Waterborne diseases are ailments caused by microorganisms in contaminated or untreated aqua. These illnesses are spread through the ingestion of such unsafe water or by eating food cooked with polluted aqua. Usually, contamination occurs if human, animal, and industrial waste is disposed of into water bodies used as aqua sources. Some diseases that could be caused by consuming such water are cholera, typhoid, and hepatitis E and A. Symptoms like diarrhea, stomach aches, and vomiting are the most common signs of such illnesses.
People could also spread these ailments. The most common way individuals may get them is through food handlers. This can be on the street or in hotels. If someone uses contaminated water to prepare meals, they could cause illnesses to customers. Also, if they carry bacteria like Escherichia coli, they could cause food poisoning to their clients if they don’t practice proper hygiene, like washing their hands regularly.
How To Protect Children From Waterborne Illnesses
Besides other signs, diarrhea is said to be a primary symptom in some of the most common water-related illnesses. In children, this symptom is believed to cause more fatalities than malaria and measles combined.
However, parents and children could prevent these deaths by practicing proper hygiene and sanitation. Today, several organizations are working tirelessly to reduce cases of waterborne diseases among kids. These individuals have made some progress over time, but unfortunately, these ailments haven’t ended.
The best way to reduce these cases even further is if each parent protected their children from these ailments. If you’re looking for measures to ensure your kids are safe from waterborne diseases, below are some simple steps you could consider.
Get Your Water From A Reputable Supplier
One great way to protect your kids is by ensuring the water used at home for drinking and cooking is clean. You can do this by sourcing your aqua from a reputable water delivery company.
If you’ve been looking for a good water supplier, consider browsing the internet to find reliable companies around your area. To identify their credibility, check what people say about them on their social media platforms or sites. If you find one with excellent reviews, you can consider them.
Also, it’s best to check if they’ve provided the source of their water on their web pages. In many cases, companies would add chemicals like fluorine and chlorine to treat the aqua they supply. If the firm doesn’t provide this information, it’s best to look for another reliable supplier.
If you have tap water at home, ensure it’s tested in a state-certified laboratory to guarantee it’s safe for your household. If it’s not, you may treat drinking and cooking water by boiling it. Alternatively, you could buy a filter or look for a credible supplier instead.
Teach Your Children To Practice Good Hygiene
Another way to protect children from waterborne diseases is by showing them how to practice proper sanitation and hygiene. This includes teaching your kids to wash their hands (CDC guidelines) frequently and efficiently. This means using water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds, rubbing their palms together, and scrubbing all areas. Also, encourage them to clean their hands after visiting the toilet, touching pets, gardening, and playing with friends and toys, as well as before and after meals.
If they’ve got smaller siblings and they like helping you change diapers, encourage them to do this in areas away from drinking water or the kitchen. Also, if they’ve recently learned to take themselves to the toilet, make sure you supervise them and ensure they’ve washed their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Besides that, warn them against eating food from street vendors and encourage them only to drink filtered or boiled water in the house. If they carry water bottles to school, clean these vessels daily.
Ensure Your Kids Are Vaccinated
Over the years, scientists have helped reduce the number of children’s deaths caused by waterborne illnesses, such as cholera, typhoid, and others, through vaccination. By getting your kids immunized, you could protect them from catching these ailments.
However, although these vaccines might not fully protect kids, they could help prevent severe symptoms and disease progression. Besides that, immunizations could also help lower the mortality rate among children.
Conclusion
It’s believed that waterborne diseases cause hundreds of thousands of deaths globally every year. However, children might be more affected than adults. It’s thought that most kids die from diarrhea caused by drinking untreated aqua. Besides that, poor sanitation and hygiene practices might also contribute to the high rate of fatalities among youngsters.
Luckily, parents could help reduce these numbers and ensure each child is safe from waterborne illnesses. Some of the measures you could take to protect your kids are provided and well explained above. These include teaching them proper hygiene and sanitation and ensuring the water used at home is safe from pathogens. Besides that, getting them vaccinated could also help.