1.1 Explain The Effects Of Mental Illness On The Body

When a child is ill the relationship with food and drink changes quite significantly; whilst a child may normally have quite a good appetite which sustains the activity they are doing you can often see a drop in appetite similar to the drop in activity levels. The effect of an illness on the body sends it into a semi shut down whilst it sets about dealing with the illness. when the body stops or reduces the amount of nutrient intake that it gets through food the body will loose energy at the same time. Although the body has gone through a semi shutdown the immune system is working overtime and will need to be hydrated to metabolise the remaining nutrients and keep producing immune system anti bodies. For this reason it is essential for the body to absorb small amounts of fluids at regular intervals apposed to
A child is most likely to be more susceptible to negative emotion when they are unwell exactly as adults would be but they may not have the tools to help cope with it; as a early years practitioner I would look for ways to comfort the child and distract them a little from the illness trying to find a positive in the negative.
This leads to respecting the child's dignity and by this its important they do not feel like a burden or exposed to criticism from peers or others within the environment; being able to find a quiet spot where they can relax in a calm safe but monitored environment will help the child cope with the illness without external