Parents must take extra care of infants, children during monsoon

Rawalpindi: Both the public and private sector healthcare facilities including the three teaching hospitals and private clinics in town have been receiving significant influx of child patients with gastro, diarrhoea and other monsoon related health threats and according to health experts, it is a must for parents to take extraordinary care of infants and children for at least two months from now onwards to safeguard them from seasonal infections.

Experts say the trend of infections among children and infants is endemic in nature at present however the trend may take shape of an epidemic in the coming days if proper preventive measures are not taken by the parents well in time as during the monsoon, a great increase in incidences of viral and bacterial diarrhoea, gastro and cholera is witnessed every year.

At present, the situation is well under control though the rise in humidity and the increase in rainfall spells in the coming days might pose serious threats to health of children and infants, said Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Rawalpindi Medical University and Incharge Paediatrics Department at Holy Family Hospital Dr. Tariq Saeed while talking to ‘The News’.

He said it is time to sensitize public on the issue and convinced them to take extra ordinary care in handling children and infants. Awareness should be created among parents on monsoon related health hazards asking them to take extra care of their children for at least two months from now onwards, he said.

He said that to avoid diarrhoea, children should be given water for drinking after boiling while boiled water should be used for preparing milk for infants. He added that water to be used for children and infants must be brought to ‘rolling boil’ for 5-10 minutes otherwise it might not be safe for a child to consume.

On hygiene, he said mothers should wash hands with soup before preparing milk for infants while children should be made habitual of washing hands with soup before and after eating and after going to toilet. He added fresh milk and food should be given to infants and small children each time and consumption of left-over food must be avoided.

He said there is a need to educate mothers on how to prevent monsoon related infections and how to react in case a child gets infection.

Mothers should be informed that immediately after the incidence of diarrhoea (motion), a child should be given ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) which certainly puts a patient out of danger. However as soon as a patient’s stool gets consistent, the ORS should immediately be stopped as greater percentage of Sodium in ORS might harm a healthy child, he said.

Studies reveal that in cholera, the watery motion resembles that of rice water and dehydration is much rapid as compared to diarrhoea. Health experts say that such a patient should immediately be taken to the nearest healthcare facility for treatment.

Cholera is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae that lives and multiplies its colonies in the small intestine. Massive watery diarrhea is the major symptom of the infectious disease that results in dehydration. Such dramatic water loss, if left untreated, causing severe dehydration leads to thickening of blood, circulatory collapse (shock) and death.

Experts believe that a good number of cholera victims die six hours after onset of symptoms if not treated in time. Nearly 60 per cent of untreated patients die of the disease.

According to Dr. Tariq, cholera can be avoided by giving safe water (boiled water) to children for drinking and avoiding unhygienic conditions. The families should have a clean and functioning lavatory and open defecation on ground, in or near water sources should be avoided, he said.