As winter tightens its grip, parents across the UK find themselves in a familiar battle: fending off the relentless cycle of colds, flu, and sickness bugs brought home from school and nursery.
The Dietitian's Evidence-Based Approach
A specialist children's dietitian and mother, known as Lucy on TikTok, has shared the practical steps she takes when her own toddler falls ill. Her advice focuses on hydration, gentle nutrition, and evidence-based remedies to support a child's recovery.
Lucy's first line of defence tackles dehydration, especially after vomiting. She recommends offering apple juice diluted 50-50 with water. This simple solution is backed by research from the British Medical Journal, which found it to be a good alternative to electrolyte fluids for children with mild gastroenteritis.
"Our sickness episode started with a lovely bout of vomiting," Lucy explained, "so I used 50-50 diluted apple juice with water to support her hydration as it's been shown to be as effective as oral rehydration solutions in young children."
Prioritising Calories and Comfort
When a child's appetite vanishes, Lucy suggests creatively boosting calorie intake with easily digestible foods. Her strategies include:
- Cooking orzo pasta in milk.
- Adding egg or extra toppings to porridge.
- Buttering toast on both sides.
- Offering fluid-rich foods like yoghurt, which can be frozen to soothe sore throats.
She also advocates for plain, simple, and predictable foods like toast, crackers, and rice, which are often easier for an unwell child to accept and digest.
Natural Remedies and Immune Support
For persistent coughs that worsen at night, Lucy turns to a natural remedy. She gives her daughter honey in warm water before bed, citing evidence that it can improve nocturnal coughing in children over one year old and is as effective as some cough medicines.
Throughout illness, she maintains her child's daily vitamin D supplement due to its importance for immune function. As recovery begins, Lucy offers a mix of plain foods, deconstructed family meals, and respects her toddler's own requests, even if they result in unusual combinations like cheese and raspberry wraps.
Parents have widely praised Lucy's practical guidance online. One commenter said, "This is so helpful - thank you! Great to know about the apple juice," to which Lucy replied that it was a "great hack" she was glad to share.
