Strengthen Children’s Immunity to Overcome Dengue Fever

Strengthen Children’s Immunity to Overcome Dengue Fever

When a child has a high fever accompanied by a rash or red spots, you should suspect that he has dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). Strengthening children’s immunity can be an effort to minimize complications and speed up the healing process from diseases that have a high incidence in this rainy season.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is caused by the dengue virus, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The dengue virus enters the human bloodstream through the bite of the mosquito. Usually, the mosquitoes that cause dengue fever bite in the morning and evening.

Dengue fever should not be underestimated. The reason is that cases of DHF that are handled too late can cause dangerous complications, including death, especially in children.

Symptoms and Handling of DHF in Children

Symptoms of dengue fever in children, especially those infected for the first time, are generally mild. Meanwhile, the symptoms of DHF in older children and those with a previous infection can be classified as moderate to severe.

Symptoms of DHF usually appear within 4–14 days after being bitten by a mosquito and can last for 2–7 days. Here are some of the symptoms of dengue fever in children:

High fever, generally up to 40°C
Pain behind the eyes, joints, muscles, or bones
Headache
A rash over most of the body
If your child experiences various symptoms of dengue fever, you are advised to take him to the doctor. If the symptoms of DHF experienced by the child are mild, the doctor may suggest that he be treated at home.

Here are the treatments for dengue fever in children that you can do at home:

• Make sure your child gets enough rest
• Give a compress to relieve the fever
• Provide plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, either through food or drink
• Provide nutritious food intake

You can also give paracetamol to reduce a child’s fever according to the dosage and doctor’s recommendations. Avoid giving him ibuprofen or aspirin because it is feared that it can increase the risk of bleeding.

You are also advised to continuously monitor the condition and symptoms of DHF in children so that it can cause fatal complications. If the child has worsening symptoms or bleeding symptoms, such as vomiting, bloody stools, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, stomach pain, or shortness of breath, take the child to the nearest doctor or emergency department immediately.

Strengthening Children’s Immunity to Overcome Dengue Fever

One of the steps you can take to improve the immunity of children with dengue fever is to have a sufficient intake of vitamin C in children. The need for vitamin C in infants and children aged 0–9 years is 40–45 milligrams (mg).

This figure can be met by eating foods rich in vitamin C, such as guava (guava). Every 100 grams of guava contained about 87 mg of vitamin C. This amount is higher than the average of other types of fruit.

Research shows that consuming vitamin C or foods that contain vitamin C, such as guava, is beneficial for speeding up the healing process in people with DHF. The improvement in the condition of DHF patients is marked by an increase in platelets and white blood cells in the results of blood tests.

Not only that, but the content of quercetin in guava leaves is also efficacious as an antiviral that can inhibit the replication of the virus that causes dengue. Therefore, consuming guava is believed to strengthen a child’s immunity, especially when suffering from dengue fever.

However, further research is still needed to ensure safe doses and possible side effects of consuming guava for children suffering from dengue.

Eradicating mosquito nests and preventing mosquito bites are still the main steps to protect children from dengue fever. Here are the measures to prevent dengue fever that you can do:

Keeping the environment clean regularly, especially by cleaning water reservoirs
Use mosquito repellent as directed, especially in the morning and afternoon.
Apply mosquito repellent lotion, especially when children play outside the house
Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when doing activities outside the home
Installing a mosquito net on the child’s bed
Installing mosquito nets on windows and home ventilation
Giving dengue fever vaccine to children
You don’t need to panic when your child has dengue. Strengthen your child’s immunity by giving him a balanced nutritious diet, especially sources of vitamin C such as guava. If you still have questions about DHF in children, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor.