Guidelines for nutritional care at home for children with measles

This is an automatically translated article.

Measles is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus and usually affects young children. Because the child's resistance is still weak, the nutritional care at home for children with measles is of great interest to many parents. The following article will guide parents on how to provide nutritional care at home for children with measles.

1. Who is at high risk for measles?

Unvaccinated children or people who have not been vaccinated against measles are at higher risk of infection when exposed to sources of infection Children with vitamin A deficiency or adults who do not get enough vitamin A in their daily meals row. This group is at greater risk of severe complications from measles than other groups People who travel frequently, especially to countries where measles is prevalent, and do not pay attention to preventive measures as well at risk of disease.

2. What should children with measles eat?

Measles increases the child's need for vitamin A, so vitamin A supplementation at both levels and in daily meals plays an important role in helping children recover from illness early. According to some studies, vitamin A supplementation for children has the ability to reduce the number of deaths caused by measles by 50%.
According to the "Guidance on diagnosis and treatment of measles" issued by the Ministry of Health in Decision No. 1327/QD-BYT, dated April 18, 2014, the Measles treatment regimen of the Ministry of Health specifies 3 groups. Children with measles need to take vitamin A supplements at the following dose:
Children from 0 to under 6 months old: Supplement orally 50,000 units/day. Drink for 2 days in a row. Children from 6 to 12 months old: Drink for 2 consecutive days, take 100,000 units/day Children over 12 months old and adults (except pregnant women): Take 200,000 units/day. Drink continuously for 2 days. In case children with measles show vitamin A deficiency: Repeat the above dose after 4 to 6 weeks. Supplement vitamin A from food sources in meals Vitamin A is abundant in foods of animal origin, especially in liver, meat, carp, fruit fish, basa, cottonfish, salmon, herring , eggs, milk. In addition, foods of plant origin such as yellow and red vegetables, dark green vegetables such as amaranth, water spinach, water spinach, collard greens, jute, spinach also contain Vitamin A is rich in vitamin A.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, so the child's diet needs to add enough cooking oil or fat to absorb and convert vitamin A to vitamin A.
Add zinc-rich foods to the meal. Children's diet Zinc helps develop and maintain the activity of the immune system, helps protect the body, and heals wounds quickly. When the body lacks zinc, the immune function is compromised, increasing the risk of bacterial infections, viral infections causing the possibility of malnutrition, decreased growth and development of children, even increased risk of death.
When children have measles, in their daily meals, they need to add zinc-containing foods such as shrimp, oysters, pork liver, cockles, eel, beef, soybeans, almonds, cashews, peanuts or beans Green sprouts because this food group is easily absorbed.
Children who are breastfeeding need to increase breastfeeding because zinc in breast milk is easier to absorb than cow's milk.
In addition to zinc supplements from food, children with measles should also supplement with 10mg of zinc/day for children under 6 months of age, and 20mg of zinc/day for children over 6 months of age, for a 14-day course of treatment. However, when supplementing with zinc for children, parents need to especially follow the doctor's instructions to provide the right amount of zinc for their children.
Fortify foods rich in vitamin C Vitamin C supplements help the body fight allergies, enhance immune function to help the body stay healthy and heal quickly. Vitamin C is found in many fruits such as oranges, mangoes, bananas, grapefruits, watermelons..., dark green vegetables. During the time the child is sick, parents should give the child 1-2 cups of juice from the above fruits to strengthen the immune system.
Besides, adding foods rich in protein and essential vitamins, parents should also pay attention to how to prepare food for their baby.
The baby's food should be divided into small pieces, the food should be cut into smaller pieces, softer and more liquid than usual when the baby is not sick. After cooking food, eat it right away to avoid losing a lot of nutrients, especially vitamin C. Cooking utensils, wash your hands before cooking and before feeding your baby

3. Do children with measles have anything to eat? What should parents pay attention to?

Measles is a contagious disease, so when a child is sick in the family, parents need to pay attention to how to care for the child at home as below to prevent spread and help the baby recover quickly.
When a child has measles, parents should isolate the child from a healthy, uninfected child or an uninfected adult to limit the spread of the disease. Take your baby to the doctor for timely treatment. In the family, everyone needs to maintain personal hygiene, keep the house and the surrounding environment clean and cool. Dress your child in clean, cool clothes Always wash your hands properly before and after caring for a baby to avoid cross-contamination to a healthy baby. When children have measles, especially children with high fever, vomiting or diarrhea, supplement children with fruit juices, oresol to rehydrate and electrolytes as directed by the doctor.

Parents should also not follow the concept of abstaining from bathing, abstaining from the wind, and keeping the child covered because this will make the disease worse. Parents need to consult a doctor on how to care for and bathe their baby daily with warm water to prevent illness. Do not give hot and spicy spices such as pepper, chili, cinnamon, onion, curry, fatty foods and absolutely do not give your baby strange foods or foods that have been allergic. Measles vaccination is a safe and effective measure to prevent measles, Vinmec International Hospital provides parents with measles vaccines for children with high efficiency, few side effects, ensuring health. baby's health before and after injection.
Vinmec International General Hospital is currently providing a Package Immunization Program with a variety of vaccines for different audiences, from infants, young children, adults, women before and during pregnant.
Particularly in December 2019, Vinmec will give you free newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine (immunization right after birth) for your baby when you sign up for a Package Immunization Package for children aged 0-1 or 0-2 year old .
To register for child vaccination, please contact directly to Vinmec Health System nationwide or book an appointment HERE.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.