Somehow everyone seems to think that when you become a mother u become a know-it-all when it comes to children.I really wish that was the case i would not need paediatricians,teachers,nannies and the likes. I would just switch my character according to the situation.
It’s been a month since my daughter was discharged from Princeton Children’s Hospital after a terrible infection that I will choose not to disclose for reasons best known to me and my family. For the 4 days we spent in hospital and the days before we were admitted I felt I had come face to face with death as I watched my baby cry endlessly and keeping awake all night.
As a mother I decided many years ago before God assigned this platform to me, that I would share my parenting experiences not because am a professional at motherhood but so that we can learn from each other and be our best at it.
Jasmine’s infection made me realise a few things that i would wish for every parent out there to look into;
*Does your child have a personal paediatrician and if yes, what is your relationship with them? We seem to only give these people a call only when our little ones are ill and for some parents it goes as far as only when they are ‘very ill'(before then we try being a paed ourselves then go to clinics and if we are lucky and the situation comes down, baby is healed or so we think).
I have taken notice of the fact that Doctors will give a patient more care and time when they have a personal relationship with them outside emergency calls.
*Infections in children are common. They can contract infections both inside and outside the home. When a child gets an infection, the immune system usually works to fight it off. Some medicines or diseases can weaken the immune system (immunosupression).
When the immune system is weak, a child is more vulnerable to infection. They will also have a difficult time recovering. If your child is on a medicine that lowers her immune system, it is important to protect against infection as much as possible.
You may not be able to prevent your child from getting an infection. However, following these steps may reduce the risk:
Practice and promote good hand washing. Hand washing is especially important after:
using the toilet
changing diapers
handling garbage
using a cleaning cloth or soiled dishcloth
handling raw food (meat, eggs)
touching a pet
blowing or touching the nose
contact with other body fluids such as vomit or blood.
* Keep your child away from crowds. Try to avoid stores, markets, parties, etc.
Keep your child out of daycare and group play activities during the treatment period.
Avoid communal play areas such as play parks, sandboxes, and public swimming pools.
Limit sharing of household items such as toys, towels, drinking glasses, and eating utensils.
* All visitors should be screened for illness. They should not visit if they are sick or have recently been directly exposed to someone who is sick. In the event that this cannot be avoided, the sick family member should wash their hands thoroughly before coming in direct contact with your child.
If you must be in a public place, use a plastic cover on the stroller and choose times when there is less likely to be crowds. An older child may wear a mask.
All this may seem exaggerated and impossible to keep up but for the sake of your child or children not being the victim, trying to be safe should be that much of a solution.