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Protecting health of children

Md Sazedul Islam | Published: February 15, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Palash, aged two years, son of Rahima of Tongi, was brought to the Paediatrics department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital recently with fever and cold complications. On duty physicians at the hospital prescribed medicines for the child and advised his mother to protect him from cold.
The hospital sources said the number of children, affected by different cold-related diseases coming to the hospital for treatment, has increased with the onset of the winter season compared to other seasons. Children are vulnerable to diseases in this season.     
Symptoms of running nose, sneezing, slight fever, pain in body, eyes turning red, loss of appetite and cold are common among minor children during winter. Though other water-borne diseases are not generally seen in winter, common cold, cough, pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma break out in this season. If pneumonia turns acute, the affected children may die. Parents should take their affected children to doctors if their condition deteriorates.
Pneumonia is the main problem for children in winter. This disease is the main reason of fear of those who are born during this season. This disease is most risky for the children. They might be affected by pneumonia due to cold, so they should be given special care. Taking cold water, ice cream and not wearing warm clothes may cause problem for nose, ear and throat for the people especially old and children during the season; because they have less capacity for prevention of diseases. Pneumonia may ensue because of excess exposure to cold.
Severity of sickness of children increases at the outset and end of winter when they generally fall to diseases such as bronchiolitis, bronchial asthma, acute respiratory infection, and different allergy or infection in skin.
 Children may fall to vomiting and intestinal diseases. Children should be given oral saline soon after they fall to diarrhea and vomiting so that they don't face dehydration. Breastfeeding and other normal foods should be continued.   
Children aged between 1 and 5 years fall to different diseases during winter. Doctors advise parents for protecting children from cold and providing more nutritious foods to their children to prevent diseases, which break out in cold season.      
Malnourished children easily fall to winter diseases and they suffer most.
Children can be protected from many of these diseases and in some cases preventive measures can be taken so that children don't become weak after suffering from diseases.
Many of winter diseases last only a few days. Children generally recover from these diseases without taking any medicine. Parents should spend time with their children as love and attention are strong medicines for curing the diseases.
Parents should be aware as the minor children fall to diseases in the winter season. Parents should play a responsible role when their children are affected by diseases.
Preventive measures should be taken beforehand so that children don't fall to diseases. Children should be given vaccination for prevention of diseases. Parents should teach their children about how to wash their hands frequently, which can help prevent many diseases. Packets of oral saline should be available at houses and steps should be taken on a priority basis to prevent diseases if children are affected by any disease.
Pneumonia is one of the main causes of mortality of the children under five in developing countries like ours. Children die within two to three days if they are affected by this serious disease. About 4.0 million (40 lakh) children die of this disease across the world every year. The children whose age is below two years, suffering from malnutrition, deprived of breastfeeding, deprived of vaccination for measles, TB, diphtheria and pneumonia, stay indoor most of time and live in populated and polluted areas and who inhale smokes from smokers' cigarette generally fall victim to pneumonia.
Cold, difficulty in breathing and fever are symptoms of pneumonia. If affected, the children should be immediately taken to physicians for treatment.
Doctors advise following steps for prevention of pneumonia. 'Saldud' (colostrum) should be given to children within one hour of birth and breastfeeding should be continued for two years with exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Mothers should wash their hands well before taking their children on their lap. Smoking should be prohibited in front of children. Doors and windows of sleeping room and kitchen should be protected so that smoke from kitchen cannot enter and stay in room. The children should be given full vaccination, especially for pneumonia, timely within one year.
Care should be taken so that children are not kept at cold weather early in the morning or evening. At that time, warm clothes should be used and caps be used for covering head and ear and socks for legs. Children might also be affected by cold if they walk on house floor without shoes or sandals. Care should be taken all the time. Cold foods should not be served to them. They should be removed from open space before evening.
Babies should not be kept in cold for a long time and cold foods should not be served early morning and at night. They should be removed from open space before evening. Necessary clothes should be used if there is cold inside room. Babies' clothes should be kept in sunlight for keeping it warm. Babies should be kept off air of fan.
Sometimes parents go out for long journey along with their children. At that time children should be more protected and cared. Infection is generally caused in breathing system after such long journey. Children's rooms should be kept hot. Heater or light can be used in this regard. Houses should also be kept neat and clean. Seasonal fruits and vegetables enhance disease prevention capacity.
Parents should be especially aware of their children so that they can remain safe in winter. Preventive measures should be taken beforehand so that children don't fall to diseases.
Water should be boiled properly because it can prevent water-borne diseases. Skin diseases may spread fast if children and people live in congested places.
Children should be protected from cold and be provided with more nutritious foods to prevent diseases caused in the winter season. Malnourished children easily fall to winter diseases and they suffer most.  
The writer is a journalist.

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