Cold Prevention for Children

Schools are a breeding ground for germs. Every year millions of children become infected with the common cold simply because they attended school to get their education. Colds are easily spread through schools, because children are in close quarters and often lack the knowledge adults have about simple cold prevention techniques. Going over and practicing a few simple prevention techniques for the common cold will save you time off of work and possibly help you have a cold free year.

Hygiene
Teaching your children and reminding them of a few simple hygiene rules that they should follow is your number one line of cold defense. Teach them that they should wash their hands well and often. Instant hand sanitizer is a great idea for your child's backpack or desk. Tell your children to wash their hands when they have the opportunity, especially after touching items that are handled by multiple children. Teaching your children not to touch their face is also crucial to cold prevention. Also, teach your children to discard any used tissues immediately so they don't spread any germs they may have to their classmates. Of course you should always remind your children to cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough. However, because they are in a public environment they should never be taught to do so in their hand. Teaching them to turn and lean into their shoulder will ensure they are not spreading germs left on their hands from coughing or sneezing.

Lifestyle
Providing your children with an overall healthy lifestyle is an important part of cold prevention. Make sure your children are getting an adequate amount of uninterrupted sleep. Well rested individuals tend to get sick less than people who are sleep deprived. Children require far more sleep in a twenty four hour period than an adult. Keep in mind children below age nine should be getting at least ten hours of sleep per night, children ages ten through twelve require about nine hours and teens need between eight and nine hours of sleep. Nutrition is another important factor of a child's lifestyle. Providing a proper diet for your child benefit them with nutrients that may help boost their immune system. Things like yogurt, fruit, vegetables and grains are essential to your child's well being. Yogurt in particular has been known to help prevent colds and it also makes an excellent addition to any breakfast or lunch.

Supplement
Giving your child vitamins and minerals in beneficial in many ways. A good multi-vitamin is recommended by most physicians. There are also many other supplements that can be beneficial in preventing colds. Zinc is shows promise in both preventing colds and decreasing the longevity of colds. The benefit of using Vitamin C for cold prevention is often the topic of debate. However, considering that some research does support Vitamin C's benefits for cold prevention carefully adding it to your child's regiment can't hurt. Often people take more Vitamin C supplement than necessary, so be certain to consult a physician for adequate dosing. Other supplements believed to help in cold prevention are American Ginseng, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Beta Carotene and Astragalus. Of course none of these supplements are necessary, but may be beneficial in cold prevention if approved by your child's pediatrician.

Children can be affected by several colds in one year. Making changes to reduce the amount of colds your child gets each year is beneficial to both your child and your whole family. Having healthier children makes for a happier healthier home.