5 Tips To Care For Your Kids This Fall
Heed this advice from a Bergen pediatrician to keep your kiddos healthy as the leaves (and the weather) change.
Between flu season, temperature drops and an uptick in COVID cases across the U.S., not to mention going back to school, your kid getting sick seems pretty inevitable. Though some factors are out of your control, there are ways to shield them from sickness and keep them in tip-top shape. And no, you don’t have to keep them locked up at home all month long to avoid the germs that run rampant this time of year.
“Going to these activities helps get kids into a good routine for the year, helps with social development, strengthens their immune systems and generally leads to improvement in mood,” says Christopher Nicpon, M.D., a pediatrician at Valley Pediatrics in Ho-Ho-Kus and Ramsey.
In honor of National Child Health Day, which falls on the first Monday of October each year, BERGEN asked Dr. Nicpon to share his tips on how to keep your son or daughter healthy through the rest of 2023:
Stay up-to-date on vaccines. You hear this year after year, and that’s because making sure your child is up to date with their shots is imperative to their overall good health—and a requirement to go back to school. When you schedule their annual or end-of-year checkup, make sure you request a COVID booster and a flu shot for your little one too—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the COVID booster for everyone 6 months of age and older. Also, notes Dr. Nicpon, “There’s a new COVID vaccine formulation and a new RSV vaccine for babies and pregnant mothers, so now is a great time to ask your doctor what he or she thinks is the best for your individual situation before the respiratory virus season comes into full swing.”
Avoid the fall brain fog. ’Tis the season for sniffly noses, unfortunately. But in an effort to avoid this as much as possible, your child needs to get enough sleep. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nine to 12 hours for younger children and eight to 10 hours for teens—and you really should try to achieve those numbers,” says our doc. “We fight most infections and germs when sleeping, and a tired child is one whose immune system is not operating at 100 percent.” Overall hygiene is important too, which Dr. Nicpon says includes “covering mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing, eating healthy to get proper vitamins and minerals and drinking plenty of water.”
Treat your kid’s cold and/or allergy symptoms. You heard it here first—as long as they’re at least 24 hours fever-free, it’s OK to send your kid to school with the sniffles! Dr. Nicpon says cough and cold medicine can have serious side effects and can mask some symptoms, so Valley Pediatrics instead recommends “cold mist humidifiers to help with air moisture, saline spray for a congested nose and, if the child is more than one year old, honey to soothe a sore throat.” And even if your child doesn’t suffer from spring allergies, the weed pollen and outdoor mold that accumulates this time of year could make your kid itchy. Dr. Nicpon says to treat allergy symptoms with antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids—just be certain to “administer the correct dosage and check with your pediatrician if you have any uncertainties.”
Make sure they spend time outside. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids between 3 to 5 years old get three hours of exercise every day, and kids from 6 upwards should get at least 60 minutes,” Dr. Nicpon says. Some exercise ideas for this time of year include bike rides, hikes, pumpkin or apple picking, as well as organized sports such as soccer. Recess at school counts too!
Pack their diets with fruits and veggies. Encourage your child to eat any fruit or vegetable they like, but some in-season produce options include apples and pears, which are perfect lunchbox snacks, as well as raw carrots or roasted sweet potatoes or squash.
How do your kids stay healthy (and active) this time of year? Tell us below, and share your tips with other parents on our Instagram @bergenmagnj.
