We talked to S. Bolor-Erdene, who is a doctoral student at the Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease Center of Inje University, Busan, South Korea.
– Cold season is coming. How should parents take care of their children at this time?
– Flu outbreaks are on the rise. Parents should support their child’s immunity as much as possible. However, it is important to consume a variety of vegetables, bread grains, peas, meat, and soybeans, and other protein-rich products, not because they take a lot of vitamins because they support the immune system.
– How common are children’s colds and flu in Korea during the cold season? In Mongolia, children have a cough, which turns into bronchitis, and they have a cold all winter long. In general, what is the main difference between the quality of children’s treatment and Mongolia?
– Due to the humid climate compared to Mongolia, flu outbreaks are relatively low. But, of course, in the cold season, the workload of pediatricians increases due to the increase in colds and flu. In Korea, doctors treat children according to the standards approved by the World Health Organization and follow these standards very strictly. Doctors carefully schedule the patient’s return date, carefully monitor the results of their treatment, and establish a good feedback loop. Parents should follow the doctor’s advice and instructions very well.
Never arbitrarily choose medicine from a pharmacy. Even a pharmacist will not dispense medicine without a doctor’s prescription. Over-the-counter drugs are available at pharmacies, but buying them is more expensive than choosing the drug after seeing a doctor. Because the health insurance system is highly developed in Korea. Usually, a milder treatment is chosen to suit the symptoms. When prescribing antibiotics, always determine the antibiotic sensitivity and select the appropriate antibiotic for the child. A few days ago, a mother living in Korea gave her six-year-old child antibiotics ordered from Mongolia every time she had a cold, and the child’s condition worsened after using various cold treatment methods on the Internet.
According to the medical examination, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria was found in the blood of the child who had pneumonia and the lungs were destroyed. This bacteria is resistant to antibiotics (penicillin, cephalosporin group) caused by staphylococcus gram-negative bacteria. This MRSA bacteria can spread and infect any part of the human body. In particular, it damages the respiratory system, skin and mucous membranes, and the urogenital system. MRSA bacteria was found throughout the respiratory system of a six-year-old child. There was an unfortunate case of a child who underwent emergency surgery but died of the disease.
The main difference from Mongolia is that parents are very responsible and follow the doctor’s instructions very well. Also, doctors and medical workers strictly adhere to treatment standards, and the health system and health insurance have developed with a very detailed structure.
– Please share the way to prevent colds and flu?
– Koreans pay a lot of attention to their children’s clothing. It is not too dark. Depending on the climate, the child is sent barefoot and is often seen wearing a small handkerchief around his neck. They give a lot of food rich in vitamins, and in the summer they are very fit with the sun and water. Korean mothers are very responsible and take care of their children according to their age. That is why respiratory diseases are very rare among children and adolescents.
Recently, our parents have been getting more flu vaccines to prevent their children from catching the flu. This does not mean that you will not get a cold at all. The results of recent studies show that there is no need to get vaccinated against the flu because children naturally catch the flu and become immune to it. Also, maintaining good environmental hygiene and hand hygiene, humidifying your room, air circulation and wet cleaning regularly are important to prevent colds and flu.
– I heard that Koreans and Japanese do not insulate their children from their feet. You also confirmed it. What is the point of not warming the legs? How suitable do you think this method is for Mongolia’s climate?
– In medicine, it is believed that children breathe with their feet. Avoiding overheating of the feet prevents throat diseases and colds. Since ancient times, our Mongolians used to say that if you wake up early in the summer and walk with your feet covered in the morning frost, you will be less likely to catch a cold or flu that winter. Of course, it is not suitable to send children barefoot in the climatic conditions of our country in winter. But in summer, spring and autumn, children should be sent barefoot to exercise.
