Children under three have special feeding needs. They need to eat five or six times a day and their food should be specially enriched by adding mashed vegetables and small amounts of fats or oils. Diarrhoea can kill by draining too much liquid from a child's body. If the illness is more serious than usual, the child needs help from a health worker - and the special ORS drink. A child with diarrhoea also needs food to make a good recovery.
Immunization protects against several diseases which can cause poor growth, disability, and death.
All immunizations should be completed in the first year of a child's life. Every woman of child-bearing age should be immunized against tetanus. Most coughs and colds will get better on their own. But if a child with a cough is breathing much more rapidly than normal, then the child is seriously ill, and it is essential to go to a health centre quickly. A child with a cough or cold should be helped to eat and drink plenty of liquids.