Local health organisations are encouraging parents and carers to get in the know about the best ways to prevent pesky bugs from making their little ones poorly this winter.
With coughs, colds and tummy bugs in infants and children on the rise at this time of the year, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) and Leicester Hospitals have teamed up to create new online winter wellness hubs on the Health For Under 5s and Health for Kids websites. The hubs have lots of articles and advice on how to avoid getting ill and when and where to go for help if kids do become unwell. What’s more, all the content has been put together by trusted NHS health professionals, including doctors and nurses and contains advice on how to find local support.
Dr Louise Ryan, GP clinical lead for children and young people for LLR ICB, said: “We know how worrying it is when your child gets ill. We want to help parents and carers to easily find the advice they need and feel confident about when to seek further medical help if it’s needed, especially as it can also be a really busy time of year in GP practices and hospitals.
“There are so many things you can do to reduce the likelihood of getting poorly; things like prioritising vaccinations, adopting healthy habits, and encouraging good hand hygiene all help.”
To view the children’s winter wellness hubs, go to: bit.ly/WinterHealth0-5 for advice for 0-5 year-olds and bit.ly/H4KWinter for advice for primary school aged children.
Top tips for children’s winter wellness
To help parents and carers get started, we have put together our top winter wellness tips:
- Make sure you have self-care essentials at home: We’d recommend: a thermometer, plasters, child-friendly paracetamol and ibuprofen, antiseptic cream, an ice-pack and antihistamines. Store medicines in a cool, dry, lockable cabinet, out of reach of children and always check the dates on medicines.
- Know where is best to get help: There are lots of places you can get help for illness and injury locally. For minor ailments you can treat at home, check out the advice on the winter wellness hubs or the NHS website. If you need more support for illnesses such as bad coughs and colds, earache and diarrhoea, you can speak to your local pharmacist. If your child is ill and symptoms don’t improve with home treatment – or you are worried, contact your GP. If you need advice from a health visitor or school nurse, The Healthy Together Helpline can be reached on 0300 300 3001. Calls are answered from 9am – 4.30pm on weekdays, excluding bank holidays. If you need help with an urgent medical problem, contact NHS 111. If there is an emergency go straight to A&E and call 999 if a life is in danger.
- Get their jabs: Ensuring your child is up to date with immunisations helps to protect them against illnesses such as measles, meningitis, whooping cough, RSV and flu. Vaccines can be given in specialist clinics, at GP practices or in school. The School Aged Immunisation Service is currently offering all children and young people in primary, secondary and special schools a free flu vaccine – details will be sent to parents and carers through your child’s school. For more information about local vaccination go to: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/vaccinations/ It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child have missed a vaccine, contact your GP to catch up.
- Keep hands clean and bin tissues: Regular handwashing and using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes helps to prevent the spread of germs. Make sure tissues are binned after use.
- Practice healthy lifestyle habits: Eating a balanced diet, taking part in regular exercise, and getting sufficient sleep are the best ways to keep all the family healthy.