Acclimatization in children

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

With a sharp change in climate, the human body experiences severe stress, especially in young children. The organism takes time to adapt to the new terrain and conditions, this period is commonly called acclimatization. It is believed that children under three years are harder to tolerate sharp climate changes.

During this period, babies suffer from insomnia, headaches, fever, sore throats, and at the same time children become more whiny, irritable, and there are also problems with stools, vomiting, etc. That arise in response to an unusual drinking or food.

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Reasons for acclimatization in children 

Acclimatization in children is a period during which the body gets used to changing climatic or geographical conditions. This condition occurs in children most often during the summer holidays, when the baby with his parents goes to the sea or to countries with a different climate, for example, from northern latitudes to southern, their dry climate to wet, etc.

Sharp changes in the situation, time of day, etc., strongly affects the overall condition of the toddlers, and they suffer from a change in the situation much heavier than adults due to age and unformed immunity.

Symptoms 

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

Especially strongly acclimatization is manifested in children up to three years, because during this period the organism of the child is very long and hard to get used to various kinds of changes.

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

Usually, at this time, the nausea or vomiting is observed in the crumbs, an increase or decrease in pressure, weakness, indifference to what is happening around, the appearance of any fears, anxieties, headaches, bad sleep, and the children become more irritable, capricious.

The temperature at acclimatization in children.  Acclimatization in children is often accompanied by a low temperature. Thus, the body reacts to changes in habitual conditions. On a trip or when moving to another climatic zone, you should always have an antipyretic agent in case the temperature rises too high (more than 38.5 ° C).

Some symptoms of climatic adaptation of the organism to new conditions may go unnoticed, however, the baby's organism undergoes a tremendous load during this period. He may have decreased physical or mental abilities during this period. In some children, the process of adaptation causes a strong overexcitation, others have the opposite, lethargy and indifference.

But, despite all the negative properties, this process contributes to the fact that the body acquires new abilities, learns 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 in most cases unsuccessful. It is generally believed that the farther the baby from his native city, the harder and longer the acclimatization process will take.

During this period, the child significantly reduced immunity, which means that the body is not able to withstand infections and viruses. Often the child begins to exacerbate chronic diseases, a sharp increase in temperature, diarrhea.

To soften the period of acclimatization will help the usual water for children, which you can take with you.

Do not give medicine immediately, it is advisable to consult with a specialist. It is worth recalling that at temperatures below 38.5 ° C, antipyretic drugs should not be given, usually if the temperature does not exceed this limit, it will fall off on its own within 24 hours.

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

On the second day after arrival, the baby may have headaches, insomnia, and unreasonable fatigue. Often the temperature starts to rise, there is a pain in the throat.

With the change of habitual food and water, the organism of the crumbs can react with diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.

The period of adaptation to new conditions in the young can be delayed by 7 to 10 days. The duration of acclimatization depends on the distance to which the child has moved away from the usual conditions. It is generally accepted that the greater the difference in the mean air temperature, the harder the climate changes.

The process of acclimatization is divided into several stages:

1. The initial period, which can occur without obvious signs, at this time in the human body is just beginning preparation for changing climatic conditions.
2. A period of high reactivity, during which the state deteriorates sharply, the first signs of acclimatization appear. This period is considered to be the most dangerous.
3. The period of equalization, during which the state gradually normalizes, all functions of the body restore the work.
4. The period of full acclimatization, which can last from several months to several years (when moving to a new permanent residence).

Acclimatization in children at sea lasts for an average of 10 days, for this reason a vacation at sea for less than 30 days will not bring any benefit to the baby's health, but rather vice versa. After the second week of staying at sea, the sun, air and water begin to strengthen the child's body little by little. After your arrival, do not immediately go to the beach, you need to give your child time to rest and regain strength after a long journey. The first few days are best spent walking near the place of residence.

Acclimatization in children in Turkey depends on which part of the country you are on holiday. If the conditions are close to the usual for the child, the addiction will be easier and faster (in Ukraine there is a moderate continental climate).

Turkey is located on a fairly large territory and here you can count as many as five climatic 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 range 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 are already dominated by a moderately mountainous climate with sharp temperature changes throughout the day (up to 20 degrees). Summer in this area is warm, and winter is frosty, with strong gusts of wind.

On the coast of the Black Sea, the climate is mixed, in this region there is a transition zone from temperate to subtropical climate. This part of the country is highly humid, especially in the northeastern regions and relatively cool in summer.

The coast of the Black Sea in Turkey is much cooler than the coast of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, in which there is a pronounced subtropical climate with hot and dry summers and a damp warm winter.

After returning from vacation, the child may feel worse, which again is associated with the adaptation of the organism to conditions from which he has already grown unaccustomed. Acclimatization in children after the sea is called re-acclimatization. Doctors advise after returning home to rest more, more accurately to sleep. It is recommended to drink a course of vitamins, which will help the body to adapt and restore strength.

Doctors do not advise immediately after the arrival of the child in the kindergarten or school, it is better to give the child a few days of extra rest to return to normal.

The symptoms of reactivation 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 felt worse, there were signs of re-acclimatization, you need to consult a specialist.

Acclimatization in infants occurs at least three weeks. How the process of adaptation will proceed depends on many factors (the state of immunity, disease, etc.) and occurs individually in each case. In some children, addiction occurs with a strong deterioration in well-being and pronounced symptoms, others have not such a difficult adaptation period.

However, in the case of infants, in addition to acclimatization, the psychological state of the mother plays an important role, on which the stable state of the baby largely depends.

Insufficient rest, an inner feeling of dissatisfaction, etc., will necessarily affect the psychoemotional state of the mother and the baby will react more sharply to the climate change.

With a baby it's better to rest outside the city, in the fresh air. With children under the age of three, doctors do not recommend leaving their climatic zone. If, nevertheless, the choice is made in favor of the sea, it is necessary to choose a place where a small congestion of people, in addition, it is not necessary to go on vacation or move to the hottest time of the year. The optimal time will be the first month of summer or the beginning of autumn.

Also, when choosing a place of residence, you need to consider nearby entertainment facilities (discotheques, summer cafes, etc.) and distance from the road. With a baby it is better to choose a quiet place with a nice beach.

Also, with a newborn, one should not go to exotic countries, countries to which it is necessary to fly more than four hours or to countries where the climate differs sharply from the usual (for example, in the winter time to fly to hot countries and vice versa).

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

It should be recalled that the immunity of children develops to about 1.5 years, so you should plan rest or relocation so that the immature organism can not endure too much stress (up to six months it is not recommended to take the child to an unfamiliar climate for him).

It should also be noted that the change of time zone is more harmful than the change in climate

During a holiday with a crumb at sea, it is better to choose a country with low humidity and not very hot climate, the best option will be Montenegro, Croatia, Canary Islands, Greece, Crimea peninsula, Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus.

The Mediterranean and Red Seas are suitable for resting with the kids for up to a year in the first months of autumn or spring.

Diagnostics 

Acclimatization in children is an individual process. Some babies become sluggish after coming to a new climatic zone, others become too active.

To diagnose acclimatization it is possible by characteristic symptoms: the appearance of nausea or vomiting, dizziness, headaches. Often, the symptoms resemble an ordinary cold: cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever.

As a rule, the symptoms of acclimatization are manifested on the first or second day after arrival and last, depending on the individual characteristics of the human body for 1-2 weeks.

Treatment of acclimatization in children  

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

When you cough, which often occurs during acclimatization, you can give the baby syrup ambroben, flavomed, etc. To relieve pain in the throat, you can use homeopathic remedies, rinses, etc. It is not recommended to use sprays, because they act too aggressively on weak immunity.

With a cold or stuffy nose, the use of special preparations with the content of sea water or oils is allowed, you can also use otrivin, nazivin, etc., depending on the age of the child.

If you have a digestive disorder, nausea, vomiting, you should use antiemetic, antibacterial drugs, which the doctor should appoint.

It is worth noting that with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, one should not engage in self-medication, especially in the case of children.

Sometimes the stress transferred by the toddler at moving is poured out in various allergic reactions (pryshchiki, reddening, blisters, itching, etc.). To some babies the usual antihistamine means - diazolinum, klaritin, astemizolum will help, some it is required complex medicamental treatment.

How to facilitate acclimatization?

Addiction to the child can last up to 14 days, so planning a vacation, it should be taken into account.

In order for the acclimatization process to proceed more gently, it is recommended to choose places for rest with a climate similar to the child's usual climate (especially with children under three years old).

At the intersection of several time zones (it is believed that each time zone adds one day acclimatization) it is better to prepare a baby in advance for a new regime. It is better to start with the schedule of recovery and retirement, it is recommended to shift the regime for 30-60 minutes several weeks before the planned trip.

On vacation it is not recommended to deviate greatly from the usual regime of the day, you should walk, sleep, eat, etc. At the same time as at home.

In order for the organism to react less painfully to new food and water, it is necessary to take with itself the usual foods and water that will help the body to cope with the new conditions.

Water is considered to be the most important component for the body in the period of adaptation to new conditions. It is necessary to check that the baby drinks more plain water, rather than juices, cocktails, sodas, etc.

A kid must drink a sufficient amount of water per day (weight multiplied by 30).

 Also important is the quality of water, do not use tap water or springs, it is better to give preference to bottled water from the store.

Prevention of acclimatization in children 

Acclimatization in children, as already mentioned, the process is individual. Completely prevent this period will not succeed, but you can try to minimize its course.

After moving or during a holiday with a baby, you should try to observe the usual regime of the day: go to bed, wake up, eat at the same time (especially important when changing the time zone).

At least one week before the expected date of departure, you should consult a pediatrician who will help you pick up the vitamin complex and give you the necessary advice. Before leaving, you do not have to overload your child physically, give him more time to rest. In favorable weather, you can take short sunbathing, which will help to strengthen immunity and prepare the skin in 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. To rest on the addiction of the child was not so pronounced, you need to choose places in one time zone (or with a time difference of not more than three hours).

Also, it is better to move by train, as during the journey the body will gradually begin to adjust to new climatic conditions. Flight is not the best choice, since the speed of movement is high, there is a sharp change in the climate (time zone), and the body's accustoming because of this is more difficult.

The minimum period of rest should be 2 weeks, for which the baby's body adapts and has time to rest and gain strength. If the stay on the new one lasts less, then the baby's body is under double load and the process of severe acclimatization after the return home is not ruled out.

Forecast 

Acclimatization in children occurs with more or less severe symptoms. In most cases, the predictions are favorable - after 7-10 days the baby's body gets used to the new conditions, the immunity is strengthened, the condition is normalized.

To be used less painfully, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules when moving or vacationing: to feed and water the child with the usual food, to observe the regime, not to change the climate too sharply, to give the baby a course of vitamins before the trip, etc.

Acclimatization in children involves virtually all body systems: nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, respiratory, urinary. All organs and systems are under great strain, so it is important to create favorable conditions for the baby, surround him with care and love.