Health and Hygiene
Background
Play is an important factor in the child development. When a child is playing with member of the family, household utensils and toys, they hold the toy or the object in their hand, put it in their mouth, crawl, walk and run. During this time, if there are unhygienic conditions in the house and in the vicinity, the child may frequently fall sick. It is therefore important that parents should always wash hands before feeding child or changing their clothes. Keep the house and its surroundings clean. The child’s clothes and toys should be cleaned regularly. It is also important to vaccinate the child according to the vaccination schedule to prevent any diseases. Always try to keep the child happy and smiling. If the child falls ill, instead of treating him/ her at home, he/ she should be treated by consulting a specialist as soon as possible.
Very Important
Exclusive Breastfeeding
The child should be exclusively breastfeed for initial six months. Breast milk contains components that help the baby fight infection.
Do not bottle- feed the child
It is common for babies who are bottle fed to get diarrhea, fever and other such illnesses. This is because after washing with water, there is still some milk left in the creases between the bottle and nipple, where the germs are exposed to the milk.
Vaccination
Children should be vaccinated against common diseases.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is very important to protect children from eye diseases. It also protects them against other infections.
Clean, fresh and hot meals
Children should always be given fresh and hot meals. Cooked food should be served to the child only on a plate washed with clean water. One must avoid stale food.
Pure drinking water
Drinking water should be clean and pure. The main cause of contamination of water in our surroundings is open defecation. And so, one must drink water or give it to the child only after making sure that the water is pure.
Wash hands thoroughly
The easiest and most effective way to protect children from infection is to wash their hands clean. After defecation, before making a meal, or before feeding the child, it is necessary to wash hands thoroughly clean with water.
Please Remember...
When to wash hands...
Vaccination
- A pregnant woman should complete all the vaccinations on time.
- After the baby is born, the baby should be fully vaccinated on time to protect him/ her from various infectious diseases and to keep him/ her healthy. Refer to the vaccination table given below for more information:
