Children under the age of 3 years are not only experiencing an increase in cases of dengue, malaria, and gastroenteritis but also viral pneumonia. A large number of children are making constant trips to the hospital owing to symptoms such as cold, and cough while those having breathlessness require immediate ICU admission. It is the need of the hour for parents to ensure their child’s safety by vaccinating them as per the doctor’s advice and taking care of personal hygiene.
Child name Saniya (Name Change), 28 days old, resident of Mira Bhayandar had complaints of coughing, breathing difficulty, and not feeding. On arrival at the ER his condition was very sick, had saturation at 80% with active convulsions following which he was immediately put on ventilator. He had viral pneumonia which led to lung collapse. The baby was discharged after 2 weeks. There are many kids like him who are suffering from viral pneumonia and need immediate medical attention. Delay in treatment can lead to poor prognosis for the patient.
Dr Ankit Gupta, Paediatric Critical Care Specialist, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road said, “Viral pneumonia is a respiratory infection that results in inflammation of the lungs. The paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the hospital is currently experiencing a high number of cases involving children under the age of 3 years especially less than 6 months who have been admitted with viral pneumonia. This increase in cases can be attributed to various factors, including inclement weather, high humidity, and the reopening of schools. Children with weakened immune systems and pre-existing lung issues are particularly susceptible to developing viral pneumonia. In the past month alone, more than 100 children have visited the outpatient department (OPD) with symptoms such as cold, cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. Out of these cases, 6-10 children have required ventilation support, few children have even required ECMO: a type of Heart Lung Machine that supports the Heart & Lungs till they recover. Failure to provide timely treatment for this condition can lead to complications such as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) that have a very high mortality of around 60%. The recovery time for children affected by viral pneumonia is around 1-2 weeks depending upon the severity. The severe damage inflicted on the lungs by this condition results in elevated mortality and morbidity rates among children.”
“To safeguard children against pneumonia, parents must prioritize their vaccination for pneumonia and flu before the onset of the rainy season. To further minimize risks, it is imperative not to come into contact with a baby as pneumonia can be transmitted through respiratory droplets. Practice hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with napkins, tissues, utensils etc., of infected people. Maintaining distance from sick individuals, limit exposure to child care or daycare centre. Furthermore, refraining from kissing the baby when someone has a cold & avoiding touching the baby’s face with unwashed hands is equally important in preventing the transmission of pneumonia,” he added.
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