Supporting your children’s ‘super bodies’ this winter

This week, health leaders in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) are sharing guidance for parents and carers on how to manage common winter illnesses that often start circulating at this time of year.

As the autumn half term approaches, and the weather continues to become colder we see a sharp increase in illnesses including, coughs, sore throats, and earaches in young children. To help manage these illnesses healthcare leaders are urging parents and carers to exercise caution before requesting antibiotics to treat their children for conditions like these. Antibiotics rarely speed up recovery for these conditions, which are most often caused by viral infections.

Instead, the LLR ICB ‘Super Bodies’ campaign which launches this week contains a guide for parents and carers full of simple things they can do to treat these common ailments at home, and knowing when and where to go for medical help.

Dr Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB, said: “Children are likely to pick up common viruses at this time of year, especially while mixing in school and nursery environments, but they are usually nothing to worry about. Their ‘super bodies’ get to work, and most children with a normal immune system and up to date with all their recommended NHS childhood vaccinations will fight off these common illnesses with care at home.

“Antibiotics are not needed for common infections. They are often unlikely to speed up the healing process, and your child will usually get better without taking unnecessary medication.

“Overusing antibiotics can also contribute to ‘antibiotic resistance’, which means that these medications are becoming less effective at killing off bacteria. This is a very serious threat to the health of our population, but we can all help to fight back by only using antibiotics when they are needed.

“You know your children best, so do seek further help if you are concerned about their symptoms, or if their ‘super bodies’ need a bit more support because they are immunosuppressed or have other existing medical conditions.”

Parents and carers of young children can find information on treating coughs, ear aches and sore throats on the ‘Super Bodies’ website page, as well as finding a list of more serious signs and symptoms to look out for. They can find out when they need to stay home, visit their GP, call NHS 111, or when to call 999 or attend A&E.

Visit: https://leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/super-bodies to find out more.