Hardening

Hardening is one of the most effective methods of increasing the resistance of a child's organism to sudden fluctuations in air temperature and, what is especially important, so-called catarrhal diseases. For hardening, environmental factors - air, water, sun are used. The main principle of hardening is the gradual effect on the body of the training factors, the development of endurance in terms of strength and duration of exposure.

There are several mandatory rules that must be observed when tempering a child to get the desired effect.

First, any hardening procedures must be carried out systematically. If they are irregularly carried out, the body can not develop the necessary reactions. Hardening can not be done for the future. If the quenching procedures are terminated( usually during the cold period of the year), the conditioned connections formed in the body to cold irritations quickly fade and resistance decreases. Therefore, when changing the conditions related to the season of the year, you should not cancel the hardening procedures, but simply change them a little. For example, a shower or common douche, which was conducted in the summer, in the winter can be replaced by pouring feet.

Secondly, the principle of gradualness in increasing the strength of the irritating effect should be observed. This is necessary for the successful adaptation of the organism to changing conditions. Especially important is the gradualness when tempering children of early age, whose body is not able to respond quickly to cold factors.

Thirdly, it is very important to take into account the individual characteristics of the child, his reaction to the stimuli used. Hardening can be carried out only with a positive attitude of the child to the procedure. It is also necessary to take into account the state of health of the child, the peculiarities of his higher nervous activity. If, for example, a child is easily excited, he needs a softer procedure( wet wiping, pouring feet).On the contrary, children are listless, passive should be invigorated, exciting procedures( cold dousing, shower).More cautious is the tempering of weakened and often ill children.

What is the procedure for carrying out various hardening procedures?

The air quenching starts with the airing of the room, as a result of which the air temperature in the room should decrease by more than 1 ° C.The room is ventilated several times a day in the cold season and constantly in the warm.

The most gentle hardening procedure is air baths. First, local air baths are carried out, when the child bare only arms and legs( for example, during morning exercises).Later, common air baths are used to expose the entire body of the child. The duration of the air bath increases gradually, reaching 5-8 minutes.

Children of the first year of life get air baths during the change of clothes( the length of the child's stay in the nude gradually increases), as well as massage and gymnastics. At an older age, a child can take a general air bath, when dressing after night and daytime sleep, is engaged in physical education( in one pant and barefoot).

The air temperature in the room should be gradually reduced by 1-2 ° C in 2-3 days. Beginning quenching procedures at ordinary air temperature( 22-23 ° C for children under 1 year, 21-22 ° C for older).The final temperature of air for children under 1 year is brought to 18-20 ° C, over the year - up to 16-18 ° C.In this case, it is necessary to monitor the signs of hypothermia( the appearance of "goose-skin").In this case, the air bath should be discontinued and the baby immediately put on. It should be noted that in children with allergic reactions, cooling of the body occurs more quickly.

Quenching with water begins with the weakest effects( local), which after a fairly short period( 1-2 weeks, depending on the reaction of the child) are replaced by common procedures. The most mild water procedure is wet wiping, after which the child's skin needs to be grinded with a soft dry towel. First, wipe your hands and feet, then the entire body.

The local procedures include pouring feet with water of ever lower temperature. In this case, moisten the lower half of the shin and foot. Pouring of the feet is carried out at an ambient temperature of at least 20 ° C.The water temperature from 28 ° C decreases every other day at 2 ° C and is brought to 17-18 ° C.

For children of the first year of life, local quenching procedures are washing and washing( initial water temperature 28 ° C, final 20-22 ° C).A child older than a year during washing is washed face, neck, hands to the elbow( initial water temperature 26 ° C, final 17-18 ° C).

Local water treatment also includes local baths for hands and feet. Hand baths can be performed while playing with water( the baby is offered to bathe a doll, wash clothes, wash dishes, etc.).The initial water temperature is 28 ° C and gradually decreases to room temperature( 20-22 ° C).Foot local baths have not only a local, but also a general effect on the baby's body. Foot baths are administered to children from 1.5 years of age. First, children wash their feet with warm water( 33-35 ° C in summer and 35-36 ° C in winter), then more and more cold( lower the temperature after 4-5 days at 1 ° C and bring to 22-24 ° C).The duration of the foot bath is from 1 to 3 minutes. Make sure that before the beginning of this and other procedures the baby's legs are warm. In this case, exposure to cold water causes a corresponding reaction from the blood vessels. When dousing or washing cold feet such a reaction does not occur. Therefore, douche and foot baths are recommended for the child after a night or daytime sleep.

General water procedures, which are the most powerful hardening agents, include: wet wiping, total dousing, showering, and bathing in an open pool.

Wet mopping is made by a soft cloth mitten( flannel, knitwear) moistened with water of appropriate temperature( initial 35 ° С, final 30 ° С).First, the child wipes his hands, then his legs, chest, stomach and back. Hands and feet are wiped, slightly massaging the skin from the fingers towards the body. This helps to eliminate stagnation of blood in the veins and capillaries. After wet wiping, the child's skin should be immediately rubbed with a dry soft towel. You can begin this procedure from the age of 2-3 months of the baby. But in this case, it is necessary to do a dry flushing of the baby's skin with a soft flannel for 1-2 weeks before the appearance of mild redness.

General douche is familiar to the child practically from the first days of life, as each hygiene bath comes to an end. From the age of 9 months, douche can be carried out as an independent procedure with a gradual decrease in the water temperature. The child is poured from a jug, bucket or watering cans, moistening shoulders, chest and back from a distance of 6-8 cm. The procedure starts from 10 s, then can be brought to 20-30 s. After dousing the baby should immediately rub it with a dry soft towel.

For children under 1 year( 9 months), douche after the hygiene bath is carried out with water, the temperature of which is 2 ° C lower than in the bath( 35-34 ° C).For older children, the initial water temperature is 35 ° C in summer and 36-37 ° C in winter, the final temperature is 25 and 28 ° C, respectively. In summer, the duration of dousing can be increased to 1 -1.5 minutes.

The shower is a stronger hardening agent than dousing, because the baby's skin is exposed to stronger water jets that excite the baby. The shower is recommended to children only from 1.5 years old. Especially useful is the sluggish, braked children. If the child is easily excited, then it is better to replace this procedure by dousing or wiping. The temperature of the water when hardening the shower should be the same as in general dousing. After the shower the baby should also be grinded with a dry soft towel.

Bathing in an open reservoir is the most effective hardening agent, since at the same time three natural hardening factors are simultaneously acting on the child's body surface - air, a large mass of water and solar radiation. As a rule, swimming in an open pool is recommended for children over 2 years not more than 1 time per day. Bathing in the middle zone of the RF should start at an air temperature of 25-26 ° C and a water temperature of 23 ° C, in windless weather. The best time for bathing is from 10.00 to 12.00 1-1.5 hours after a meal. The duration of swimming is from a few seconds( short dives) to 2-3 minutes.

Ensure that the child does not enter the water with a hot or chilled body. At the slightest signs of cooling( pallor of the face, blue lips, chills), bathing should be stopped.

After bathing the child, dry up, quickly dress and move into the shade.

The sun is hardened during walks. First, exposure to the sun is carried out in the form of light-air baths( in the "lacy" shadow), then you can go to the local sun baths( bare hands and feet), and later - to the common sun baths( the child is in direct sunlight in panties and a vest or onlyin shorts).The duration of sunbathing - from 2-3 to 10 minutes at a time. In this case, the child should not be forced to lie in the sun. Let him do his own thing, play. During the day, the total time spent by the child under sunlight can be 40-50 minutes.

Children of the first year of life are recommended only light-and-air baths, starting from 3 months of age( calm play in light and shade).Children from 1 to 3 years can play in direct sunlight, but periodically they must be taken to the shade.

It is very important to follow the individual reaction of the child to irradiation, avoiding overheating. The head of the child should always be covered with a light light hat( panama).During a walk in the hot season, the child must be drunk with boiled water or a rose hips decoction. When the first signs of overheating( red face, sweating, dyspnea) occur, the baby should be immediately taken to the shade, washed with cool water, watered, and offered a quiet game in a place protected from sunlight.

An approximate scheme for tempering a child from 1 month to 3 years is given in subsequent articles.

In recent years, the method of tempering children of the first years of life, such as health-improving swimming, has been increasingly used. In many children's polyclinics groups are organized to teach children to swim, starting with the first months of life. In these groups, specially trained nurses spend swimming lessons with children, combining them with massage and gymnastics. In the same place, parents can obtain the necessary information on the method of conducting health swimming and conduct classes at home. Experience shows that children who are engaged in recreational swimming, develop well, grow strong, rarely get sick, and in case of the onset of the disease, it is relatively easy to bear.