By Rekha Menon,
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation. Courtesy – Wikipedia
In simple words it’s the lovely time of the year when it rains and everything turns lush green. It is a cool relief after the hot summer. It also brings some not so lovely things like humid weather, flooded roads, traffic blocks, mosquitoes, and a host of health problems.
Common ailments that can hit your baby or toddler are cough, cold, nose block, viral fever, stomach flu or diarrhea, fungal infections. Here are a few precautionary tips to help you tackle them.
- Keep your hands clean while you touch your child and encourage your child to wash up before and after he eats. If your child is older, make it a practice to wash hands and feet after play. Ensure his nails are always trimmed and clean. The best option while out of home is using a hand sanitizer which is easily available in medical stores.
Bonus tip: Add a few drops of neem oil/leaves to the bath - Dress your child in loose cotton clothes, full pants and full sleeves preferably to keep the mosquito bites away. If it is cold in the evening, wrap your child in a jacket or cardigan.
- Avoid damp clothes/ socks that may lead to infections. Warm clothes stuffed in the cupboard can be air dried and kept ready for use before the rainy season.
Bonus tips: Iron your child’s clothes before he wears them to remove any moisture. - Use an anti-fungal powder before putting on his clothes or diaper. (Abzorb dusting powder has worked well for me)
- Use boiled and cooled water or filtered water for drinking. Wash the milk bottles and sippers in warm water. Clear any stagnant water in and around your home to prevent breeding of mosquitoes.
Bonus tip: You can add few cumin seeds to the boiled drinking water to rehydrate the body apart from other medicinal properties of cumin. - Keep your child indoors during the first rain as it can be acidic and could cause skin problems.
Bonus tip: You can lure your toddler to sit indoors and watch the rain by sipping some hot chocolate milk and his favorite snack maybe some chicken nuggets ;) - Here is a simple and quick drink for a one+ year old/ new mom/ soon-to-be mom—
Boil a cup of milk with a cardamom, small piece of crushed ginger, 2strands of saffron and 1tsp sugar. Enjoy ! - Last but not the least keep your first aid kit always handy and stocked up with the medicines needed for common cold and cough (which is difficult to avoid).
And all you mommies out there don’t get so busy attending to your baby that you neglect yourself, especially breastfeeding mums…You need to take extra care.
So take all the precautions for yourself as well because Healthy Mothers make Healthy Babies!
Now that we are geared up for the showers let’s just enjoy them!
