As temperatures cool and children spend more time indoors, families often see an increase in respiratory illnesses and other infections. Edilisa Ong, MD, pediatrician with UT Health East Texas Physicians, answers five common questions about helping children stay healthy throughout the fall and winter months.
What illnesses should parents be mindful of during fall and winter and what symptoms do they usually present?
The most common illnesses in children during fall and winter are the respiratory illnesses and these include influenza, RSV and COVID-19 infection among others. We are getting a lot of kids in clinic getting strep infection, ear infections and diarrheal diseases as well. For respiratory illnesses, children will typically present with persistent fevers, nasty cough, nasal congestion, sore throat and there may be accompanying gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.
What are the best ways to help prevent children from getting sick?
Simple good hygiene habits and behaviors can make a difference and prevent the spread of common illnesses. One important habit is teaching children how to do proper hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose. Another way is to teach them proper cough etiquette like covering coughs or sneezes, throwing away used tissues and turning away or distancing themselves from others. When kids are sick, they should not be sharing utensils with other family members and should stay home to prevent the spread of illness.
How important are vaccines during respiratory illness season?
Vaccination is absolutely critical. It is the most powerful shield against the most serious and life-threatening childhood diseases. If there is a gift that we can give to our kids to protect them from most infectious diseases, it is going to be through vaccinations. Parents should make sure their children are up to date with vaccinations, most importantly, the pneumococcal and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines. For fall and winter, I would greatly recommend the influenza vaccine, especially for kids who are high-risk for severe disease. These are children younger than 2 years old, those with chronic lung diseases like asthma, those with heart conditions and those who have a weak immune system or receiving chemotherapy. I would also recommend the RSV antibody shot for infants younger than 8 months if this is their first RSV season and for patients older than 8 months who are high-risk for severe disease. Having children vaccinated is also an act of shared protection. It’s not only the child who gets the protection, but people around them, including the elderly and immunocompromised individuals get protected as well.
Can nutrition, physical activity and sleep help support a child’s immune system?
I can’t emphasize this enough — children need a nutritious, well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. We should also encourage them to stay physically active by having a walk in the park with family during weekends or engaging in sports. Setting good sleep hygiene and limiting screen time use in the evening can improve the quality of sleep and help restore energy in the morning. Overall, targeting these three pillars of health helps strengthen the immune system of every individual and positively impacts their physical, emotional and mental well-being. If we teach our children healthy diet, exercise and sleep habits early on, they will carry those good routines into adulthood and live a healthy life.
When should parents call the pediatrician?
Parents should call and visit their pediatrician if there are worrisome symptoms such as persistent or high-grade fevers, worsening cough and nasal congestion, unusual sleepiness, refusal to eat or a decrease in urine output. Any child who has signs of troubled breathing like fast breathing, chest pulling, head bobbing, grunting or lips turning pale or blue should be seen in in the emergency room or urgent care right away.
Edilisa Ong, MD, practices at UT Health East Texas Physicians Fifth Street Pediatrics. To learn more or make an appointment, visit uthealtheasttexas.com or call 903-590-5000.