RWe all remember the categorical imperative of the summer of our childhood, a granite certainty for mothers, aunts, grandmothers: after eating, swimming is prohibited, for at least three hours. In reality, obviously, a lot depends on what you ate, but that’s not all. In fact, the theme is one of those eternally debated concerning summer and children. Together (for example!) with the age of the first bath, the behavior in the face of a jellyfish sting and the altitudes allowed in the mountains.
Summer and children, the handbook for peaceful holidays
It is dedicated to all these topics a useful handbook created by the experts of theBambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital to face the summer with serenity in the company of your children.
Bath after eating: how long to wait?
So, bathroom after eating, yes or no? And how long to wait? Depends. It is true that the digestion, experts explain, it requires an increase in the blood flow to the digestive system, and this blood is “subtracted” from other districts, in particular from the brain and from the extremities. The phenomenon can be accentuated if the body, exposed to the sun, is immersed in particularly cold water. Giving rise to cramps, general malaise, nausea, vomiting and syncope (loss of consciousness).
If “there are no certainties about how long to wait after eating to take a bath”, common sense and experience help. For a breakfast with milk and biscuits or for a lunch based on easily assimilable carbohydrates, such as a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, a wait of two hoursit will also suffice less than one for an ice cream, a snack or fruit. Otherwise they will be needed three hours for a more complete or high-fat meal.
First swim in the sea, at how many months?
First of all, it is not recommended to take children to the sea in the first six months of life. Their body struggles to maintain a constant body temperature, with less possibility of dispersing heat through sweat.
From six months, you can gradually take them to the beach until 10.30 or after 18.30. At that point, the infant can also enter the water: for a few minutes in the arms of mum or dad. Afterwards, a rinse with fresh water is mandatory to remove the salt from the skin. Also to be considered more likely to contract skin infections (impetigo) from contact with sand or polluted water.
Summer Free hours (with common sense) after 2 years of life.
What altitudes can you reach in the mountains?
Summer and children in the mountains? The recommended altitudes to be preferred for those who live in the plains or at low altitudes are: 3 months-12 months up to 2000 metres; 2-5 years up to 2500 meters; older than 5 years even over 2500 meters. In any case, the use of fast gondola lifts in the first 2-3 years of life is not recommended.
Up to 3 months of age there is still pulmonary immaturity: there are no total contraindications but the opportunity should be evaluated with the pediatrician.
Jellyfish stings: no to ammonia, yes to hot sand
Jellyfish sting? Experts recommend scratching the areas of skin that have come into contact with a plastic card to prevent the toxin from penetrating and entering the bloodstream. Apply, without rubbing, hot sand as the toxin is thermolabile. Clean the part with salt water. Apply 5% aluminum chloride gel. Do not use ammonia. Consult your doctor in case of more serious reactions.
Very painful, the sting of the spine of the weever (a fish that lives in the sandy bottom of the sea) is accompanied by the release of a toxin. In addition to pain, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, nausea, difficulty moving the affected limb may occur. Since the toxin inoculated by the weever is thermolabile, it is advisable to immerse the foot in hot water to deactivate it. In the most serious or complicated cases, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and antihistamines.
Mosquitoes, pay attention to the natural active ingredient
Mosquito: a 5% aluminum chloride gel can be applied, which has an action on both itching and swelling. Ice packs have the same action, to be kept on the tip for a few minutes. Use gods repellents in a limited way, always avoiding applying them on the hands because the child could ingest the product by bringing his hands to his mouth. In any case, it is good to prefer repellents based on plant extracts and free of chemicals.
Products based on are fine eucalyptus And geraniolwhile those based on citronella, geranium, lavender, bergamot are not “registered products” and do not guarantee adequate efficacy.
Infections, summer and children: impetigo
Common in children under the age of 10, impetigo is a bacterial skin infection, most commonly observed during the summer season. It manifests itself with vesicles or bubbles containing serum which, once broken, give rise to scabs. It does not indicate poor hygiene or, necessarily, serious immune defects. Among the factors, humidity, inflammation, alterations of the normal skin flora, alterations of the general state. The thing is, it’s very contagious, and it’s spread by self-injection with fingers or towels. For this reason, treatment must be immediate, adequate and prolonged to contain the spread of the disease in the community (siblings, peers…) and to prevent possible complications. It consists mainly in the use of a local therapy based on disinfectant and antibiotic And bandage of injuries.
Motion sickness, between common sense and drugs
Motion sickness, aka car (or sea or train) sickness, is one hypersensitivity of the balance center (labyrinth), located in the inner ear which, in predisposed children, stresses the autonomic nervous system more than necessary.
The flow of the lateral landscape is enough to provoke contradictory stimuli, with respect to the body which is stationary, giving rise to the typical symptoms. What to do? It can be useful to leave early when the child still has sleep. TOdoct a quiet drive without strong accelerations or decelerations especially when cornering. Avoid strong smells (gasoline, perfume, stale air, etc.). Make him do one small snack before the trip, or frequent, with crackers or bread sticks, if the journey is long. No at drinks carbonated, only water or tea in small sips. No books or video games: he should be invited to distract himself but looking ahead. Better to stop every 2-3 hours and, safely, take a few steps.
Children’s summer with anti-nausea bracelets
On the advice of the pediatrician, there are specific drugs such as dimenhydrinate. It should be administered half an hour before departure in the form of soft capsules, and repeated after 4-6 hours in the case of long journeys, or as chewing gum to be used when the first symptoms appear.
An “unconventional” therapy is represented by the use of special ones bracelets. The mechanism of action, based on the compression of the P6 point of Chinese medicine, is not fully known. Since they do not present any side effects, anti-nausea bracelets can also be considered for younger children.
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