Infections are known as one of the major threats or reason behind diseases among children. Children being less strong to deal with germs and other tiny living organisms hold the highest possibility to acquire infectious diseases. Infectious diseases in children are usually caused due to germs and other similar organisms which are capable of infinitely getting transferred to fresh bodies. The 4 major germs which pose a threat to infectious diseases among children are:
- Fungi
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Parasites
Each of the above germs poses different kinds of threats to cause infections in children. While some are less harmful it should be noted that any infection should never be neglected. Neglecting some infections could lead to deadly diseases and may leave a lifelong impact. They can be found everywhere, which includes the air, water or soil. Infectious diseases in children might evolve due to eating, drinking, touching, breathing, sexual contact, etc. There are several organisms which are known to reside on or inside the skin, upper airways, genitals or even the mouth. The nature of the microorganism and the state of the immune system of a particular child decides the possibility of the microorganism to cause a disease or live as a harmless companion.
There are different kinds of infectious diseases which might affect a child.
- Communicable diseases: These kinds of diseases are transmitted through a single source. Infectious bacteria or the viral organisms are said to be the carriers of the diseases.
- Contagious diseases: They spread rapidly from one person to another which is said to be highly communicable in nature. It may be of the other type as well where the disease spreads from food as well.
- Non Communicable diseases: While this is not transmitted from one person to the other it is equally harmful to children.
Whether it is the communicable, contagious or the non-communicable infectious diseases in children, all of them pose a health risk. In order to control the spread for the contagious infections the exposure to its threats should be limited. It involves two steps namely:
- Isolation: This is applicable to the children who are already affected or are ill due to an infection.
- Quarantine: This is applicable to all those who have already been exposed to some form of infections or infection carrying environment.
There are several infectious diseases which may not pose any risk to anyone but it’s better to be on the safer side. Protecting from infectious diseases in children is highly essential and precautions and right medication could help them be protected. Proper hygiene could help in prevention from certain diseases, but it should be noted that children are at a very high risk for certain conditions due to the fact that their immune system is still under the development stage.