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. Many illnesses are caused because germs enter the mouth.
Illnesses hold back a child's growth.
After an illness, a child needs an extra meal every day for a week to make up the growth lost. Children from birth to the age of three years should be weighed every month. If there is no gain in weight for two months, something is wrong. AIDS is a fatal and incurable disease which is passed on mainly by sexual intercourse. Intercourse is safe if both partners are free of infection and if they only have sex with each other.