Fighting Common Childhood Illnesses
Using Dietary Supplements to Promote a Healthy Immune System
May 9, 2009
Several of the most common illnesses of childhood cause skin eruptions and are known as exanthems. The childhood exanthems include rubella (German measles), chicken pox, erythema infectiosum (fifth disease), roseola infantum, and viral infections, as well as scarlet fever, a bacterial infection. Every one of these infections affect the respiratory system and are highly contagious.
“Children usually recover fully even without treatment; however, all of these conditions carry the possibility of severe complications, such as pneumonia, heart and kidney damage, and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain),”says a 1993 American Academy of Pediatrics ,Committee on Infectious Diseases article entitled “Vitamin A treatment of Measles. “
Symptoms of Childhood Illnesses
Children with a childhood disease may have symptoms including muscle aches, fatigue, fever, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, and vomiting. An itchy skin rash with red bumps that may look like blisters may also be present.
Over-the-counter drugs treat symptoms associated with childhood diseases, such as pain and fever. The safest drug for this purpose is acetaminophen (Tylenol). Children with a fever who are under the age of 19 are no longer given aspirin-containing products. Using aspirin-containing products for children under the age of 19 has been linked to an increased risk of Reye’s syndrome, a potentially serious illness that can affect the liver and brain (American Academy of Pediatrics).
Prescription antiviral medicines may be prescribed. Also, antibiotics may be prescribed for some children in order to prevent or treat a bacterial infection.
Dietary Supplements that Promote a Healthy Immune System
Children who suffer from malnutrition have weakened immune systems and are more likely to acquire exanthemous infections and to experience more severe illness from them. Malnutrition contributes to half of all childhood deaths from infectious diseases worldwide (American Academy of Pediatrics).
Measles, a childhood viral infection, is more likely to result in permanent blindness and is more likely to be fatal in poorly nourished children. Measles vaccinations are also less effective in children who are malnourished.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, vitamin A supplementation can reduce death from measles respiratory infection by 70%. Therefore, supplementation with vitamin A is recommended for children between the ages of six months and two years who are hospitalized with measles and its complications. A single administration of 100,000 IU for children aged 6 to 12 months and 200,000 IU for children older than 1 year, followed by a second administration 24 hours later and a third after four weeks in children who are likely to have vitamin A deficiency is recommended.
Selenium is a mineral known to have antioxidant properties and to be involved in healthy immune system activity. Recent animal and human research suggests that selenium deficiency increases the risk of viral infection and that supplementation prevents viral infection( American Academy of Pediatrics).
Zinc is a mineral antioxidant nutrient that the immune system requires. Zinc deficiency results in lowered immune defenses, and zinc supplementation increases immune activity in people with certain illnesses.
Healthy immune function requires adequate amounts of vitamin E. According to tehe American Academy of Pediatrics, supplementation with vitamin E during viral infections has been shown to increase immune cell activity and reduce virus activity in mice.
Children with an exanthem are commonly advised by their family physician to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Limiting contact with other children to prevent transmission of the disease is also advised.
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