DIET DURING FEVER IN CHILDREN

Fever is elevation in the body’s temperature above the normal which may be in response to an infection, infection or unknown causes. (Normal body temperature is 37 Degrees Celsius or 98.4 Degrees Fahrenheit).  Fever in itself is not an illness; it's the body's natural way of fighting infections or sickness. The agents that usually cause fever can be micro-organisms such as bacterial, viral, fungal or immune mediated.

Fever affects all the metabolic processes of the body as follows:

·         There is an increased caloric need of the body during fever.

·         Glycogen and fat stores are depleted to combat the increased caloric needs.

·         There is an increased breakdown of proteins in the body.

·         There is increased loss of body fluids due to increased excretion through perspiration and evaporation.

·         There is also increased excretion of the electrolytes, sodium and potassium.

Common symptoms during fever are:

·         Loss of appetite, Lack of interest, Weakness, Cold sweats, Malaise and there can even be vomiting, diarrhea, cough & cold depending on the infection.

It's most important to modify the diet in order to manage all these conditions. Good nutrition is essential to alleviate the symptoms and make the child feel as comfortable as possible.

• The ideal diet to provide to your child during a fever is a high calorie (carbohydrate), high protein, low fat and high fluid as much as tolerated.
• The first 2 or 3 days are difficult and ironical as although we need to provide more nutrition, we are not able to take in as much. Therefore, initially the diet can be more of a liquid diet consisting of soups, glucose water, juices, milk (to be avoided if there is diarrhea). Give small frequent feeds at regular intervals of about 2-3 hrs which can be gradually increased to 6-8 feedings. Fluids are better tolerated and easily assimilated by the body.
• Prepare foods which are soft in texture, bland, semi-solid in consistency as they can be easily digested and absorbed like gruels, cereal and milk, soft fruits like banana, papaya, orange, sweet-lime, melons etc. soft or mashed khichidi, moong dal with soft rice, mashed curd rice, softly boiled vegetables stew, scrambled egg, creamy mashed potatoes, custard, rawa/suji kheer, phirni and chicken mince.
• Protein intake of the diet should be increased, so it important to provide high nutritive value protein like milk, eggs, chicken broth or creamy soups and dhals like moong dal or toor dal. Avoid heavy pulses like chana, rajmha etc.
• Fried or fatty foods, spicy and highly fibrous foods are difficult to digest and should be avoided.
• As mentioned earlier it is also very important to increase the nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium in the diet. These can be provided through soups, fruit juices, dals, light curries, broths and milk or milkshakes.

Foods that should be included in the diet:

• Fruit juices, Glucose, honey water, Milk, Coconut water, Barley water, Custards, Fruit jellies, Thin dhals/ Dal vegetable soups, Scrambled creamy eggs, Gruel's/ kheer, Vegetable juices, Soups, Cereal preparations, Tender meat or mince meats, Baked fish, Buttermilk with a pinch of salt or sugar, Fruit yoghurt/ Curd, Boiled , pureed leafy veggies, Boiled veggies (carrots, beans, pumpkin, gourd vegetables like doodhi, sweet potato etc), Dried fruits/ nuts milkshakes, Orange and yellow fruits/ citrus fruits.

Foods that should be avoided:

• Excessive Butter, Ghee, Vegetable oil, Irritating fibrous foods, Fried foods, Rich pastries, Rich puddings, spicy preparations, Strongly flavored beverages 

Remember:

• Don't force your child to eat if they not like some food. You can feed them after a short interval.
• Make their surroundings comfortable in order to ensure they get plenty of rest.
• Call the doctor immediately if the fever consistently spikes above 102-103 Degrees F.

Remember if your child is following a healthy lifestyle; consuming a balanced diet as per the requirements of that age we can be assured that your child’s body will be better able to handle and manage fever or infections.