Your Lil' rockstar is sick, the doctor has given medicines but you are clueless about what to feed him/her & how to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition?
Let's get the little munchkin well really soon.
We will divide this article into subheadings, according to your child's age. Feel free go scroll down to your child's age category and read on.
Don't worry, all the advices are given by our expert doctors and are in accordance with government guidelines too.
Upto 6 months of age
Upto 6 months of age, the child should always be given breast milk.
No matter how good the formula feed advertisements look or how magical the secret special recipes by the relatives seem, they are not good for your child.
Even water should not be given before 6 months.
This is important as breast milk provides many advantages over any other feed such as providing immunity for prevention of infection and adequate nutrition without any nasty additives.
Now, your child is sick and you are worried about what to feed him/her?
6 months to 1 year of age
Breast feed as much as you can/ the baby comfortably consumes. Increase the duration and frequency of breast feeding.
Give atleast 1 katori at a time of any 1 of these:
Mashed roti (flat bread made at home) /rice mixed in sweetened undiluted milk.
Mashed roti /rice /homemade bread mixed in dal with added ghee/good quality oil or khichri (Indian recipe of rice & lentils cooked together) with added oil/ghee.
Seviyan (i.e Vermicelli, also known as Shemai (Bengali) or Semiya (Tamil)) /Dalia /Halwa (Thick indian pudding) /kheer (Rice pudding) prepared in milk or any cereal porridge cooked in milk.
Mashed boiled /fried potatoes with good quality oil/ghee.
Banana/biscuits/ Cheeku (Also called Sapodilla or sapota) / mango/ papaya.
If it was upto me, I'd go low on the amount of oil/ghee, processed food like biscuits/bread, store bought vermicelli (seviyan).
Give the above meal 3 times a day along with breastfeed, and if your child doesn't breastfeed, give the meal atleast 5 times a day.
Don't forget to wash your child's hands too along with your own hands with soap and water before every meal (for at least 50-60 seconds) and try to feed with your own hands to prevent infection.
1 year-2 years of age
Breast feed as much as you can. Increase the duration and frequency of breast feeding
Give atleast 1 and half katori at a time of any 1 of these (5 times a day):
Mashed roti /rice /bread (homemade) mixed in sweetened undiluted milk.
Mashed roti /rice /bread (home made) mixed in thick dal with added ghee/oil or khichri with added oil/ghee, try to add cooked vegetables too if you can and the child is willing to eat
Sevian (Vermicelli) /dalia /halwa /kheer prepared in milk or any cereal porridge cooked in milk
Mashed boiled /fried potatoes
Banana/biscuit/ cheeku(Sapodilla or sapota) / mango/ papaya
Help the child to finish their food and ensure that they wash their hands properly before every meal. (Go low on processed food and oil as much as you can).
Older than 2 years of age
We understand when sick, nobody likes eating and specially your children, but it is very important for them to eat and their healing depends on it too as much as other factors.
Ensure the child eats 3 meals a day properly and washes their hands properly.
Cook your child's favorite veggies or stuffed parathas (Indian flat bread stuffed with goodness of veggies) or any dishes they like. Obviously don't order them a pizza, but homemade food that they love. The lower the oil and spice content, the better, they can eat their favorite dishes. We know it doesn't seem right to cook normal food while the child is sick but we promise khichdi is not mandatory in sickness and they can eat their favorite dishes too.
Khichdi is just easily digested, yes. But children don't end up eating Khichdi so might as well cook them something they will.
Also, offer fruits like banana, cheeku, papaya as snacks.
Children with loose motions (Diarrhea)
Ideally, unless they feel pain or twisting sensation in their tummies, diarrhea should not be treated with medicines.
Why? Because majority of diarhhea is viral (Viruses causing it). A quick course of antibiotics (which act against bacteria) is extra in such case!
If your child still breastfeeds, continue breast feeding them, for longer and more frequently, even at night.
If your child drinks other milks, try switching the milk out with curd or yoghurt. It has good bacteria and is easier to digest than milk.
Give your child extra fluids but in moderation - yoghurt drink (made at home), neembu paani, dal water (water strained out of cooked lentil), vegetable soup, tender green coconut water or plain clean water, and start giving them ORS.
Rules of preparing ORS:
Always use a clean container and use pure drinking water. If you are unsure about the water, then boil it (for at least 20minutes) and let it cool before using it.
Always empty 1 entire packet of ORS in 1 liter of water and then pour into glasses just before drinking. Don't just take some water and add random amount of ORS and drink. Always 1 pack into 1 liter water.
Drink ORS within 24 hours of making it. Don't drink the ORS that you mixed in water more than 24 hours ago, throw it away.
Give small sips from a cup, don't force the child to drink at once.
Even if the child vomits, wait 10 mins and restart giving them ORS
If the child gets slow and lethargic, has sunken eyes or can't drink properly or refuses to drink, you need to get them to a hospital ASAP, they may be having severe dehydration.
Next when your lovely child ever falls sick, we hope they don't but if they do, we hope you don't feel clueless and know exactly how to keep them well fed and hydrated, this will ensure they get back to bothering you with their mischiefs real soon.
Comments