Abbott Global

Traditional Practices When Your Child is Sick: Do You Practise Them? We Asked. You Told Us.

Rushing to and from the doctor, buying medicines, recording temperature, sponging feverish brows, tidying up after purges and pukes - sick days are difficult for the children and for Mums and Dads. Through it all, parents worry when their child does not eat and wonder what to feed him to help him fight the infection and recover quickly.

In a recent online Abbott poll¹, 154 parents in Singapore shared the traditional practices they adopted when their child is sick.

66% avoid feeding child with chicken/egg when child is having a cough.
87% avoid feeding child with citrus fruits and sweets when child has phelgm when sick.
90% do not allow child to have 'cold' food or drinks (e.g. ice cream, chilled drinks) when child is down with a cold or flu.
53% do not allow child to eat 'heaty' foods when child has constipation.
60% will feed child with barley water when child is having a fever.
5% will feed child with watermelon juice when child is having a fever.

Speed Up Recovery - Feed Your Child Right Through Sick Days

Sick Day Nourishment – What is the nutrient goal?

Living in Asia, where we believe food is medicine, one of our immediate reactions is to apply traditional hand-me-down nutritional remedies during illness. While some traditional practices have value, many do not have a clear scientific rationale.

Weigh in your sick day feeding plan against current nutritional knowledge and, pick the best for today. Your child's physician and a dietitian can provide great advice – talk to them.

More energy
Every 1°C rise in temperature pushes up energy needs by 13%.²

More fluid
Vomiting and diarrhoea cause fluid losses. A raging fever demands more fluids to keep your child's body adequately cooled.² Giving a child enough fluid through sick days is essential to prevent dehydration. During a severe diarrhoea episode, children may develop transient lactose intolerance and, milk may cause discomfort. A lactose-free, complete and balanced beverage choice at this time will provide nourishment with less discomfort.

More vital nutrients
Fighting infections requires the body to mount a response against the infecting bug. While all nutrients have a role to play in keeping a child well nourished and able to resist infection, a few critical nutrients have particular roles during illness. These include – adequate protein, appropriate types of fat, vitamins A, B, and C as well as iron and zinc.²

Nutrient	Some nutrient-function roles of value during recovery ³	Food Sources
Protein	Essential for growth, maintenance and healing of tissues; Production of antibodies, hormones, enzymes	Milk, yogurt, cheese, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, lentils and soybean products like tofu and tau kwa
Vitamin A	Required for the normal functioning of the immune system; Maintains integrity and function of the epithelial cells; Development and differentiation of white blood cells	Liver, dairy products, green leafy vegetables and yellow-orange fruit
Vitamin B	Folate, B6 and B12 are vital for synthesis of amino acids which as the building block of proteins in the body as well as white blood cell proliferation and maturation.	Fortified cereal, meat, fish, poultry, wholegrains
Vitamin C	Highly effective antioxidant; Essential for production of white blood cells;	Citrus fruit (e.g. orange, pomelo), tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach
Iron	Essential for oxygen storage and transport in haemoglobin; Essential for the cells to mount an effective immune response to a disease causing organism.	Meat, fish, poultry, liver. Green leafy vegetables
Zinc	Normal development and function of cells that mediate both innate and adaptive immunity; Marginal deficiency increases an individual's susceptibility to infections	Fortified cereals, red meats, certain seafood

¹ Data on file. Abbott Nutrition International, Singapore. On line survey conducted from September 2011.
² Nevin S Scrimshaw and John Paul San Giovanni. Synergism of nutrition, infection, and immunity: an overview. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66:464S-77S.
³ Nutrition and Immunity. Cited on 26 October 2011. at http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/immunity.html

Traditional Feeding Practices – Fact or Fiction

Cough and phlegm - Allergy or infection?
While allergies and food intolerances call for food avoidance, infections caused by viruses do not respond to this. Overly-restrictive diets will compromise on the nutritional quality of an ill child's diet and may not support recovery.

Cold and hot foods – Will it make a difference?
The temperature of food served may provide some immediate comfort to a suffering child. But, once ingested it quickly warms up to the body's temperature. So, make a choice that you are comfortable with and ensure that your child is happy with your decision too.

Fluid choices – Barley or juice?
As long as the fluid gets to the child, the flavour does not make a great difference. So, offer what you believe is good but, make sure that your child is drinking enough. You can offer a variety of fluid – water, soup, milk, or juice. Foods with a lot of fluid such as porridge and noodles do also contribute vital water for the body.

The Sick Day Feeding Challenge

Nine out of 10 parents report that kids suffer loss of appetite when they are sick.⁴ This poses the ultimate challenge of ensuring the nourishment needed to support recovery. So, here are some practical tips to try⁵ :

During Illness

Offer food more often, especially when your child feels better.
Give healthy snacks between meals.
Provide water and other fluids along with meals and in between,
Pick food and drink choices that offer more nutrients in every sip or bite.
Never force feed but, gently encourage.

After Illness

Offer a little more food at every meal.
Include nutritious food and beverages as snacks in between meals,
Focus on variety in every meal and try to prepare a well balanced meal.

⁴ Data on file. Abbott Nutrition International, Singapore. On line survey conducted in January 2011.
⁵ Burgess A, Glausser P. Family Nutrition Guide. FAO of the United Nations. Rome 2004. Cited on 4 May 2011 at http://wao.fao.org/docrep/007/y5740e)d.htm

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