Is your child rain ready?

Like every year, this year, too, doctors across the city are expecting a rise in the number of kiddie patients. Come monsoons and children with cold, wheezing, jaundice and other routine forms of diarrhoea become a common sight at city clinics.  “But,” says paediatrician RK Anand, “ with the rains getting worse over the next two months we will see other illnesses such as leptospirosis, dengue, malaria and pneumonia. Children are the most susceptible and with the school term beginning there is no way to keep them at home," he says.

While viral fever, skin infections and diarrhoea are on top of the list, other serious ailments, such as typhoid, jaundice, malaria dengue, gastroenteritis and leptospirosis, too,are lurking around.

Battling the cold
"Although cold, cough and fever are easy to deal with, children may develop respiratory problems like pneumonia," says Dr Mithilesh Shah. An illness of the lung, pneumonia presents itself much like the common cold, with frequent coughing with sputum, chills, headaches, joint pains, fever and shortness of breath.

"If the fever persists for more than three days get your child checked," adds Dr Shah.
Doctors suggest that keeping your child dry and warm is the first step to combat the wet weather.

Tummy trouble
Monsoon is the season for binge-eating but it many cases it leads to a case of bad tummy, which may lead to gastroenteritis. Caused by eating and drinking infected food items, gastroenteritis is becoming a cause for concern for parents across the city. 
 
The source of infection includes unhygienically  prepared food, reheated meat dishes, seafood, dairy, and bakery products. Gastroenteritis results in acute diarrhoea "Children should not be allowed to eat from open road side food stalls. Always give them boiled drinking water, if that's not possible then carry bottled water. Home-made food is the best option in this season. Also avoid non-vegetarian food," says Dr Nitin Shah, paediatrician, Hinduja Hospital.

Tackling the tough ones
With open gutters, high pollution level, water logging and unhygieneic conditions other tough illnesses such as typhoid, leptospirosis and malaria are also common place. Caused by salmonella typhi, typhoid is typified by the sudden onset of fever, severe headache, nausea and loss of appetite and may also be accompanied by constipation or diarrhoea. "Sometimes patients show symptoms of paratyphoid fever, which has similar symptoms but is milder in form," says Dr Shah.

Leptospirosis is the other cause for worry — it is transmitted through the urine of infected animals. Humans can come in contact while walking through infected water. "Most people get leptospirosis while waddling through infected water. The infection can enter our body through unhealed breaks in the skin (cuts)," says Dr Shah. Its symptoms are flu-like and is often misdiagnosed. "So," warns Dr Shah, "avoid walking through stagnant water. Treat every cut or wound immediately. And if fever persists over three days, take a blood test."

With rains come mosquitoes and with them malaria. Fever, chills and body ache is symptomatic of malaria, so avoid open drains and at home, use a mosquito net or repellent, suggests  allergist Dr Shikha Misra.

Skin deep
With children playing in the rains and clothes staying damp for long periods of time, skin infections are a big worry. "Waddling through stagnant water even for fun can be hazardous. A lot of people get skin diseases due to fungal infection," says Dr Misra, who suggests that personal hygiene is the best way to combat skin ailments during the monsoons.

Dr Anand recommends a good nourishment to combat the myriad of health problems the monsoon brings with it. "I've noticed that under nourished children with low immunity are the ones falling prey to infections. So, doubling up your child's nourishment, with vegetables, milk and fruits will help them combat and enjoy the season," he says.