Living in Nigeria, one of the troubles you would face is keeping yourself safe from malaria. The climate provides the perfect place for mosquitoes to roam wild and breed freely. Malaria is a big problem that often proves fatal in most cases. The good thing is there are malaria medications that treat the illness, often relieving the person in just a few days. At other times, the person would have to go to the hospital for treatment. Nonetheless, malaria in Nigeria is a serious issue. It affects over 50 million Nigerians every year, and can be fatal.
As with anything else, prevention is better than cure, so people go to great lengths to protect themselves from malaria. While it may be easier for adults to protect themselves, it is not the same for babies, who are most vulnerable to mosquito bites. One study stated that malaria is the cause of 30% child mortality in Nigeria, especially in children below five years. Hence, it’s crucial to know how to protect your baby from malaria.
Here, we would be looking at some ways you can protect a baby from malaria.
Cover The Baby’s Body
The first place to begin is by making sure your baby’s body is covered at all times. To do that, you should wear the baby long-fitting clothes that cover all parts of their bodies, including their toes and hands. You can use gloves and socks to cover their fingers and toes. Avoid leaving the baby’s body exposed for too long.
Keep The Room Cool
When you have a baby in a room, make sure it is very cool. You could use fans or an air conditioner to keep the temperature in the room cool. The cold in the room would serve as a deterrent to the mosquitoes as they find it easier to survive in hotter rooms.
Keep Windows and Doors Shut
Another thing you can do to protect your baby from malaria is to keep your doors, and windows closed, especially in the evening. This is to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house. You can put nets on the windows so you can keep them open to let in cool air. The net would keep the mosquito out of the house.
Use Treated Mosquito Nets
In addition to the nets on your window, you should also get nets for your bed for extra protection. Some mosquitoes may still make it into your house through the door or through tears in the window net. It is best to go for treated mosquito nets that would kill the mosquito the minute it comes in contact with it. That way, both you and your baby would be safer.
Clear Your Surroundings
One big step you can take to protect your baby from malaria is to clear your surroundings and make it unsuitable for mosquitoes to breed. This includes cutting the grass around you and getting rid of stagnant water outside. A clean environment is a safe one.
Watch Out For Signs Of Malaria
Even after doing all of these, you should still pay attention to your child, so you can detect any first signs of malaria. Detecting it early would lead to early treatment. Ensure that you take the child to a doctor for treatment rather than attempting to self-diagnose. Do not give the baby the malaria medicine you take. Even if you have a child of 2 years old at home, do not give the malaria medicine meant for them to the baby.
