MOTHERS' PART IN FIGHTING CHILDREN'S DISEASES

Disease prevention, not its treatment, is the mother's unique domain. When a disease strikes the infant, the mother has a role to play. This role is particularly crucial during the early years of life and should be performed well. I'm referring to the responsibilities that fall under the category of maternal disease control.

An attentive, painstaking, and judicious maternal supervision is crucial to the success of medical therapy. If instructions are only partially followed or are given careless attention, no medical therapy will ever be effective. It will also almost certainly fail completely if the incorrect assumptions of uninformed attendants are brought to bear. This statement, however, is especially true of childhood and infantile illnesses because, during these years, disease tends to strike suddenly and spread quickly, making it impossible to effectively treat symptoms without acting quickly and strictly in accordance with the guidelines.

The mother's considerate and wise care may also significantly reduce the amount of pain. The young child's needs and wants must be anticipated; the anxiety brought on by illness must be calmed by kind and affectionate persuasion; and the chance that the sick and sensitive child will be exposed to harsh and unkind behavior must be carefully avoided.

Again, it is crucial to follow medical instructions when administering remedies, following a regimen, and taking general precautions, but it is also crucial to provide an honest, sincere, and thorough account of symptoms to the doctor when he sees your child. Without extreme caution from the medical attendant, an untrained servant or nurse may give the patient a very inaccurate impression of the disease's real condition by reporting symptoms inadvertently but incorrectly. Because of this, his judgment may be incorrectly biased, which could have a significant negative impact on the patient's wellbeing. The medical professional cannot spend hours on end observing symptoms, which is why it is crucial that they are accurately documented. The mother or another individual with equivalent competence can handle this on their own.

Other significant arguments that would support how important effective maternal care is during illness could be made, but they will be covered in more detail when the illnesses that they are most closely associated with are discussed.