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Inoculation of preschool children: principles, means, types, methods

Medical expert of the article

Pediatrician
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

Hardening of preschool children is one of the most important tasks for parents if they want to see their baby healthy in the future. Today, the number of frequently ill children is progressively increasing, so various methods of disease prevention in children come to the fore. Hardening is one of the oldest methods, but very effective.

Indications for the procedure

Hardening is an old method of healing the body, which has been known for a long time. Now many are skeptical about this method, since people are used to treating diseases, not preventing their development. Today, hardening, as a method of disease prevention, is recognized by medicine. And the effectiveness of the method can be explained by scientific facts and concepts.

In human physiology, there is a concept of reactivity. This concept means that the human body can respond to any damage or disease by a certain response. For example, when a virus enters the human body, it first lingers on the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract due to the action of the cilia of the epithelium. This is the body's reaction to the penetration of a foreign agent, that is, reactivity. But often the virus can pass further due to the fact that there is an insufficient response to its penetration, which causes the development of the disease. Hardening is one of the methods that allows you to increase the reactivity of the child's body, that is, increases the defenses. Therefore, the main goal of hardening preschool children is to increase immune and non-immune protection to prevent frequent diseases.

They say that when raising a child, habits are formed that then form the basis of his life. This concerns both health and the habit of "not getting sick". Therefore, hardening a child should begin immediately after his birth, but weight should be used with knowledge and in moderation.

Nowadays, there are many methods of the earliest development of a child as an individual, starting immediately after birth. And hardening of young children is one of the points of such early development. Naturally, this method is not indicated for everyone, but it is safe to say that it will not harm anyone. There are certain indications when it is necessary to carry out such a health improvement method. And the indications for hardening for children are limited to those cases when the child is often ill. It would seem that these are incompatible concepts, since if the child is already ill, then additional risk factors in the form of cold water or air will not do him any good. But this is not true at all. And the main task of hardening for frequently ill children is to reduce the number of episodes of the disease and make them easier. This can be achieved by accustoming the child to a temperature that he will tolerate, and then not get sick. There are also indications for carrying out - these are children with frequent obstructive bronchitis, which have a risk of developing bronchial asthma in the future. It is important that in this case, hypothermia is a trigger for further exacerbation or complication of the disease. It is also necessary to note one of the indications - this is the child's heredity. If the mother or father belonged to the group of frequently ill children, then there is a high probability that the child will have similar problems. Therefore, it is necessary to accustom the child to the effects of unfavorable environmental factors that can affect morbidity.

How does it work? It often happens that the first child in the family is a great joy, with which the mother does not know what exactly to do. And here the question of "dressing" the child is of great importance. The mother may be unsure what she should dress the child for the street, so the main principle works - "so that he does not freeze." This is where the upbringing of the child and his health begins. After all, if the child is accustomed to constant wrapping, then the slightest breeze or a sip of cold water can later give a peak in morbidity. If the child is hardened and the mother knows how to do it, then weather conditions are not able to increase the baby's morbidity. This is how the hardening process works - it accustoms both the mother and the baby's body to the conditions of the external environment.

There are some principles of hardening preschool children that must be followed for success. Firstly, start hardening only if the child is completely healthy, because then the child's body has a lot of potential for this. Another principle is the systematic repetition of procedures with a gradual increase in load. Only in this case, the body develops a habit and the correct reaction. It is very important to start hardening to bring the process to at least 14 repetitions, only in this case it is possible to increase the reactivity of the body. Another important principle of the hardening process is an individual approach. After all, different types of procedures are suitable for each child, and if the child does not like the process itself, it will not bring the expected result. Therefore, the child's consent and his personal participation must be taken into account. After all, the hardening process itself can be organized in the form of a game. If parents participate together with the child, this will increase his desire and will be an excellent example.

The main thing to remember is that hardening is possible and necessary for almost all children, because it is an excellent way to be healthy.

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Technique hardening of preschool children

Hardening of preschool children at home is the most convenient way. Even the child himself reacts better to it in a relaxed home environment. Of course, you need to start with a conversation with the child about what it is and why you need to do hardening. Preparation for the hardening process should begin with a consultation with a doctor. You need to make sure that the child is currently healthy and familiarize yourself with the main methods and techniques of hardening. For this, you can consult a physiotherapist.

The technique of carrying out different methods differs, but there are general principles that need to be followed. According to air temperature indicators, there are three options - above 25 degrees, from 15 to 25 and below 15 degrees. If we are talking about hardening by the sun, then you need to start with the temperature regime of the second option and gradually move to a temperature of more than 25. To begin with, the child needs to be taken to a place where there are diffused sun rays for ten minutes. The head must be covered. Then, over the next five sessions, the time spent in the sun needs to be increased by two minutes. And in the seventh session, you need to change the temperature to more than 25 degrees. But the difference should not be too sharp, no more than seven degrees. Exposure to the sun should also begin with ten minutes and gradually increase in a similar way. In general, the course can be from a minimum of two weeks to three weeks. For the best result, you need to repeat the courses two or three times a year.

The technique of water hardening also has some peculiarities. There are slightly different temperature regimes - 35-37 degrees, 20-25 and below 20 degrees. It is better to start hardening with water with a simple rubdown. You need to start with a water temperature of 35-37. To do this, you need to undress the child and rub him with such water. It is very important that the air temperature in the room or outside is within 17-19 degrees. After two procedures, the water temperature should be reduced to 20 degrees, and after two more procedures - to 15. Then you need to move on to dousing with water at 20 degrees. Such dousing should be repeated every other day, and after five or six procedures, you can move on to daily dousing. A shower can be used after a course of dousing daily, a contrast shower is especially useful. To do this, you need to change the temperature from higher to lower. This method is convenient, because it can be used at any time of the year, even while bathing a child.

Hardening in winter has its own characteristics, here you need to be very careful about the temperature regime. You need to start with light clothing and a walk at a temperature of at least 5 degrees. Then you can gradually reduce the amount of clothing, but leave a hat. Then the temperature can be reduced to 0, while walking outside or doing exercises, but not just standing in the cold. At this time, the child should breathe through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. A hat is necessary, but clothing can be in the form of an autumn jacket that does not let in the wind. It is not recommended for children to harden more at a lower temperature.

Hardening of preschool children in kindergarten is often carried out in the form of daily walks outside. There are no special programs for hardening in children's institutions, since now there are many frequently ill children and it is difficult to unite them into one group that would do this. But at the request of parents, it is possible to organize walks and exercises with children in the morning, when they first come to kindergarten.

Hardening methods and how to use them

There are several methods of hardening, and they are used in different cases and for different children. The most common methods are hardening by air, water, and sun. These are the factors that can affect the health of the child and this influence can be changed.

Hardening of preschool children with air can be done in several ways. The respiratory system of children reacts to any air with the help of adaptation mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is the movement of the cilia of the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, which are aimed at warming the air if it is cold. Therefore, hardening in the air can be done with cold air. After the end of the course of procedures, the number of cilia of the epithelium, their activity and function increase, which allows them to better react to cold air in the future.

Hardening with water is used most often, since it is believed that the effect on the body is systemic. There are different ways of hardening preschool children with water and they can be used as the load increases. They use dousing, rubbing, showering with water of different temperatures. You can start with a simple rubbing, and only then you can go to the shower. When using this method, a gradual decrease in temperature helps the internal organs get used to working in this mode. The immune system of children initially reacts violently to such changes and there may even be an exacerbation of the disease. After several sessions, a reaction is developed that allows a protective reaction to low temperatures, just like to a normal, “familiar to the body” temperature. Hardening preschool children with air can be used even in winter, then you can use snow instead of water. But you must not forget about the gradual nature of such activities.

Hardening of preschool children by the sun is as effective a method as other methods. The effect of such a process is the synthesis of many vitamins and biologically active substances under the influence of sunlight. The child's skin not only protects the body from harmful substances, but also has cells that synthesize active forms of vitamins. For example, vitamin D is synthesized under the influence of the sun. This vitamin not only ensures the growth of the child, but the growth and development of many cells in the body. Immune cells and non-specific defense cells also depend on vitamin D. Therefore, sunbathing is very important for a child and must be present, but only in moderation. A child cannot sunbathe in direct sunlight like an adult. For hardening, only diffused sunlight can be used and only during the time of minimal radioactivity of the sun's rays - this is before 11 am and after 4 pm.

There are also non-traditional methods of hardening preschool children, which include the use of physical exercise. Of course, simple dancing or wrestling classes are not as much included in the concept of hardening as more serious loads. Today, you can see some parents who force their children to do professional sports. Sports tone blood vessels, improve the work of the heart and other muscles, improve coordination and the breathing process. All this helps the body adapt to many unfavorable conditions. But excessive sports exhausts the child, and does not, on the contrary, strengthen. Therefore, such activities cannot be called hardening if they are excessive.

Contraindications to the procedure

Contraindications to the course may be general and temporary. Temporary contraindications are acute pathology or illness of the child at the moment. For example, if the child has a respiratory infection, intestinal infection or other disease, then hardening should be postponed. Also, if the child falls ill during the course, then the classes should be interrupted and then started over, and not from the moment when they were interrupted. Temporary contraindications also include insufficient weight of the child, the period after vaccination.

General contraindications are conditions such as immunodeficiencies, leukemia, severe anemia, congenital defects. Such severe and chronic diseases must be discussed with the doctor regarding such prescriptions.

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Consequences after the procedure

Consequences after the procedure may occur if the technique is incorrect. Often there may be an acute disease in the form of bronchitis, pneumonia, in case of incorrect use of different temperatures. Complications after the procedure may be in the form of exacerbation of chronic diseases.

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Care after the procedure

Care after the hardening procedure is to dry the child with a dry towel and put on dry clothes if there were water procedures. If the child took sun baths, then after the procedure you need to give the child something to drink to restore the water balance. Care after air baths consists of simply moisturizing the skin to avoid dryness after the wind. It is important after any hardening procedure for the child to eat to restore strength and synthesize energy.

Summarizing all the methods, indications and contraindications for hardening, it remains only to give advice to parents on hardening preschool children.

  1. Before starting, you need to explain to the child why he should do hardening, that he will grow up healthy and strong.
  2. You should only start when the child is healthy.
  3. You need to consult with your doctor about the main rules for performing procedures.
  4. You need to constantly praise your child for his progress.

Hardening of preschool children is one of the few means of disease prevention that is available at home. Such activities are not difficult in technique, and they develop not only a strong immune system in a child, but also discipline. It is very important to instill in children not only a love of books and learning, but also a healthy lifestyle.

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