COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to one and all and “being a parent” has been no exception. ETV Bharat Sukhibhava was in conversation with Dr. Vijayanand Jamalpuri, MD, MRCPCH, FRCPCH, CCT in Paediatrics (UK) & Fellowship in Neonatology (NZ), Consultant Neonatal Pediatrician, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Hyderabad.
Kids and elders tend to bond a lot. Kids spend a lot of time with their grandparents. So what is the risk of an asymptomatic infecting an elderly?
-It’s advisable to wear a mask at home if there are high-risk adults like old aged/ grandparents around. It is also better to maintain physical distancing. There have been reports where both the child and the parent were found to be positive but the child has remained completely asymptomatic.
Parents have been asking, is it safe to kiss my child or how do we display our affection to kids.
-It’s important to bond with your kids because kids may not understand the sudden change in behaviour in parents.
- It’s not a good idea to go near your child as soon as you enter your house from outside but it’s important to have a bath and then play with your children.
Kids whose parents are/were in quarantine weren’t getting a clue of what is happening. What is your take on this?
-Adults need to talk about the situation to the kids and provide constant reassurance saying that they are kept away from their parents for a reason and shall be with them soon. Other family members have a big role to play and provide emotional support to these kids and also provide for their needs.
Our customs/ cultural practices have always emphasized on hand-washing, cleaning, bathing before any task like cooking, eating, etc. and now we are increasingly talking of sanitization. How do you view this?
-Just because science has not proved it, you cannot dismiss a custom, at the same time; we cannot blindly accept every custom. It important that we judiciously adapt to customs. There is science behind our customs, view them rationally and good practices can be continued in the interest of our health.
“Kids follow what elders do”. How can we use this to our benefit in educating them about taking precautions during COVID?
-If kids see elders wearing a mask religiously before going out, they will also do the same. If you wash hands before eating with soap and water; they also follow it. I would say it’s a good time to inculcate good sanitary habits in a child.
-Toys are a good way to pass on the right messages to a child. So, one may make a teddy to wear a mask that young kids imitate.
-Kids are flexible and adapt very easily.
It is the parent (s), the family, and the support systems who need to move out of their comfort zones and put in that little extra effort to help the kids in this task.
