Give your child extra care this season

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It is not just dengue that has been on the rise, paediatric wards across city hospitals are witnessing an increase in the number of pneumonia cases as well. Changes in weather affect the immunity level of children and this gives rise to bacterial infection, say doctors.

Two-year-old Bhumika, who lives in Rajajinagar, was admitted to Shri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain Hospital on Thursday afternoon with symptoms of pneumonia and distressed breathing.

“There was a relapse in her health condition. We observed her for about 12 hours but there was no improvement in her condition. Early morning on Friday we referred her to Manipal Hospital where she is on ventilator support in the paediatric intensive care unit,” said Dr Kiran Kinger, paediatric consultant, Shri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain Hospital.

Dr Jagdish Chinappa, paediatrician at Manipal Hospital has seen an increase in pneumonia cases of 20-30 per cent in the past few weeks.

“On an average we are getting about 15 children complaining of fever, cold and cough, out of which one or two turn out to be pneumonia cases. The change in weather helps the flu virus to multiply, affecting especially the respiratory tract. With children’s immunity level being low, they become easy victims of bacterial infection," he explains.

He says extra precautions must be taken for children during this time of year. “Parents need to check that the child washes hands properly. If a case is severe the child must be isolated and keep away from other children. If children show symptoms of difficulty in breathing, consult a doctor immediately,” he said.

The situation at the State-run Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) is no different. On Friday, the 35-bed intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital was full. Dr Shivananda, director of the hospital, said: “On an average, every day 25-30 children require admission to the hospital. Most cases are related to pneumonia and a few of them to dengue. We have set up a team to handle these cases.”

Dr V.S. Pappu, paediatrician at Jayanagar General Hospital who too has observed more pneumonia cases in the past couple of day puts it down to the change in weather.

“Whenever there is a seasonal shift, the immunity level of children comes down and they become more susceptible to bacterial infection in the form of droplets which enter their lungs through the nose and throat. It starts with a viral infection and if care is not taken, the bacteria get the upper hand, especially in the case of children.”