Unstable weather, increased pneumonia in children

Pneumonia is one of the common respiratory diseases often found in young children, especially in children under 2 years old. The disease occurs year-round but often increases when the weather changes erratically and the air humidity is high.

Since the beginning of the year, the Department of Pediatrics (University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital Buon Ma Thuot) has received and treated nearly 12,000 cases of children with respiratory diseases, including 2,803 cases of pneumonia. On average, the hospital receives about 117 children with respiratory diseases every day, including about 30 children with pneumonia.

For example, the case of NNĐ. (3 years old, Ea Knuec commune) was hospitalized with a severe cough, runny nose, and loss of appetite after the family bought medicine to treat him at home but it was ineffective. The child was diagnosed with pneumonia, treated as an inpatient for 7 days, and is now no longer coughing, eating normally, and his health is gradually stabilizing. Or another case is NLMK (7 months old, Quang Phu commune) who is also being treated for pneumonia. The child had a prolonged cough, had been treated but it did not go away and was also accompanied by a fever above 38.50C. The family took the child to the doctor and hospitalized him. After 3 days of treatment at the hospital, the child's cough and phlegm decreased and his health improved.

Children with pneumonia are treated in hospital.

According to Dr. Tran Thi Lieu Chi (Department of Pediatrics, Buon Ma Thuot University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital), pneumonia in young children is closely related to weather and environmental factors, especially when it is cold or rainy. In addition, a polluted living environment or frequent exposure to cigarette smoke are also high-risk factors that make children susceptible to the disease. “In the early days, pneumonia has symptoms similar to the common cold: coughing, sneezing and runny nose... but the disease will progress very quickly in the following days if it is caused by the respiratory syncytial virus RSV. Children may have symptoms of difficulty breathing, wheezing, refusing to breastfeed, high fever and in many cases need support for oxygen and mechanical ventilation. If not detected early, the disease can cause respiratory failure and blood infection,” said Dr. Chi.

According to medical specialists, pneumonia is easy to relapse, in addition to environmental factors, it is also due to improper care of children by parents. Many cases arbitrarily give children leaf juice or use medicine without a doctor's prescription, even according to advertisements on social networks. This does not help children recover but can make the disease worse.

To prevent pneumonia in children, Dr. Chi recommends: Parents should pay attention to changes in the weather, keep children warm when it is cold, give children enough nutritious food (exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months), vaccinate children with enough doses and on schedule (pneumococcal vaccine, seasonal flu, measles, whooping cough...), do not arbitrarily give medicine to children. Take children to a medical facility immediately when they show signs of fever, stop breastfeeding, stop eating.

Pneumonia, if detected early and treated properly, will quickly recover. However, if the disease recurs many times, it will affect the physical and intellectual development of the child.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/y-te-suc-khoe/202508/thoi-tiet-that-thuong-gia-tang-benh-viem-phoi-o-tre-0cb03d8/