These days, Texas winters aren’t as consistent as they once were. This time of year can either be colder or warmer than it has been in the past which presents special health challenges for not only adults but for children as well. With kids out of school and running in and out of the fluctuating weather, it becomes the perfect environment for them to contract highly contagious viral illnesses such as the cold and flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and COVID-19. Add the stress of the holidays and it’s the perfect mixture for a rough winter.
At Parsi Pediatrics, we want to help you make this winter season a healthy one so we’re offering a few tips from our San Antonio pediatrics services to help you and your child get through these cold months both physically and mentally.
Don’t Skip Your Pediatric Wellness Visits
The first thing we recommend is bringing your child in to see their San Antonio pediatrician for their regular pediatric wellness visits. When you bring them to Parsi Pediatrics for their wellness check-up, they’ll receive a physical exam that will pick up hard-to-detect issues such as high blood pressure, lumps and bumps, ear and hearing difficulties, and even a heart murmur.
A San Antonio pediatrics visit will also assess your child’s growth. During your child’s pediatric wellness visit, your San Antonio pediatrician will measure your child’s height, weight, and BMI which will all determine if there are any medical issues occurring that are impacting your child’s growth. Additionally, our San Antonio pediatric services will look at part of your child’s functioning, such as their reasoning and understanding, communication, behavior, and social skills.
Keep Vaccinations Up To Date
There are some things that are just unavoidable, and seasonal illnesses are a few of those things. Pediatric wellness visits are designed to keep your child healthy and protected during times when illnesses are at their height. At Parsi Pediatrics, will assess your child’s vaccination status and recommend vaccines when deemed necessary. This includes the flu vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination.
What You Can Do To Keep Your Child Healthy
While regular pediatric wellness visits are very important, there are also some things you can do at home that can help keep your child physically and mentally healthy during the winter and all year round. First, our San Antonio pediatrician suggests ensuring your child is getting enough sleep. For school-aged children, the recommendation is nine to 11 hours per night. When sleep is lacking, they are definitely at a higher risk of getting sick.
Next, pediatric nutrition, our San Antonio pediatrics team suggests a well-balanced diet for your child, full of fruits and vegetables. A poor diet can result in inflammation in the body which can stress your child’s immune system and lead to the contraction of seasonal illnesses. Finally, we recommend limiting your child’s screen time to one hour on school nights and two hours on the weekend, and encouraging physical activity, daily, outside of school. In addition to benefiting their physical help, these two will benefit their mental health as well.
The weather outside might be frightful but it’s definitely not a reason to skip your child’s pediatric wellness visits. For more information on keeping your child healthy during the winter or to schedule your child’s wellness visit, contact our office today at 210.561.1551!
