For medical professionals only
During the epidemic period, it is also necessary to ensure the healthy growth of children.
The spring of 2022 is coming, a new round of epidemic is coming again, and the small speakers at the entrances of various community communities have repeatedly broadcast children's songs such as "three sets of epidemic prevention and five protections".
Source: @CCTV News
As a pediatrician, whenever I hear this warm nursery rhyme, I will silently recite the 10 words "Children should also bask in the sun to prevent four diseases" in my heart, because this is very important for children's healthy growth and development and early development.
During the epidemic control, we must not forget to bask in the sun
A day's plan lies in the morning, a year's plan lies in the spring, a life's plan in childhood, war and epidemic can not stop the change of seasons, nor can it stop the pace of children's growth!
In March 2022, during the special period when the epidemic prevention and control period was more at home, and it coincided with the spring equinox season when a thousand flowers were competing for the bright and the willows were drunk with spring smoke, the children should have gone out more at this time. However, recently, in order to find the hiding place of the new crown virus as soon as possible and control the development of the epidemic, communities in many parts of the country have carried out closed management, many primary and secondary school kindergartens have delayed the opening of school, and children have also been suffocated at home.
Last week, many parents of children who came to the pediatric emergency department said: "Hurry up today to give the child infusion treatment once, tomorrow will not come out", "give more medicine, in case the nucleic acid screening is positive, our community will be closed for 14 days!" ”
I understand the worries of parents and friends, and I also try to provide convenience as much as possible, but I also want to say one more sentence: "During the epidemic closure period, there is just time to accompany children to play in the yard of the community to bask in the sun." At any time, basking in the sun is more important than taking medicine, which can prevent "four diseases" and promote children's health! ”
Parents and friends all laughed happily after listening to my words. Parents who love to learn ask: "What are the 'four diseases' of children?" How can basking in the sun and playing with flowers and plants prevent and treat children's 'four diseases'? ”
What are the "four diseases" of children?
Four diseases: childhood pneumonia, diarrhea, nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets and iron deficiency anemia are common and frequent diseases affecting children's health. In 1986, the mainland government formulated and popularized the "Children's Four Diseases Prevention and Control Program", which collectively referred to these four diseases as children's "four diseases".
Among the "four diseases" in children, nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets and iron deficiency anemia are nutritional deficiency diseases, and pneumonia and diarrhea are infectious diseases.
In recent years, the "Outline for the Development of Chinese Children" and the "Outline of the Healthy China 2030 Plan" promulgated by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have included child health as one of the priority areas of national economic and social development planning. In order to ensure children's health, the state has established pediatric medical and child health care institutions throughout the country in accordance with the principle of putting prevention first, and through these pediatric health care institutions established and improved throughout the country's urban and rural areas, the prevention and treatment of children's "four diseases" have been implemented.
During the epidemic period, it is necessary not only to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control, but also to prevent and control children's "four diseases" and promote early childhood development:
It is recommended that children should be outdoor activities as soon as possible after birth, to places with few people and fresh air, and the time to start outdoor activities is gradually extended from 1 to 2 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes, and gradually extended to 1 to 2 hours. When the weather is cold in winter, only expose the face and hands when outdoor activities, and pay attention to keeping the body warm. In addition to the harsh climate, the elderly are encouraged to play outdoors as much as possible, so that the sun can be exposed to the skin to promote the synthesis of vitamin D in the body, the skin of the hands, face, limbs and other parts is more easily exposed, and the back and chest can also be sunburned when it is convenient.
Why sunbathing helps
Prevention and treatment of children's "four diseases"?
"Everything grows by the sun" is not only a well-known lyric, but also a truth.
The most direct effect of sun exposure is to prevent nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets, which is a systemic chronic nutritional disease characterized by bone lesions due to insufficient vitamin D in children, which causes calcium and phosphorus metabolism to be disordered.
The disease is typically characterized by incomplete mineralization of the epiphyseal and bone tissues of the growing long shaft, and osteomalacia if insufficient vitamin D causes incomplete mineralization of mature bone. Infants and young children, especially small babies, grow fast and have little outdoor activity, and are at high risk of developing nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets.
Light synthesis from the skin is the main source of vitamin D in humans. 7-Dehydrobiliterciferol in human skin, a precursor to vitamin D biosynthesis, is transformed into cholecalciferol, or endogenous vitamin D, by ultraviolet radiation in sunlight (wavelength 290 to 320 nm). The amount of vitamin D3 produced by the skin is related to the time of sunshine, the wavelength, and the area of exposed skin.
Current studies of the total metabolic process of 1,25-(OH)2D and the molecular mechanism of its action have found that vitamin D is not only an important nutrient, but also a precursor to hormones, 1,25-(OH)2D has been considered a steroid hormone involved in the proliferation, differentiation and regulation of immune function in a variety of cells.
Children's health is good, nutrition is good, immunity is strong, "four diseases" can reduce the incidence, even if it is sick, many small problems will be good without taking medicine.
It should be noted that before basking in the sun during the epidemic sealing and control, it is necessary to first clarify the relevant management details, and bask in the sun as much as possible under the premise of doing a good job of epidemic protection and safety.
You can let your child play in the sun for 1 to 3 hours a day, and at the same time, you must ensure that your child eats, drinks, sleeps and plays. If it is a community seal, residents can go to public places in the community to move, and when the sun comes out, take their children to play in public places in the community. If the building is sealed and managed at home, you can open the glass window on your balcony and let the sun shine on the child.
In summary, the principles of children's sunbathing, preventing four diseases, and promoting development are summarized as follows:
1. Activities and play under the sun, happy mood, stretch bones, strengthen the body, help children's physical and psychological health development.
2. Parents' high-quality responsive companionship and care is the most important for early childhood development, and enjoying flowers and grasses when basking in the sun is also a good opportunity to educate children for all-round development of morality, intellect, body and beauty.
3. Basking in the sun, promoting the synthesis of vitamin D in human skin, and reducing the occurrence of nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets in children's "four diseases".
4. Basking in the sun, improving the function of children's heart and lungs, gastrointestinal tract, skeletal muscles and immunity and other organ systems, improving children's appetite and nutrient digestion and absorption functions, and reducing the occurrence of children's "four diseases" nutritional iron deficiency anemia.
5. Basking in the sun, while promoting the synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, can kill harmful pathogenic microorganisms, enhance the function of various organ systems such as heart and lungs, gastrointestinal tract, skeletal muscle and immunity in children, and reduce the occurrence of two infectious diseases of "four diseases" pneumonia and diarrhea in children.
bibliography:
Wang Weiping,Sun Kun,Chang Liwen. Pediatrics[M].Beijing:People's Medical Publishing House,2018.]
Xu Lingmin. Solutions to common pediatric diseases[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Science and Technology Education Press,2018.
Xu Lingmin. Pediatric Emergency Emergency Diagnosis[M].Shanghai:Shanghai Science and Technology Education Press,2020.
Jiang Zaifang, Shen Kunling, Shen Ying. Zhu Futang Practical Pediatrics (8th Edition)[M].Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2015.
Liu Xiangyun,Chen Ronghua,Zhao Zhengyan. Child Health Care (4th Edition).Nanjing:Jiangsu Science and Technology Press,2016.]
Expert Profiles
Xu Lingmin
Department of Pediatrics, Qingpu Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
Chief Physician of Pediatrics, Director of Teaching and Research Department, Doctor of Medicine
He is a member of the Pediatrics Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association and the Medical Doctor Association, a member of the Science Popularization Branch, a member of the Pediatric Cardiovascular Group, and a scientific rumor dispelling expert of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology
The original popular science books "Common Pediatric Diseases" and "Pediatric Emergency Emergency Problems" answer the public's parenting confusion. He has won the second prize of the Shanghai Science Popularization Education Innovation Award, the Nomination Award of the Popular Science Award, the Outstanding Popular Science Writer Award and the Excellent Popular Science Book Award, and many other popular science awards, and the 2nd Annual Good Doctor of "Good Doctor Online" and the outstanding author of "Medical Field" for many years.
Source of this article: Pediatrics Channel of the Medical Community
The author of this article: Xu Lingmin, chief physician of the Department of Pediatrics, Qingpu Branch, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
Editor-in-Charge: CiCi