Diet taboos for children with chickenpox

Foods that can cause allergic reactions in children, highly irritating foods that can easily aggravate mucosal damage, and foods that are high in sugar and oil can easily aggravate the gastrointestinal burden. As long as the child eats the rest without any discomfort, increased itching, or sore mouth after eating, there is no need to blindly avoid foods. Excessive food restriction will make a hungry child lose energy, but will slow down the recovery of the virus.

You may not believe it. In the past two months, I met a baby whose mother brought chickenpox for a follow-up visit. The grandma chased after her and said that she couldn’t even eat cabbage or pork because it was a “fat thing.” The baby lost three pounds, and the rash subsided faster than a child who ate normally during the same period. In fact, the pediatric nutrition industry has long since stopped advocating blind taboos during chickenpox. The so-called "fat foods aggravate chickenpox" is not supported by any clinical research. On the contrary, many eggs, milk, and tofu that are classified as hair foods are high-quality protein sources that can help children repair mucous membranes and improve resistance.

If we really want to mention things that need attention, the first thing to mention is highly allergenic foods. For example, mangoes, pineapples, shelled seafood, and nuts are common allergens in themselves. During chickenpox, the skin is already in a state of high inflammation. If you eat them to induce allergies, it will only aggravate the itching, and the probability of scratching the skin and leaving scars will double. However, there are also different practical opinions here: Some pediatric nutritionists believe that if the child has eaten shrimp two or three times a week and has never been allergic, there is no need to stop completely. If you observe for half an hour after eating, if there is no aggravation of itching all over the body, it will be fine. There is no need to deprive the child of his favorite food for unnecessary risks.

Also, you should really stay away from highly irritating foods. For example, hot pot with chili peppers, spicy strips, pickles that are so salty and bitter, and foods that are so hot that they are smoky. This does not mean that it will aggravate chickenpox, but when many children have chickenpox, small herpes ulcers will appear in their mouths and throats. It hurts to eat these foods. Last year, I met a greedy boy who secretly took a bite of his father's spicy duck neck. He cried all afternoon and couldn't even swallow warm water. In the end, he went to the hospital for rehydration. It was a completely unnecessary suffering. Of course, there is no need to go to the other extreme. It’s okay to feed your baby dishes that are all boiled in plain water. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes with less salt, or braised pork ribs with a little light soy sauce are all fine. If your baby has an appetite, eating is better than anything else.

As for foods high in sugar and oil, it is recommended to eat as little as possible. For example, cream cakes, fried chicken, iced milk tea, etc., high sugar will increase the body's inflammatory response, which may make the rash more itchy, and high oil will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. People with chickenpox and fever are prone to loss of appetite and diarrhea. Eating these is likely to make the gastrointestinal tract more uncomfortable. But you don’t have to be completely stuck. When your baby’s fever is gone and he wants to eat a bite of cake, it’s not a big deal to eat one or two bites to satisfy his craving. A good mood will help his recovery. There’s no need to force your baby not to touch anything when he’s sick.

Finally, let’s talk about the two most widely spread misunderstandings: one is that you can’t eat soy sauce, otherwise it will leave black scars. This is completely nonsense. The pigment in soy sauce will not be deposited into the skin wounds at all. As long as you watch the baby carefully and don’t let him scratch the skin, no amount of soy sauce will leave scars.； The other is that eggs and milk cannot be eaten. As long as the child is not allergic to these, he can eat them normally. It is much more nutritious than drinking white porridge for a week.

What I usually tell the parents who come to see me the most is that there is no need to keep a small notebook to write down a bunch of taboos. There are only two principles: first, if the baby does not feel uncomfortable after eating it, and second, if the baby has not been allergic to it after eating it before, then he can eat it with confidence. Being sick is inherently uncomfortable, so being able to eat something you like is a small comfort when your baby is suffering, right?