Keep your children healthy; Good Health Lesson 8

KEEP YOUR CHILDREN HEALTHY; GOOD HEALTH LESSON 8

Make sure your child gets enough good, nourishing food. A healthy diet protects the body against many infections. A well-nourished child will fight off infections that can kill a child who has been poorly fed and cared for.

Teach your children to follow simple rules of cleanliness, and explain why they are important.

Bathe children, change their clothes and cut their nails as often as needed. Be sure not to cut their fingernails and toenails too short. If your child has diabetes, get your Clinic Nurse to show you how to carefully cut the nails so that you don't damage the skin of your child. If a child has diabetes and you cut into the flesh of the child's fingers or toes, you can cause serious health problems. Germs and worm eggs often lodge beneath long fingernails, so it makes good health sense to keep them short and clean underneath.

Treat children who have infectious diseases as soon as possible, so that infection will not be spread to others.
Children with infectious diseases like measles, colds or whooping cough should sleep in separate rooms, and should not be allowed near babies or small children. Sick children or those with itchy skin, lice or sores should always sleep apart from those who are well until their infection is cleared. Otherwise the infection can rapidly spread from person to person.

Protect children from tuberculosis. Any family member with long-term coughing or other signs of tuberculosis should attend the clinic and get a diagnosis and treatment. If they cough, they should cover their mouths. They should never sleep in the same room as children. Special medication can help treat the tuberculosis sufferer - speak to your Doctor or Nurse about this. Ensure your milk is pasteurised.