Every parent wants their children to grow up fit and healthy. However, in their early years, they are more susceptible to illnesses because their immune systems are still developing. If you are a first-time parent, this can be terrifying, and you may worry about the wellbeing of your child. 

You shouldn’t need to panic about this, however. Illnesses and injury in babies and young children are natural. They are something you should expect. In particular, there are several illnesses and injuries that you can guarantee will occur as your child is growing up and developing. 

It can be scary and worrisome when your child suffers from a knock or sudden bug, but to make sure you can help them and support them to and guarantee they get back to perfect health, here is how you can be prepared to treat the most common childhood illnesses and injuries.

Sore Throat

A sore throat can happen no matter how old you are, but for kids, it can be especially painful. Thankfully, it’s not the end of the world for them, and you can diagnose it by looking at the throat for signs of an infection.

If it is an infection, often referred to as strep throat, then antibiotics are necessary. However, this rarely happens for babies and toddlers, so medicine should be enough and should heal them within a week to ten days. You can also consider soothing natural remedies such as honey and lemon to speed up the process. 

Ear Pain

From ear infections to swimmers’ ear to pressure following a cold or even a sinus infection, ear pain is another common problem for kids. Again, it’s useful to visit the doctor to get the proper diagnosis and have them prescribe the correct treatment. 

That being said, as viruses can be a primary cause of ear pain, antibiotics will not do the trick, and if your child has shown an allergy to penicillin, then it’s best to avoid it altogether. What you can do is monitor your child’s condition and check for fever while ensuring they stay away from what could be the cause of the problem until they feel better. 

UTI

Urinary tract infections are never pleasant, and while they are more common in girls, they can also affect boys. 

These illnesses cause a burning sensation when urinating. It can make your child feel like they need to go to the toilet constantly and also comes with continual discomfort. A doctor can take tests to determine the type of infection and prescribe the correct treatment, but you can also have your child drink cranberry juice and give them child-sized doses of paracetamol to help ease the pain. 

Common Cold

We all know there is no cure for the common cold, so bed rest and plenty of hydration (along with extra stocks of tissues on hand) is the best way to help your child get over this. Some children can experience the common cold as much as eight times per year, and it could be caused by allergies, exposure to bacteria, or caught from other kids in their class who are ill and not kept out of school. 

You don’t need to quarantine your child, per se, but you can make sure you disinfect the area with a disinfectant spray to mitigate and halt the spread of germs. With this, your child should overcome the cold by themselves, but if it is a sinus infection, then your pediatrician can prescribe the right treatment.  

Eczema 

Not all kids will experience eczema, but if they are sensitive to certain soaps or dry weather, then it could be an issue. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to treat eczema, including standard medical recommendations, but also colloidal oatmeal, which is a more natural solution and useful if you can’t get an appointment with the doctor quickly. 

If you’re wondering what is colloidal oatmeal, understand that it’s not something you should eat. Instead, rub it over the problem area or even have your child take a colloidal oatmeal bath to help ease and soothe the pain. 

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an infection of the lungs and can happen for a range of reasons, including second-hand smoke and pollution, but it is most commonly from the same types of viruses that might cause a cold or the flu. Depending on the severity, it doesn’t require antibiotics, and pain medication combined with natural remedies can help.

These natural remedies include drinking plenty of fluids and rest. While this will not solve the problem overnight, with enough care and combined with aspirin or ibuprofen, you can get your kid back to proper health. To prevent a recurrence, try to identify what caused the illness in the first place and do what you can to help them avoid such environments or situations. 

Conjunctivitis

This issue can happen in several ways. Conjunctivitis is an eye condition that occurs either through infection or even allergies. It can cause discomfort for your child. However, it will go away after a few weeks, even without treatment. 

Despite this, it’s not pleasant, so if you want to explore treatment options, consider using cotton wool soaked in warm water to clean away the crust that formulates around the eye. You should also encourage your child not to touch their eye, as this could end with the infection spreading. 

Scraped Knees and Elbows

Kids love to run around and climb, and they have no fear or worry about getting hurt. There’s not a lot you can do to prevent scraped knees and elbows, but you can make sure that they do not get an infection after the fact. 

After falling, clean the wounded area with warm water by wiping away any residual dirt. It’s also vital that you cover the wound with a plaster to prevent the scab from becoming dislodged when knocked against other surfaces. It’s natural for your child to want to itch and scratch at the wound, so covering it will also stop them from doing this. To prevent it from happening again, remind them to be careful when playing. 

Skin Infection

If your child does succumb to a skin infection, either through a scab or something else, then swabbing it can help determine the extent of the infection and also help you and your doctor determine the best course of antibiotics or medicine. 

Children with a history of MRSA could be at higher risk, and if they have had contact with someone else, either a friend or family member, this could be another cause of the problem, so make sure you are on the lookout for potential reasons. 

Cough

Everyone gets a cough at some point in their lives, and they usually go away within a couple of days, with most coughs disappearing after a week at most. 

They often don’t require antibiotics, and it could be a result of too much shouting, or a virus that has been going around school. Give them cough medicine to help soothe the area, but if they are younger than six years old, this is not recommended. If this is the case, talk with your doctor to see what you can do. 

Healthy Happy Children

Keeping your children healthy and happy will set them up well for the rest of their lives. However, you must also remember to let kids be kids. Accidents are bound to happen. So, rather than securing them in bubble wrap before you send them out to play, get them used to encountering small discomforts that helps boost their immune systems so that when they are older, and no longer in your care, they can overcome it maturely.