By Rodrigo Diaz Guerrero
Almost intuitively, we think that child health is well-addressed when boys and girls are kept healthy with a good and balanced diet and supervised for good sleep, safety, and enough exercise. In addition to these essential points, children must have regular medical checkups to monitor their development beyond the observable in their daily lives. A basic prevention rule is to take children to the doctor—especially those of school age—when significant weight loss or gain, problems sleeping, behavior changes, fever over 38.5°C (101.3°F), rashes or skin infections, frequent sore throats, or breathing problems occur.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), congenital malformations, influenza, pneumonia, and injuries are among the leading causes of death in children between 1 and 4 years of age; in contrast, the impact of diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition, and vaccine-preventable diseases decreased significantly between 2000 and 2015. PAHO observes that in the region of the Americas, infants and adolescents face a triple consequence of malnutrition: malnutrition as such, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight/obesity.
The most frequent conditions in infants are gastrointestinal diseases. Any person caring for a child from birth should learn and monitor the maintenance of the infant’s hygiene and feeding to avoid spreading diseases via microorganisms and bacteria. As with other infectious diseases, caretakers need to make great efforts in terms of health for the prevention of gastrointestinal infections. Constant research in recent decades reflects the significant role of intestinal pathogens in causing disease and, in serious cases, mortality worldwide, especially in countries where socio-sanitary conditions are not the best.
Many factors determine the prevalence of a healthy childhood, such as access to drinking water, hygiene levels, health systems compliant with having and applying the corresponding vaccines, and breastfeeding the child for at least the first two years, according to the mother’s age and the social influences on her. We all need to raise awareness, inform ourselves, integrate a preventive culture, and provide regular medical checkups to those who depend on us. These fundamental requirements will help us move toward a truly healthy society.
