Health and Sicknesses
of Children
295
CHAPTER
21
WHAT TO DO TO PROTECT CHILDREN’S HEALTH
NUTRITIOUS FOOD,
CLEANLINESS,
AND VACCINATIONS
ARE THE THREE IMPORTANT ‘BODY GUARDS’ THAT
KEEP CHILDREN HEALTHY AND PROTECT THEM AGAINST MANY SICKNESSES.
Chapters 11 and 12 tell more about the importance of nutritious food, cleanliness,
and vaccination. Parents should read these chapters carefully and use them to help
care for—and teach—their children. The main points are briefly repeated here.
Nutritious Food
It is important that children eat the most nutritious foods they can get, so that they
grow well and do not get sick.
The best foods for children at different ages are:
♦ in the first 6 months: breast milk and nothing more.
♦ from 6 months to 1 year: breast milk and also other nutritious foods—
such as boiled cereals, mashed-up beans, eggs, meat, cooked fruits and
vegetables.
♦ from 1 year on: the child should eat the same foods as adults—but more
often. To the main food (rice, maize, wheat, potatoes, or cassava) add ‘helper
foods’ as discussed in Chapter 11.
♦ Above all, children should get enough to eat—several times a day.
♦ All parents should watch for signs of malnutrition in their children and should
give them the best food they can.