The incidence of pneumonia, allergy and asthmatic problems along with other respiratory tract infections is on the rise among children and infants in town mainly because of unawareness among parents on how to safeguard their children from the bad effects of the season.
Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that nearly 40 per cent of the total child patients presented at the paediatrics department at Holy Family Hospital are either with pneumonia or with allergy or asthmatic problems.
On average, the paediatrics outpatient department at the HFH receives over 300 child patients daily of which 50 to 60 are with complaints of pneumonia while over 60 are with asthmatic problems or with respiratory tract problems due to allergies. Over 170 child patients are undergoing treatment at the paeds ward of the HFH that has a capacity of 136 beds.
The data has revealed that nearly 40 per cent of the total admissions in paediatrics department at the HFH are with respiratory problems that according to health experts can be controlled if parents take preventive measures in time.
Most of the child cases with upper tract infections are of sore throat while of pneumonia in case of lower tract infections. It is important that by keeping environment of rooms clean, children and infants can be safeguarded from pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections, said Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Rawalpindi Medical College and Incharge Paeds Department at the HFH Dr. Tariq Saeed while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.
He said that over 20 per cent of the total cases reaching HFH paeds department these days are with pneumonia while 15 to 20 per cent are with allergic asthma.
He explained that overcrowding in a room should be avoided as it contaminates the environment if the room is not properly ventilated. Also the rooms in which children and infants are kept should have proper ventilation system and should be in access of sunlight, he said.
He said that pneumococal vaccine is available under Expanded Programme on Immunization at the allied hospitals that provides major cover against pneumonia. “Parents should bring infants below six weeks of age to the allied hospitals for administering them pneumococal vaccine,” he suggested.
It is important that three doses of pneumococal vaccine are administered to infants at the age of six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks.
To a query, he said that parents should provide protection to children and infants not only against cold but also against allergic agents. “Of course, parents need to have sufficient awareness on how to prevent their children from pneumonia and asthmatic problems,” he added.
He said that infants who are breastfed have least chances of getting respiratory tract infections. Children should be given healthy diet in winter containing fresh fruits, milk, egg and meat products because malnourished children are more prone to get seasonal infections in winter, said Dr. Tariq.
He added that smoke whether from motor vehicles or from tobacco is a major cause behind asthmatic and respiratory tract problems among children. Parents should take additional care to safeguard infants and children from cigarette smoke, said Dr. Tariq.
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