According to the president of the Mexiquense College of Medical Specialists in Family Medicine, Dr. Blanca Estela Chávez Cruz, it is essential to continue with post-pandemic psychological care for minors as they are exposed to problems such as depression, stress and fears that might bring long-term problems, but with emphasis on those children with disabilities.
For the specialist This sector requires special care that must be sought in a process of adaptation to the new normalsince if left untreated they might lead to permanent or long-term problems, such as depression or some other health disorders.
During the award ceremony for the second drawing contest “Solidarity from Heart to Heart”, convened by Comefam and in which girls and boys participated, expressing, through their creativity, messages on how they might support sick or disabled minors, it was pointed out also that for a large number of people the pandemic meant neglecting other preventive aspects of health in general and this can have consequences in diseases that, when detected in time, can be treated correctly, and to a large extent that is the task of Family Medicine .
Chavez Cruz stressed that the confinement and the interaction of the family even brought roles of responsibility in minors with or without some disabilitywhich will have a collateral effect during their growth, by not allowing them to develop according to the established roles of their age.
“Unfortunately, far from playing, they were even integrated into the care of the same family, both in responsibilities within the same house, and in the care of a sick relative, the grandfather, the father or themselves.”
He stressed that stress also causes indirect problems; children who live with high levels of stress are at greater risk of developing being overweight, sleeping disorders, or smokingelements that can obviously cause serious health problems.
“We have cases of children with asthma, autism and other issues, with apparently normal development, however they end up suffering some mistreatment by other little ones. It is important that they recognize that we are all special, however there are those who require a little more tolerance, attention and care.
He detailed the probability that, in addition, the pandemic will increase the severity of many problems such as food insecurity, levels of stress and violence in the home and substance abuse by parents. Those are factors that researchers have linked to lifelong health problems in children.
The new normality, he concluded, “is a very long process, but we have to achieve it. It is important that families touch that point so that it is within the family where we rescue the little ones to reintegrate them into their normal life, with a level of responsibility, but that they develop as children”.
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