Florence, September 25, 2024 – With the reopening of schools, the season of ailments inevitably starts again: runny nose, fever, cough. We talk about it with Dr. Massimo Resti, pediatrician and director of the Department of Medical Pediatric Specialties at AOU Meyer, who takes the opportunity to share some useful advice with parents.
The arrival of the first viruses
“The first respiratory viruses are arriving,” says Professor Resti. At the moment, he adds, from an epidemiological point of view the situation is still calm, “but the first para-influenza viruses are already in circulation.” If in the first week of September the pediatric wards were almost empty, with the resumption of classes the scenario quickly began to change.
“The epidemiological situation is changing rapidly before our eyes,” Resti remarks. However, fortunately, no particular or alarming diseases have been detected so far.
Nasal washes: prevention for the little ones
The pediatrician advises parents to keep their children’s noses as clear as possible. Nasal washes with saline solution are essential, especially for children in nursery and primary school. “The mucus that remains in the nose becomes an easy colony of bacteria,” Resti reminds. It is therefore important to teach your children to regularly wash their noses to prevent respiratory infections.
Protecting newborns: avoid crowded places
Another recommendation concerns infants and children up to the first year of life. Resti strongly advises parents to avoid crowded places such as shopping malls, especially in this period in which the first viruses begin to circulate. “For little ones, such crowded places are a real hell,” says the pediatrician. It is better to take small children for walks outdoors, even when it is colder, rather than keeping them indoors, “with hundreds of people passing by them.” Not only that. “Our children are covered up too much. They sweat and, therefore, are more likely to get sick,” adds the doctor.
What’s New: Monoclonal Antibodies Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus
One piece of good news is the introduction, starting in November, of monoclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus, one of the main causes of bronchiolitis in newborns. These antibodies will be offered free of charge to children and will finally allow us to take an important step forward in the prevention of respiratory infections in the little ones. Suffice it to recall that last winter there were about 800 hospitalizations for syncytial virus in Tuscany. And as many as 160 children even ended up in intensive care.
Hot bath as a defense
For children returning from school, where the number of sick people is gradually increasing, Professor Resti recommends a nice hot bath. “When children return home, after spending the day in an environment where many viruses circulate, a hot bath is a panacea. In fact, heat increases body temperature. And this makes it more difficult for bacteria that children may have contracted during the day to replicate.”