Home Remedies For Child Health Problems In Summer

For babies, the summer season is the real challenge for parents. We all know how extremely hot it can be and in some places, the humidity level is very high. Nearly one in four parents are deeply concerned with their baby’s health during the summer season as this season poses some child health problems.

Keeping your baby healthy during the summer season may seem like a stressful task. It is the time when you need to prevent yourself and your baby from several health issues. The way your skin and body are affected, it has the same impact on babies as well. Therefore, you need to know about the summer health problems like dehydration, sunburn, heat stroke, allergies, and a lot more to take necessary action when it comes to keeping your child healthy.

We will study some illnesses that are common during the summer season. We will also discuss some simple home remedies to cure these problems as a kid’s health problem should be resolved in the initial stage else it may become severe.

1. Dehydration:

75% of our body is made of water and water plays a vital role in ensuring the health and activity of the body. Babies are more prone to dehydration during the summer season. They become dehydrated because of the heat. The risk of dehydration in babies is a very common problem.

If you see your child is thirsty, have dry lips or tongue and feels lack of energy in their body then they are showing signs of dehydration. To treat dehydration in your baby, give them the necessary fluids like water and ORS. ORS has salt and sugar that can quickly treat dehydration in children.

The signs of dehydration in babies are excessive drowsiness, dry lips, dry mouth, no tears while crying and no wet diaper for more than six hours. Dehydration in a toddler can be treated with home remedies.  To treat the dehydration in toddlers home remedies are very simple to apply. Some of these are mentioned below:

• Continuous bottle feed or breastfeed your baby every two hours in small proportions
• The regular diet of the baby should not be disturbed, but avoid giving those foods which are difficult to digest.
• The baby should take at least 24 to 36 hours rest to recover and refrain from the physical activities.

If the child or toddler doesn’t recover even after applying these remedies then contact a doctor without delay.

2. Sunburn

Usually, sunburn and suntan are used interchangeably, but both terms have a different meaning. Suntan is caused when the skin is exposed to sun and the melanin pigments are affected. On the other hand, sunburn is a serious disease that appears red and causes blisters as well as itching to the skin.

Babies are more susceptible to sunburns than older children. If the baby’s skin is exposed to the sun for a few minutes they can develop sunburn. If it is red in colour then the sunburn in babies is not serious. In case it is swollen and there is an appearance of blisters, or you see pus accumulation then it is a sign of infection. It needs to be treated on priority.

You can try following sunburn remedies for babies if it is mild in nature.

• Ice: Wrap an ice pack and apply it on the burn, but do not place the ice on the skin directly.
• Cool water: A cool water shower minimizes the pain and heat, but remembers the shower should not be very cold for the baby. The skin should not be scrubbed with oils, soaps, etc.
• Aloe Vera: It speeds healing and gives a cooling effect on the skin. It moisturizes the baby’s skin. You can directly apply the Aloe Vera from the plant or buy a readymade gel from a legitimate company.
• Baby lotion: Use a baby lotion that is 100 per cent organic and fragrance-free. The best baby lotion for summer is “nurture my body” which is rich in vitamin E and has a blend of Shea butter as well as jojoba oil. You can use it on infants who are less than 6 months.

3. Diarrhea

Diarrhea is amongst the most common health problems in summer which affects the infants. It makes the body lose too much water and minerals. It can cause dehydration. If diarrhea begins then the baby can be dehydrated in a day or two. It is very dangerous, especially for newborns.

So check the following symptoms of diarrhoea in babies to give them the appropriate treatment.

• Fussy or irritable mood
• Loose or watery stool and that too quite often
• Dry mouth

Babies can pick up germs like an infection, bacteria or virus. When babies come in contact with the unclean water or food and when they touch surfaces with germs and put their hand in mouth, they can catch an infection.

It will show these symptoms, but in case the baby is less than 6 months old and has diarrhea with symptoms like belly pain, vomiting, fever, blood in poop, etc. then you must call the doctor immediately.

As babies can catch these child health problems during summer, it is very important to keep them clean, understand if they have the food allergy and sensitivity to medicines.

They should not be given too much fruit juice as well. Some people say that sunburn cause diarrhea, but that is not true and in case the condition of the baby is not very severe then you can use the following home remedies for diarrhea in babies.

• Breastfeed the kid because it combats diarrhea. Only breast milk is best for babies who suffer from diarrhea
• Probiotics make diarrhea less severe. Probiotics can be broken and their powder can be put in the baby’s food. It is a healthy and natural bacterium which improves digestion.
• Babies who are old enough to eat should be given bland foods like cereals, bananas and boiled potatoes. Avoid peas, cow’s milk, lactose, too much sugar and fibre.

After trying these remedies if the problem still persists then contact the pediatrician.

4. Heat Stroke

Babies are vulnerable to heat stroke and your baby can get a stroke if he or she is outside for a long time in the hot weather. It may happen when the car is parked at the temperature may rise inside the car which will be quite higher than outside. Heat stroke can happen in minutes so never leave your baby in a parked car for you can put their life at risk.

You also need to learn about heat stroke symptoms in babies to keep them safe. Firstly, your baby may show only mild types of symptoms like heat exhaustion. You may notice that your child is unusually tired or thirsty. If the baby is old it may complain about stomach and leg pain. The other symptoms you can see in babies are:

• 103 degrees temperature and no sweating
• Restlessness, confusion, and Dizziness
• Red, dry and hot skin
• Fast pulse rate
• Shallow breathing
• Vomiting
• Lethargy, headache, and unconsciousness

You should also check signs of dehydration and do the following:

• When it comes to heat stroke treatment for babies, you must rush to the doctor immediately.
• Remove extra clothing and lower the internal temperature as fast as possible.
• Move the baby where it is shady and cool or where there is AC.
• Keep talking to the baby so the baby can be calm and don’t give anything to drink till someone from the hospital comes in contact.
• If it is heat exhaustion then please give the child something to drink. You can give water and breast milk as well.
• An ice cool water bath is good for heat exhaustion. If the child is developing heat stroke give them a cold water bath to lower the temperature of the body before you rush to the doctor.

5. Allergies

When the immune system of the baby doesn’t respond in an appropriate way to fight the irritants in the body it may result in allergy. As a parent, it is challenging to deal with the baby allergy. Allergy medications are not just harmful to adults but it can be really fatal for the babies as well.

Even if allergies in babies are severe this doesn’t mean that your child will suffer from them forever. Your baby’s skin is delicate and you must use proven home remedies for allergies in babies to treat the allergy effectively. Let’s check some of these remedies:

• For diaper rashes, you must change the diaper often and keep the baby’s skin moisturized. If you use cotton cloth diapers then mix half a cup of white vinegar in water and then soak the cotton diapers in this mixture. Dry the diapers and use it for keeping your baby’s skin smooth.
• You can also use coconut oil on the rash. It heals the baby’s skin quickly.
• If your baby has rough, dry and scaly skin then it means your baby is developing eczema. To cure this, increase the baby’s intake of omega 3 fatty acids. Also, make a paste of honey, nutmeg, and water. Apply this paste on the affected area to cure this problem.

6. Fungal Infections

Some most common fungal infections in babies are ringworm, yeast diaper rash, and Candidal infection. A red circle shape formation on your baby’s skin means its ringworm which is a result of fungal infection.

Following home remedies for fungal infection in babies can give your child proper relief.

• Take some raw apple cider vinegar and mix it with water. Then apply this on the ringworm with the help of a cotton ball. It will dry the fungus and not spread further. You can also take tea tree oil which will give a similar effect.
• If the child has the Candidal infection then the paediatrician will advise some antifungal creams or medicines. Candidal infection appears when the baby immune system is still immature. It may even appear in the baby’s mouth so it needs to be treated on priority.
• To treat yeast infection rash cut down on high sugar and Carbs from their diet.

7. Prickly Heat

Prickly heat is also known as heat rash is quite common in the summer season for babies. It affects children of all ages but is more common in babies. It appears like tiny bumps or blisters on the baby’s skin. The bumps may appear red especially on light skin. These are not painful but can be itchy.

Heat rash is also a sign that your baby is warm which can cause serious health issues like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Implement the following summer baby care tips for prickly heat and give your baby absolute comfort.

• The first and foremost treatment for prickly heat rash in a baby is to expose the baby’s skin to air. Either keep the baby naked or dress him/her in the light layer of clothes.
• Rinse the sweat and oil from the baby’s body. Move the baby in an air-conditioned room or keep the baby in a cool dry place.
• For treating the prickly heat rash in babies simply pluck an Aloe Vera plant leaf and slice the thorns. Then slit the leaf from between and take out the gel. Apply the sticky gel on the baby’s skin and do this often.

8. Eye Irritation

Babies can encounter some common problems of eye irritation during the summer season. Some of these problems are mentioned below along with the home remedy for eye irritation.

• A common problem is clogged tear ducts. It is quite common in babies and due to this, the tears do not overflow onto the baby’s cheeks. So, apply a warm compress to the inner corner of the eye. You can massage it in a gentle manner. If you notice crusting when your baby wakes up from sleep them remove it with a damp cotton ball. In case you see crusting and pus throughout the day then call the doctor immediately.

• If you notice crust or redness on the white part of the eye with draining pus then it can be an eye infection. It can be pinkeye or conjunctivitis which is a contagious bacterial infection. You must visit the doctor soon for this goes with the help of an ointment.

So, these are some of the common problems your baby may encounter during the summer season. Using these summer health tips for babies can relieve them from discomfort and keep them happy during the summer season.