5 Common Mistakes when Dealing with Childhood Illnesses

When children are sick most mothers tend to get worried, this is turn leads to making frequent mistakes. We should never improvize when it comes to dealing with childhood illnesses. It’s always best to get help from a specialist.

Although certain cuts and aches are perfectly treatable at home, keep in mind that performing treatment at home increases the probability of making mistakes.

Sometimes the medical solutions we apply at home are influenced by what other mothers say. At times we take into account what the paediatrician previously prescribed for a similar ailment.

Grandmothers also give us advice based on their own experience and other times we simply deduce that the problem can be solved a certain way. We use all of these sources when we self-medicate our children.

One of the main mistakes that we make when our children get sick is not consulting a doctor. There are somethings that can be resolved with a little bit of first aid. However, we can also make mistakes when it comes to childhood illnesses.

Frequent mistakes made with childhood illnesses

Anyone can make a mistake. It is important to fix it and try to prevent it from reoccurring. Below we explain the most common mistakes made by parents when dealing with their sick children.

Self-medication

We sometimes anticipate the possible treatment of a disease according to the symptoms they present. We know that bacterial infections are usually treated with antibiotics. When faced with possible bacterial infections we usually go to our pharmacy and look for the medication that our paediatrician previously prescribed.

It is risky to self-medicate, especially when it comes to antibiotics. The misuse of antibiotics can cause resistance. If bacteria forms certain resistance to a medication, that medication will no longer be effective.

Self-medication is also risky because we are guessing the cause of the disease. This makes failure in treatment more likely. Mistakes can also be made when choosing the right doses. Calculating doses wrongly can cause major health problems.

Specialists believe that using vaccines as treatment at home is wrong. Sometimes after vaccination, children may present fever or other adverse reactions. When faced with these situations parents often make the mistake of medicating these children at home. This is considered incorrect by the majority of paediatricians.

Combining medications

The risk when it comes to combining medications is due to the intoxications and dosage alterations that can occur. The mixture of two or more medications can cause different reactions. There is also a risk of intoxication by overdose. This is because prescriptions are precise depending on the age and weight of a child.

Paediatricians indicate combining certain medications but this decision is made using experience and expertise. Although we may believe some medications to be inoffensive, it is best to prevent risks.

Treating all illnesses the same way

When faced with a child that is feeling bad we often asume they have a cold. We end up giving them any cold medication we find in the pharmacy.

Remember, a cough is not always just a cough. It is important to be attentive to all the symptoms a child may present. Especially when you don’t see any response to your improvized treatment.

Making use of homemade remedies

Not all homemade remedies are safe. Especially when it comes to using them in children. A lot of them are slow to work and some do not work at all. If you don’t know exactly what ailment the child presents, do not give remedies of any kind.

Some remedies that are effective can alter the normal evolution of a disease if it is not compatible. Remedies can also cause the worsening of symptoms if not prepared or administered correctly.

Taking them to school

When dealing with childhood illnesses, it is best to stabilize the child before taking them back to school. A child that presents a fever, even though it is only a few degrees above normal temperature, should not go to school.

A fever is usually caused by something inside of their organism. When the exact cause of the fever is still not known, do not risk them getting worse outside of the house.

At times the temperature outdoors or lack of rest can make their condition worse. It is best to wait until they feel better, while being in close contact with their paediatrician and teachers.