Dietary Care for Febrile Children
Fever is one of the common symptoms in children, and many diseases can cause fever. It is a kind of defensive reaction when the body is sick. The dietary care of children during fever is very important.
For infants under half a year old, if they were breastfed originally, breastfeeding should be continued. Breast milk is easy to digest and can ensure the nutritional needs of children. It contains 87% water, which can supplement water. For formula-fed infants, diluted skimmed milk can be fed, that is, 2 or 3 parts of milk plus 1 part of water, with the intake amount equal to normal days. Although the actual amount of milk consumed by the infant may decrease, water is supplemented, which is more conducive to digestion and absorption. When babies have a fever, it's best to drink plain boiled water, and fresh fruit juice can be added appropriately to supplement the vitamin C needed by the human body. The amount of water should be enough to maintain normal urine output and keep the lips moist, and it is not necessary to drink too much.
For older children who have a fever, their diet should mainly consist of liquid and semi-liquid foods. Common liquid foods include milk, rice soup, mung bean soup, meat broth with less oil, and various fresh fruit juices. Drinking some mung bean soup in summer (with a little sugar) is not only refreshing but also beneficial for replenishing water. In cases of fever accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting but with mild symptoms, children can be given small amounts of homemade oral glucose-salt water (prepared in a ratio of 500 ml water or rice soup plus one flat spoon of sugar and half beer cap of salt). A child around one year old can consume 500 ml within four hours. Foods that help replenish electrolytes can also be eaten appropriately, such as fruits like oranges and bananas (rich in potassium and sodium), milk and soy milk (rich in calcium), and rice soup or noodles (rich in magnesium). For severe cases, food should be temporarily withheld to reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, and medical advice should be sought.
When a child’s temperature decreases and appetite improves, a semi-liquid diet can be changed to, such as lotus root powder, infant formula, porridge, egg custard, noodle soup, etc. The principle is to have a light, easily digestible diet, eating small meals frequently. There is no need to blindly restrict the diet to prevent malnutrition and decreased resistance. For children with coughing and excessive phlegm, since they cannot expel phlegm, they often swallow it into the stomach, and severe coughing can cause discomfort in the stomach. If too much food is consumed, vomiting is likely to occur. Therefore, parents must pay special attention and not let the child overeat. They should avoid seafood or overly salty, greasy dishes in winter to prevent allergies or stimulating the respiratory tract, thereby worsening the symptoms.
The following dietary therapies can help reduce fever in children:
Cane Juice Porridge: Wash fresh green sugarcane, then squeeze out 100 ml of juice. Cook 100 grams of glutinous rice into porridge, and serve 2-3 times daily.
Watermelon Juice: Take fresh watermelon, remove the seeds, take the pulp, and squeeze the juice. Drink it frequently instead of tea. If there are no other symptoms during fever, a small amount of cold drinks like frozen watermelon can be consumed to help reduce temperature and promote urination.
McDong Porridge: Boil 30 grams of McDong, take the juice. Add McDong juice and an appropriate amount of rock sugar to 100 grams of glutinous rice when it is half-cooked, and cook into medicinal porridge. Eat morning and evening.
Lotus Leaf Porridge: Boil one fresh lotus leaf washed clean into 500 ml of soup. Filter the lotus leaf water, add 100 grams of glutinous rice and an appropriate amount of white sugar to cook porridge. Eat morning and evening.
Finally, it is emphasized that for children with poor appetite due to fever, never force them to eat. Follow their natural hunger cues, and wait until they feel hungry before eating again. However, do not cut off water supply, and pay attention to replenishing fluids.
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