Acclimatization in children

Often, acclimatization in children is perceived by parents as a cold, but symptomatic treatment in this case is ineffective.

When the climate changes abruptly, the human body experiences severe stress, and this process is especially difficult for babies. The body needs time to adapt to the new terrain and conditions, this period is usually called acclimatization. It is believed that children under three years of age are more difficult to cope with abrupt climate changes.

During this period, babies suffer from insomnia, headaches, fever, sore throats, and also at this time children become more whiny, irritable, and problems with stool, vomiting, etc., which arise in response to unusual drinks or food for the child, are also possible.

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Causes of acclimatization in children

Acclimatization in children is the period during which the body gets used to a change in climatic or geographical conditions. This condition in children most often occurs during summer vacations, when the baby and his parents go to the sea or to countries with a climate different from the one he is used to, for example, from northern latitudes to southern ones, from a dry climate to a humid one, etc.

Sudden changes in environment, time of day, etc. have a strong impact on the general condition of children, and they suffer from changes in environment much more severely than adults due to their age and undeveloped immunity.

Signs

Acclimatization in babies can occur with a variety of symptoms and be expressed to a greater or lesser degree.

Acclimatization is especially strong in children under three years of age, since during this period the child’s body takes a long time and with great difficulty to get used to various kinds of changes.

The first signs of this condition usually appear on the second day after arrival, but in this case everything is individual; in some babies, symptoms may appear a little later.

Usually at this time the baby experiences nausea or vomiting, increased or decreased blood pressure, weakness, indifference to what is happening around, the appearance of some fears, anxiety, headaches, poor sleep, and the children also become more irritable and capricious.

Temperature during acclimatization in children. Acclimatization in children is often accompanied by a slight temperature. This is how the body reacts to a change in familiar conditions. When traveling or moving to another climate zone, you should always have an antipyretic with you, in case the temperature rises too high (more than 38.5ºС).

Some symptoms of the body's climatic adaptation to new conditions may remain unnoticed, however, the baby's body experiences enormous stress during this period. Its physical or mental abilities may decrease during this period. In some children, the adaptation process causes strong overexcitement, while in others, on the contrary, lethargy and indifference.

But, despite all the negative properties, this process contributes to the body acquiring new abilities, learning to adapt to unusual conditions. Such processes occurring in the body act like hardening, and each subsequent process of adaptation to new climatic conditions will be easier.

Acclimatization in children usually lasts 6-7 days. Parents make every effort to shorten this period, but all attempts are unsuccessful in most cases. It is generally accepted that the further the baby is from his hometown, the harder and longer the acclimatization process will be.

During this period, the child's immunity is significantly reduced, which means that the body is not able to resist infections and viruses. Often, the child begins to experience an exacerbation of chronic diseases, a sharp increase in temperature, diarrhea.

Taking water that your child is used to with you will help ease the acclimatization period.

It is not recommended to give medications immediately, it is advisable to consult a specialist. It is worth remembering that at a temperature below 38.5 ° C, antipyretic drugs should not be given, usually if the temperature does not exceed this limit, it will decrease on its own within 24 hours.

Acclimatization in children is sometimes extremely difficult. Older children adapt to new conditions more easily than babies.

On the second day after arrival, the baby may have headaches, insomnia, and unreasonable fatigue. Often, the temperature begins to rise, and a sore throat appears.

When changing the usual food and water, the baby's body may react with diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.

The period of adaptation to new conditions in toddlers can last for 7-10 days. The duration of acclimatization depends on the distance the child has moved away from the conditions he is accustomed to. It is generally accepted that the greater the difference in average air temperature, the harder the body copes with the climate change.

The acclimatization process is divided into several stages:

1. The initial period, which can proceed without obvious signs, at this time the human body is just beginning to prepare for a change in climatic conditions.
2. A period of high reactivity, during which the condition deteriorates sharply and the first signs of acclimatization appear. This period is considered the most dangerous.
3. A period of equalization, during which the condition gradually normalizes and all body functions are restored.
4. The period of complete acclimatization, which can last from several months to several years (when moving to a new permanent place of residence).

Acclimatization of children at sea lasts on average 10 days, for this reason a vacation at sea for less than 30 days will not bring any benefit to the baby's health, rather the opposite. After the second week of staying at sea, the sun, air and water begin to gradually strengthen the child's body. After arrival, you should not immediately go to the beach, you need to give the child time to rest and recuperate after a long journey. It is better to spend the first few days walking near the place of residence.

Acclimatization of children in Turkey depends on what part of the country you are spending your vacation in. If the conditions are close to what the child is used to, then adaptation will be easier and faster (Ukraine has a moderate continental climate).

Turkey is located on a fairly large territory and here you can count as many as five climate zones. More than half of the country is located in the subtropical Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by hot summers and warm winters, especially in Istanbul and Antalya, where the average temperature in January can fluctuate from +5 to +25°C.

In the western parts of the Anatolian Highlands and the center of the country the climate is continental with hot summers and cold winters.

The Armenian Highlands already have a moderate mountain climate with sharp temperature changes during the day (up to 20 degrees). Summers in this region are warm, and winters are frosty, with strong gusts of wind.

The Black Sea coast has a mixed climate, with a transition zone from moderate to subtropical. This part of the country is characterized by high humidity, especially in the northeastern regions, and relatively cool summers.

The Black Sea coast in Turkey is much cooler than the coasts of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, which have a pronounced subtropical climate with hot and dry summers and humid, warm winters.

After returning from vacation, the child's health may worsen, which is again associated with the body's adaptation to conditions to which it has already managed to get out of the habit. Acclimatization in children after the sea is called reacclimatization. Doctors advise to rest more after returning home, or rather sleep. It is recommended to take a course of vitamins that will help the body adapt and restore strength.

Doctors do not recommend sending the child to kindergarten or school immediately after arrival; it is better to give the baby a few days of additional rest to return to normal.

Symptoms of reacclimatization are similar to those observed during acclimatization: poor health, indifference to what is happening around, fatigue, diarrhea.

If 1-2 days after returning home the baby feels worse, signs of reacclimatization appear, you need to consult a specialist.

Acclimatization in infants takes at least three weeks. How the adaptation process will proceed depends on many factors (immune status, illness, etc.) and is individual in each case. In some babies, adaptation occurs with a strong deterioration in well-being and pronounced symptoms, while in others, a less severe adaptation period is observed.

However, in the case of a baby, in addition to acclimatization, the psychological state of the mother plays a major role, on which the stable condition of the baby largely depends.

Insufficient rest, an internal feeling of dissatisfaction, etc. will certainly affect the mother’s psycho-emotional state, and the baby will react more acutely to the change in climate.

It is better to relax with a baby outside the city, in the fresh air. Doctors do not recommend leaving your climate zone with children under three years old. If you still choose the sea, you need to choose a place where there are not many people, and you should not go on vacation or move during the hottest time of the year. The best time would be the first month of summer or early autumn.

Also, when choosing a place to live, you need to consider nearby entertainment venues (discos, summer cafes, etc.) and the distance from the road. With a baby, it is better to choose a quiet place with a good beach.

Also, you should not travel with a newborn to exotic countries, countries that require a flight of more than four hours, or countries with a climate that is very different from the usual one (for example, in winter, flying to hot countries and vice versa).

The body of a child under one year is not yet fully formed and the reaction to any change can be unpredictable. Acclimatization in children under one year is more difficult than in adults and in this case the individual characteristics of the baby should be taken into account.

It should be remembered that children's immunity develops until about 1.5 years, so you should plan your vacation or move so that the fragile body does not endure too much stress (it is not recommended to take your child to an unfamiliar climate until he is six months old).

It should also be taken into account that changing time zones is more harmful than changing climate.

When vacationing with a baby at sea, it is better to choose a country with low humidity and not very hot climate; the best options would be Montenegro, Croatia, the Canary Islands, Greece, the Crimean Peninsula, Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus.

The Mediterranean and Red Seas are suitable for holidays with children under one year old in the first months of autumn or spring.

Diagnostics

Acclimatization in children is an individual process. Some children become lethargic after arriving in a new climate zone, others become too active.

Acclimatization can be diagnosed by characteristic symptoms: nausea or vomiting, dizziness, headaches. Often the symptoms resemble a common cold: cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever.

As a rule, symptoms of acclimatization appear on the first or second day after arrival and last, depending on the individual characteristics of the person’s body, 1-2 weeks.

Treatment of acclimatization in children

Acclimatization in children, as well as in adults, does not respond to specific treatment, since it is not a disease, but a process of getting used to new conditions. And it lasts until the body adapts to the new climate, so treatment in this case should be symptomatic. At high temperature (more than 38.5 ° C) it is necessary to give the child an antipyretic drug - efferalgan, cefekon, panadol.

For coughs, which often occur during acclimatization, you can give your baby ambrobene, flavomed, etc. syrup. To relieve a sore throat, you can use homeopathic remedies, gargles, etc. It is not recommended to use sprays, as they act too aggressively on a weak immune system.

In case of a runny or stuffy nose, it is permissible to use special preparations containing sea water or oils; you can also use Otrivin, Nazivin, etc., depending on the age of the child.

In case of digestive disorders, nausea, vomiting, it is necessary to use antiemetic and antibacterial drugs, which should be prescribed by a doctor.

It is worth noting that in case of gastrointestinal diseases, self-medication is not allowed, especially in the case of children.

Sometimes the stress experienced by the baby during the move results in various allergic reactions (pimples, redness, blisters, itching, etc.). Some babies will be helped by a regular antihistamine - diazolin, claritin, astemizole, some will need complex drug treatment.

How to make acclimatization easier?

It can take up to 14 days for a child to get used to the drug, so you should take this into account when planning your vacation.

To make the acclimatization process smoother, it is recommended to choose vacation spots with a climate similar to the child’s usual climate (especially for children under three years old).

When crossing several time zones (it is believed that each time zone adds one day of acclimatization), it is better to prepare the baby for the new regime in advance. It is better to start with the schedule of getting up and going to bed; it is recommended to shift the regime by 30-60 minutes a few weeks before the planned trip.

While on vacation, it is not recommended to deviate much from the baby’s usual daily routine; you should walk, sleep, eat, etc. at the same hours as at home.

To make the body react less painfully to new food and water, you should take with you the baby’s usual foods and water, which will help the body cope with the new conditions at first.

Water is considered to be the most important component for the body during the period of adaptation to new conditions. It is necessary to control that the baby drinks more plain water, and not juices, cocktails, sodas, etc.

The baby should drink a sufficient amount of water per day (weight multiplied by 30).

The quality of water is also important; you should not drink tap water or spring water; it is better to give preference to bottled water from the store.

Prevention of acclimatization in children

Acclimatization in children, as already mentioned, is an individual process. It is impossible to completely prevent this period, but you can try to soften its course as much as possible.

After moving or during a vacation with a baby, you need to try to maintain a normal daily routine: go to bed, wake up, eat at the same time (this is especially important when changing time zones).

At least a week before the expected departure date, you should consult a pediatrician who will help you choose a vitamin complex and give you the necessary advice. Before leaving, you should not overload your child physically, give him more time to rest. If the weather is favorable, you can take short sunbaths, which will help strengthen the immune system and prepare the skin for a hot climate.

How to avoid acclimatization in a child? Acclimatization in children occurs in any case, it is almost impossible to avoid the process of getting used to a new place. In order for the child's adaptation to be less pronounced during vacation, you need to choose places in the same time zone (or with a time difference of no more than three hours).

It is also better to travel by train, as during the journey the body will gradually begin to adapt to the new climatic conditions. Air travel is not the best choice, as the speed of movement is high, there is a sharp change in climate (time zone), and the body's adaptation is more difficult because of this.

The minimum period of rest should be 2 weeks, during which the baby's body will adapt and have time to rest and gain strength. If the stay in the new one lasts less, then the baby's body will be under double the load and a process of severe reacclimatization after returning home is not excluded.

Forecast

Acclimatization in children occurs with more or less pronounced symptoms. In most cases, the prognosis is favorable - in 7-10 days the baby's body gets used to the new conditions, the immune system is strengthened, the condition is normalized.

To make the adjustment process less painful, you should follow certain rules when moving or on vacation: feed and water your child with the food he is used to, follow a routine, do not change the climate too abruptly, give your child a course of vitamins before the trip, etc.

Acclimatization in children involves almost all body systems: nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, urinary. All organs and systems are subject to enormous stress, so it is important to create favorable conditions for the baby during this period, surround him with care and love.