Cold and Flu: How to Keep Kids Healthy
Expert advice on the key steps parents can take to help children avoid a bug this winter.
By Treena Hein
Every year, as temperatures start to drop, children move inside for playtime. While kids are having fun at community centres, pools, play centres and other indoor locations, they’re spending more time in close contact, making it easier for cold and flu to spread. Add the combination of dry winter air and an uptick in seasonal viruses, and there are plenty of opportunities for germs to take hold.
The good news is, if we follow direction from health experts, we can significantly cut the risk of our kids coming down with a bug and protect our households all winter long.
How to prevent sickness: the basics
Adequate sleep, a healthy diet and regular physical activity are among the top health tips for winter, along with drinking plenty of water to help keep mucous membranes moist. These act as a barrier by trapping viruses and bacteria, but when they dry out they provide inadequate protection. Cold air naturally holds less moisture, and dry, heated air further saps it. Keeping nasal passages hydrated can help prevent viruses from taking hold, so consider a humidifier for your child’s bedroom. “As we spend more time inside, good ventilation and cleaner indoor air can also reduce the spread of respiratory viruses,” adds Dr. Sonal Talwar, a family physician with Maple virtual health care, a 24/7 online health-care platform.
To keep kids healthy during cold and flu season, train them to wash their hands often and vigorously, for at least 20 seconds. A little trick to get them scrubbing long enough: have them sing a song. It can be their ABCs, “Happy Birthday” or the chorus to their favourite tune. Also teach them that they should only touch their faces with clean hands.
Winter weather and heating can dry out the air, but a humidifier helps restore moisture to keep air more comfortable. | PHOTO: ZULFISKA/ADOBE STOCK
“As we spend more time inside, good ventilation and cleaner indoor air can also reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.”
Does hand sanitizer work to clean hands?
Sometimes, when you’re on the go, hand sanitizer is the only option. But does it actually make a difference? Yes, says Dr. Talwar. “When soap and water aren’t available, I recommend an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, and making sure children use enough to cover every surface of their hands,” she says.
Kids are more likely to adopt good hand hygiene if they understand why it’s so important. Teach them that germs stay on surfaces such as doors, remote controls and chairs, and so especially when we return home and right before we eat, we want to wash bugs away. Getting children into the habit of thinking about where germs might be hiding — and teaching how to clean those surfaces — can help establish good hygiene habits that stick with them as they grow. Make it fun by letting them choose a colourful hand sanitizer keychain to clip onto their school bag, or give them a wipe to clean their bag after the bus ride home. Involving kids in these small steps can help make good hygiene second nature. And parents, remember to regularly clean tablets, light switches and other surfaces.
Learning to avoid germs should also help motivate kids to keep items such as water bottles to themselves.
Washing hands is key to stopping germs; hand sanitizer with a high alcohol content is also a good line of defence when you’re on the go. | PHOTO: MONKEY BUSINESS/ADOBE STOCK
“When soap and water aren’t available, I recommend an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, and making sure children use enough to cover every surface of their hands.”
The benefits of healthy eating for kids
It’s now well established that vitamin D is critical to strong immune systems in children and adults. Discuss this vitamin — and how to boost absorption — with a doctor or nurse practitioner. While Dr. Talwar says vitamin C is probably the one parents ask her about most, the evidence doesn’t show that it prevents infection. “A balanced diet that meets your child’s nutritional needs matters more than routine multivitamins or immune boosters,” she says. “There are a lot of products marketed as ‘immune boosters,’ but more isn’t necessarily better.”
A balanced diet includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods. While vitamin C may not prevent a cold, it plays an important role in immune system support and is an essential daily nutrient. Strawberries, oranges and bell peppers are rich sources of vitamin C that are easy to incorporate into a child’s diet. Salmon and eggs provide vitamin D; yogurt, broccoli and almonds offer calcium; whole grains, eggs and fish are good sources of B vitamins. If you are still interested in a multivitamin to support your child’s daily diet, you can add one — but check with a health-care practitioner first, especially if your child is already taking other supplements such as vitamin D.
Making sure children get enough sleep is a good way to boost their immune systems. | PHOTO: SEVENTYFOURIMAGES/ENVATO
“A balanced diet that meets your child’s nutritional needs matters more than routine multivitamins or immune boosters.”
Maple virtual health care when you need it
If cold symptoms, flu symptoms or another illness should arise, use your CAA Membership to access Maple. This on-demand benefit is a 24/7 virtual health-care solution that connects you with a nurse practitioner at a time when you need medical advice but can’t easily access your usual provider. It enables parents to receive guidance on managing symptoms from the comfort of home. CAA
If your child feels unwell and you want some advice on symptoms and care, use your health benefits from Maple — included in your membership — to have a virtual visit with a nurse practitioner. | PHOTO: ND3000/ENVATO
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Every year, as temperatures start to drop, children move inside for playtime. While kids are having fun at community centres, pools, play centres and other indoor locations, they’re spending more time in close contact, making it easier for cold and flu to spread. Add the combination of dry winter air and an uptick in seasonal viruses, and there are plenty of opportunities for germs to take hold.
The good news is, if we follow direction from health experts, we can significantly cut the risk of our kids coming down with a bug and protect our households all winter long.
How to prevent sickness: the basics
Adequate sleep, a healthy diet and regular physical activity are among the top health tips for winter, along with drinking plenty of water to help keep mucous membranes moist. These act as a barrier by trapping viruses and bacteria, but when they dry out they provide inadequate protection. Cold air naturally holds less moisture, and dry, heated air further saps it. Keeping nasal passages hydrated can help prevent viruses from taking hold, so consider a humidifier for your child’s bedroom. “As we spend more time inside, good ventilation and cleaner indoor air can also reduce the spread of respiratory viruses,” adds Dr. Sonal Talwar, a family physician with Maple virtual health care, a 24/7 online health-care platform.
To keep kids healthy during cold and flu season, train them to wash their hands often and vigorously, for at least 20 seconds. A little trick to get them scrubbing long enough: have them sing a song. It can be their ABCs, “Happy Birthday” or the chorus to their favourite tune. Also teach them that they should only touch their faces with clean hands.
Does hand sanitizer work to clean hands?
Sometimes, when you’re on the go, hand sanitizer is the only option. But does it actually make a difference? Yes, says Dr. Talwar. “When soap and water aren’t available, I recommend an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, and making sure children use enough to cover every surface of their hands,” she says.
Kids are more likely to adopt good hand hygiene if they understand why it’s so important. Teach them that germs stay on surfaces such as doors, remote controls and chairs, and so especially when we return home and right before we eat, we want to wash bugs away. Getting children into the habit of thinking about where germs might be hiding — and teaching how to clean those surfaces — can help establish good hygiene habits that stick with them as they grow. Make it fun by letting them choose a colourful hand sanitizer keychain to clip onto their school bag, or give them a wipe to clean their bag after the bus ride home. Involving kids in these small steps can help make good hygiene second nature. And parents, remember to regularly clean tablets, light switches and other surfaces.
Learning to avoid germs should also help motivate kids to keep items such as water bottles to themselves.
The benefits of healthy eating for kids
It’s now well established that vitamin D is critical to strong immune systems in children and adults. Discuss this vitamin — and how to boost absorption — with your doctor. While Dr. Talwar says vitamin C is probably the one parents ask her about most, the evidence doesn’t show that it prevents infection. “A balanced diet that meets your child’s nutritional needs matters more than routine multivitamins or immune boosters,” she says. “There are a lot of products marketed as ‘immune boosters,’ but more isn’t necessarily better.”
A balanced diet includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods. While vitamin C may not prevent a cold, it plays an important role in immune system support and is an essential daily nutrient. Strawberries, oranges and bell peppers are rich sources of vitamin C that are easy to incorporate into a child’s diet. Salmon and eggs provide vitamin D; yogurt, broccoli and almonds offer calcium; whole grains, eggs and fish are good sources of B vitamins. If you are still interested in a multivitamin to support your child’s daily diet, you can add one — but check with a health-care practitioner first, especially if your child is already taking other supplements such as vitamin D.
Maple virtual health care when you need it
If cold symptoms, flu symptoms or another illness should arise, use your CAA Membership to access Maple. This on-demand benefit is a 24/7 virtual health-care solution that connects you with a nurse practitioner at a time when you need medical advice but can’t easily access your usual provider. It enables parents to receive guidance on managing symptoms from the comfort of home. CAA