7 ways to keep your baby healthy during winter.

Parents know that in winter, the weather becomes colder and more uncomfortable. This is the time when colds and flu are most common, especially among young children.

The online newspaper Gia Dinh Viet Nam would like to share some ways that parents should consider to keep their children healthy during the cold season.

1. Get vaccinated promptly.

The best way to prevent illness is to prevent it from the start. According to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, all children around 6 months of age should receive annual vaccinations. Parents should also ensure their children have regular health checkups to detect diseases as early as possible.

2. Wash your hands frequently.

Handwashing is a small act, but it has a huge impact. According to researchers in London, if everyone consciously washed their hands regularly, the world could prevent 1 million deaths each year. To make this habit fun for children, parents can teach them to sing "Happy Birthday" twice while washing their hands, and remember to always use soap.

3. Get enough sleep.

When your body is constantly sleep-deprived, your immune system can't function properly. The same applies to young children; most school-aged children need at least 10-11 hours of sleep per day, and younger children may need even more.

Ensuring your child gets enough sleep is one of the ways to keep them healthy throughout the winter.

4. Teach children how to clean themselves after sneezing.

Young children often sneeze indiscriminately into everything. This can spread germs to other children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents teach children proper sneezing techniques, such as using a tissue when sneezing or covering their mouths with their hands when coughing.

5. Eat a nutritious diet.

The best way to stay healthy is to have a balanced diet. Some foods can help boost immunity, but they are not a miracle cure. Health experts recommend that young children eat plenty of green vegetables, protein-rich foods, and drink plenty of water.

6. Isolate children who are sick.

When a child is sick, it's best to isolate them from other children. If your child is school-aged, they should rest at home and refrain from extracurricular activities until they are fully recovered.

7. Avoid overuse of medication.

When children get sick, the first thing mothers usually do is give them medicine. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP), children under 2 years old should not be given cold and flu medicine in doses exceeding those prescribed by a doctor, and cold and flu medicine is also not good for children under 6 years old.

The AAP also warns that misuse of antibiotics can cause extremely dangerous side effects. Most colds and flu are caused by viruses (not bacteria, as many people mistakenly believe).

Therefore, doctors usually won't prescribe medication for these illnesses. If your child is sick, the best course of action is to let them rest and drink plenty of fluids.

In addition, there are many similar ways to protect health during the cold season, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting plenty of rest, and especially eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Parents should remember that it's never too early to start teaching children to develop good habits.

According to Vietnamese Family