The holidays are a fun and joyous time but can also be a very busy time. Holiday parties, buying presents, accommodating the kids’ schedule – it can all get a little hectic. It also happens to be cold and flu season which can make a parent’s job that much more difficult. Our San Antonio pediatric services have become a necessity as opposed to a preventative measure. Here are a few tips to keep your kids healthy during the holidays.
Staying Healthy During the Holidays
Whether you’ll be traveling for the holidays or your children will be joining you on your holiday errands, we always recommend carrying hand sanitizer with you. As your preferred San Antonio pediatrician, Parsi Pediatrics encourages hand-washing after eating, using the bathroom, or walking through a high-traffic area where germs are abundant. However, there will always be a situation where hand-washing isn’t a possibility. In these cases, we encourage the use of hand sanitizer to keep virus-causing germs at bay.
Next, our San Antonio pediatrics team suggests keeping plenty of fluids on hand. Just like an adult, a child’s body and mind function at their best when a child is well-hydrated. When traveling, particularly when taking a long road trip, it’s not always easy to gain access to fluids. Our San Antonio pediatrician recommends keeping bottled water on hand and, if possible, electrolyte-rich drinks like Pedialyte just in case. Should your child begin exhibiting symptoms of an illness, Pedialyte will help them stay balanced and prevent dehydration.
A healthy diet is encouraged by our San Antonio pediatric services so, when traveling, we suggest sticking to mostly whole foods when possible. Foods such as bone broth, fruits, and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and the pre-and probiotics will assist your child’s immune system fight off invaders like viruses and bacteria that are known to cause infections during this time of year.
Eating healthier while traveling or during the holidays, in general, can be difficult but we assure you, it’s possible. Our San Antonio pediatrics team recommends choosing fresh eateries that offer sub sandwiches and salads as well as opting for immune-boosting snacks such as baby carrots, celery, apples, and oranges. When eating at a restaurant, try to choose an option from the menu where at least ¾ of the plates are composed of protein and veggies.
Of course, our biggest recommendation is to utilize our San Antonio pediatric services as a preventative measure and bring your child in for pediatric wellness visits. Pediatric wellness visits are necessary to keep your child healthy not only during the holidays but all year round. If you are planning to travel, we recommend bringing your child to our San Antonio pediatrician for a flu shot at least two weeks prior to traveling.
There are other times when pediatric sick visits are urgent. Should your child have a fever of 104 degrees or higher, is experiencing vomiting or diarrhea or showing other signs of dehydration, or is having shortness of breath, we recommend bringing them in for a visit with our San Antonio pediatrician. The last thing you or your child wants to deal with during the holidays is an illness so we encourage you to enlist the assistance of our San Antonio pediatric services as soon as possible.
Our San Antonio pediatricians are ready to meet you and your child and help them have a healthy and happy holiday season. To schedule your child’s pediatrician wellness visit, schedule your appointment with Parsi Pediatrics today at 210.561.1551.
