowed to do so. Even if he has a temperature he should be allowed to stay up if he wants to. But do make sure that he gets plenty to drink so that he doesn't become dehydrated, that he rests when he feels tired and that the room temperature is kept even and warm.
There is nothing sacrosanct about bedrooms either. One of the most potent medicines is the sight and sound of you and the reassurance you bring, so your sick child will be very much better off being near you. If possible rig up a couch, sofa or comfortable chair so that he can be in the same room as you. This way your child will have the opportunity of seeing, talking to and being entertained by anyone who comes into the house rather than being cut off from the rest of the family in his bedroom.
When your child is tired, however, it is time to put him to bed. But don't just leave him alone. Make sure that you visit him at regular intervals (every half an hour), and find the time to stay and play a game, read a book, or do a puzzle. If you have other children, encourage them to do the same thing. If he is asleep check him to make sure he is not too hot.
When he's on the road to recovery make sure that enough happens in his day to make the distinction between night and day. If he hasn't been watching television, let him watch it before he goes to sleep. Then read him a story to calm and quieten him, as you would usually do.
Feeding your sick child
There are no longer any hard and fast rules about the sort of food that you should give your child when he's sick and unless directed by your doctor you can feed your child whatever he wants to eat. It's time for you to relax most of the rules, dietary and otherwise. Let him eat and drink what he wants, and as much as he wants. You'll probably find that he prefers little but often. If your child is off his food never force him to eat.
Even though your child will seem to eat very sparsely while he's ill, he will quickly make up the deficit as his appetite increases. The return of his appetite is invariably the sign that your child is on the mend. When he is on the road to recovery, spoil him with his favourite foods and perhaps those that have been previously restricted to treats. He'll be keen to make up for all the lost meals, and any weight-loss will be made up quickly.
Giving drinks
It is essential that your child drinks a lot when he's ill - when he has a fever, diarrhoea, or is vomiting - because he will need to replace lost fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated. The recommended fluid intake for a child with a fever is 100-150ml per kg (1 ½ -2 ½ floz per lb) of body weight per day, which is the equivalent of 1 litre (2 pints) per day for a child who weighs 9kg (20lb). Encourage your child to take fluids by leaving a drink at his bedside (preferably water or fruit juice), by putting drinks in glasses that are especially appealing and by giving him bendy straws to drink with.
Posted 30.06.2010
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