Time to remain vigilant after change in weather conditions

Rawalpindi : A significant change in weather conditions is being witnessed here in this region of the country and the day-time has started getting a little warmer but still the infants and the child population is at greater risk of contracting both the upper and lower respiratory tract infections including cold, flu, cough, sore throat and pneumonia.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday has revealed that well over 50 per cent of the total child patients being presented to the allied hospitals in town are with respiratory tract infections. The paediatrics departments operating in the three allied hospitals including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital are receiving nearly 400 child patients daily with respiratory tract infections on average.

Data also reveals that a significant number of child patients particularly below five years of age have been reaching allied hospitals with triggered asthma which is more alarming. According to health experts, the incidences of respiratory tract infections among children is on the rise mainly because a good number of people have started thinking that the winter season has passed and the spring is about to set in.

Experts say that it is observed that most of the parents are not following precautionary measures as seriously as they were doing in the extreme winter to safeguard their children from cold, flu and other seasonal infections. Parents must take extra care of their children in the existing weather conditions as the allied hospitals are still receiving 10 to 15 per cent of the total patients with lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia.

Experts say that the child patients suffering from asthma need special attention because incidence of flu among these patients aggravates asthmatic problems. To avoid complications, such patients must be safeguarded from cold and getting wet. Experts say that the spread of respiratory tract infections along with other winter-related infections can be avoided through simple preventive measures.

It is time for parents to protect their children from cold by using warm clothing to avoid upper and lower respiratory tract infections while infants should be exclusively breastfed for at least the first six months of age to avoid pneumonia. Parents should avoid children from getting wet to avoid pneumonia and children should be kept in a clean environment and their rooms should be well ventilated.

The most important thing, according to health experts, is that children below five years of age must be administered pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB) vaccine which is available under the Expanded Program on Immunization. Similarly, administration of two doses of measles vaccine is a must for every child and in case a child has missed any of the said vaccines, parents should take the child immediately to the nearest EPI centre or at the allied hospitals.

Experts say that the incidence of pneumonia among children should not be taken as lightly because it is one of the top killers of children below five years of age in Pakistan. Pneumonia claims over 70,000 lives in Pakistan every year. Experts believe that more than 70 per cent of the deaths caused by pneumonia can be avoided through prevention and in time management of the cases.