🏠 Home Care for Common Illnesses
🤧 Common Cold / URTI
✅Saline nasal drops — 2 drops each nostril, 3–4 times/day
✅Steam inhalation (supervised) for children above 2 years
✅Honey — 1 tsp at bedtime for cough (only above 1 year)
✅Push fluids — warm water, dal water, warm soups
❌Do NOT give cough syrups / antihistamines below 2 years
❌Antibiotics are NOT needed for viral colds
🤢 Vomiting
✅Small frequent sips of ORS — 5 ml every 5 minutes to start
✅Continue breastfeeding in infants
✅After 2 hours tolerating ORS, gradually reintroduce feeds
❌Do NOT give anti-emetics without doctor's advice
🚨Projectile vomiting in newborn / green / blood in vomit → hospital immediately
💧 Diarrhoea
✅ORS after every loose stool (see calculator)
✅Zinc 20 mg daily for 14 days
✅Continue feeding — normal diet is fine
✅Good hand hygiene — prevents spread
❌Do NOT give anti-diarrhoeal medications to children under 5
🤕 Minor Injuries
✅Clean wound with running water for 5–10 minutes
✅Apply antiseptic and clean bandage
✅Check tetanus immunisation status
🚨Animal bite / deep wound / heavy bleeding → hospital immediately
💊 Safe Medicines Cabinet for Children
✅Paracetamol syrup — 15 mg/kg/dose (fever, pain)
✅ORS sachets — always keep at home
✅Zinc syrup — for diarrhoea (20 mg/day for 14 days)
✅Saline nasal drops — for blocked nose
✅Thermometer — digital, axillary
❌Never self-administer antibiotics, steroids, or anti-emetics without prescription