Manipur shivers : Doc shares tips to tackle health hazards
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 22 2023: Cold, cough, wheezing or rattling sound in child's chest, diarrhoea are common in children when pollution rises and temperature dips, said Dr Ranbir Laishram, Head of Department of Paediatric, Shija hospital.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Dr Ranbir talked about common diseases in children during winter and what parents should do to cure and avoid them.

Wheezing
Talking about a common health issue among children/infants, Dr Ranbir said wheezing is a common symptom of infection or respiratory conditions in children.

Wheezing is common due to change in season, and pollution.

It requires timely visit to a doctor or a hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.

The treatment includes nebulization.

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Wheezing has not caused any death but if left treated, it may become serious.

This requires proper investigation, he said.

Wheezing is more common in babies and young children because they have smaller airways that can create this kind of sound.

Even a mild cold can cause wheezing in babies due to increase in the amount of mucus in the narrow airways.

Cough
Coughing in daytime, in most cases, is not serious.

On the other hand, care should be taken up if the child suffers from night cough, said Dr Ranbir.

When a 2-3 year old child is suffering from night cough, parents should consult a doctor or bring him to the hospital, he said.

If the cough is intense after 12 am and around 3.30 am and if the child sits upright from sleep, parents should know that the child is very tired.

The child should be brought to the hospital for proper treatment, said the doctor.

Viral Infection
Viral infection among school going children is very common this year.

They usually get infected from other infected children in the classroom, playground and school vans, Dr Ranbir said.

Children are usually packed in a small space inside a school van to go to school and return home.

Due to the current crisis, most rooms in schools have been occupied by displaced people.

As a result, a large number of children are packed in one or two available classrooms.

The chance of transmission of viral infection in such settings is high, he said.

Extra care should be given to children during winter.

Small babies and children shouldn't be exposed to cold.

Care must be taken to avoid contact with rain.

Wearing masks to avoid inhaling dust and other harmful particles is very useful, he said.

Diarrhoea
Cold diarrhoea is caused by viruses and is common during winter.

It starts with vomiting.

Vomiting may continue for 2-3 days, followed by diarrhoea.

With proper medication and treatment, it is usually cured in 5 to 7 days.

Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) should be given to children.

If vomiting persists when ORS is given, the child should be brought to the hospital for intravenous infusion (drip) of fluids.

Children shouldn't be fed milk products during cold diarrhoea.

Children can't digest milk and milk products during cold diarrhoea.

However, the child can and should be fed mother's milk, Dr Ranbir said.

Some mothers stop feeding breast-milk when children are suffering from diarrhoea.

They shouldn't stop feeding breast-milk, he added.

Specific dosage of Zinc supplement is recommended in acute diarrhoea for infants under six months.

To avoid diarrhoea, hands should be washed properly with soaps and household utensils should be kept clean and hygienic.

Children should be given warm water to drink and they shouldn't be exposed to cold, he said.

Talking about children's body and metabolism, Dr Ranbir noted that there has been a change in the eating habits among children today.

Fast food or junk food is becoming more popular among people including children.

Consuming fast food, ready to eat food and too much meat harm the intestines, he said.

Earlier children eat proper lunch before going to school.

Now, mostly working parents generally feed children easily available ready-made or ready to eat food products from shops before school.

Parents also pack children's lunch boxes with such ready to eat food/fast food products.

After school, children are again sent to tuition/coaching classes without proper meals.

Such habits and trends cause a lot of stress to children.

It has made children prone to many diseases and illnesses, he said.

Dr Ranbir Laishram continued that the change in the food habit is also a result of shrinking in the size of families.

In olden days, most families were large and joint.

When parents are busy, others in the family cook and feed the children before school.

Now, most families are nuclear in size.

Working parents have little time to prepare food and look after children, he said.

Dengue
The number of Dengue cases is highest this year making it a major concern for people, especially parents for their children, said Dr Ranbir Laishram.

If a child has fever for three days and is vomiting and refusing food, parents should consult a doctor and undergo a test for Dengue.

Drinking lots of fluids and IV infusion is required for treatment.

Parents should use mosquito net and liquid mosquito repellent.

Burning of mosquito repellent coil is common in most families, but the smoke from the coil is very harmful, he said.

The smoke coming out from burning the coil does more harm than cigarette smoke.

So, people should use electric mosquito repellent instead, he said.

Dr Ranbir stressed that parents should maintain hygiene and timely vaccinate their children to avoid major diseases.

When children fall ill, parents should take extra care and consult doctors for proper advice and necessary treatment, he added.