Acute respiratory infections continue hitting child population

Rawalpindi

Acute respiratory infections have been hitting child population in this region of the country severely for well over a month and the incidence of colds, sore throat, cough, flu and pneumonia is still on the rise.

Paediatrics departments operating in two of the three allied hospitals in town including Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital have been receiving heavy influx of child patients with ARIs which are considered as the most common causes of both illness and mortality in children below five years of age.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday has revealed that well over 70 per cent of the total child patients visiting paediatrics departments at the HFH and BBH are with upper or lower respiratory tract infections while a significant number of child patients particularly below five years of age are visiting allied hospitals with triggered asthma which, according to health experts, is more alarming.

The allied hospitals are receiving over 10 per cent of the total child patients with lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia, one of the top killers of children below five years of age that claims not less than 90,000 lives in Pakistan every year.

The incidence of flu among child patients having asthma aggravates asthmatic problem and to avoid complications, like patients should be safeguarded from cold and getting wet.

Head of Paediatrics Department at Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Dr. Rai Muhammad Asghar expressed to ‘The News’ that most of the parents think that the extreme cold weather has come to an end and the spring is about to set in. Many a parents think that they do not need to take extra care in cases of children but it is not the case as the acute respiratory infections are still on the rise, he said.

He said the spread of respiratory tract infections can be avoided by following simple preventive measures. It is need of the time to create sufficient awareness among parents on how to avoid incidence of upper respiratory tract infections including colds, runny nose, sore throat, cough and flu among children.

Children should be protected from cold by using warm clothing to avoid upper and lower respiratory tract infections while infants should be exclusively breastfed for at least first six months of age to avoid pneumonia. Parents should avoid children from getting wet to avoid pneumonia and children should be kept in clean environment and their rooms should be well ventilated, he said.

He said that parents must be aware of the fact that for protection from pneumonia, all children below five years of age must be administered pneumococcal vaccine and haemophilius influenzae type B (HIB) vaccine which is available under Expanded Program on Immunisation.

He added that administration of measles vaccine is also a must for every child. In case a child has missed any of the said vaccines, parents can take him or her to the allied hospitals where these vaccines are available for all children free of cost, he said.

He added that upper respiratory tract infections are highly contagious and can be passed by tiny droplets produced during sneezing or coughing of infected persons or children and parents of infected children should take extra care to avoid spread of the infection.

Dr. Rai said the incidence of pneumonia should not be taken as lightly because through prevention and in time management of the cases, more than 70 per cent of the deaths can be avoided.