DHAKA, Feb 28, 2021 (BSS)- Elian, aged 5, a resident of Mirpur-13 in the capital, has been suffering from common cold and fever in the last few days. Her parent took her to the outdoor section of Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital in city’s Mirpur-13 recently.
Senior Medical Officer of the outdoor section Dr. Md. Shazzadul Alam after checking the minor girl found that she was suffering from common cold with fever, which is common in the winter. Dr. Sazzadul asked the parent to feed their child with one and half teaspoon of mixture of ginger juice, lemon juice and honey thrice daily. He said it would cure the disease along with protection during the cold season.
He said that a number of minor children with cold related complications are coming to the hospital every day with the onset of the winter. Children especially aged between 1-5 fall to diseases such as cold, cough, fever, pneumonia, influenza, and breathing problem, pain in throat and diarrhea in cold weather. Cold related sickness of children increase at the outset and end of the winter when they also fall to diseases such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and different allergy or infection in skin.
Dr. M Monir Hossain, Professor, Bangladesh Institute of Child Health and Dhaka Shishu Hospital, advised parents for providing more nutritious foods to their children to prevent diseases, which break out generally in the cold season. He said malnourished children easily fall to diseases and they suffer the most. He said that children can be protected from many of the diseases and in some cases preventive measures can be taken so that children don’t become weak after suffering from diseases.
Children should be given vaccination for prevention of diseases. Pneumonia is one of the main causes of mortality of the children aged under five in Bangladesh. According to a report of UNICEF titled ‘Fighting for Breath in Bangladesh’, over 12,000 children died of pneumonia in the country in 2018, though the disease is curable and preventable.
Doctors said it is possible to prevent pneumonia through certain activities like regular vaccination, continuing breastfeeding for babies till six months and keeping living places clean. The children whose aged is below two years, suffering from malnutrition, deprived of breastfeeding, deprived of vaccination for measles, TB, diphtheria and pneumonia, stay indoors and live in populated and polluted areas and who inhale smokes from smokers’ cigarette generally fall victim to pneumonia.
Dr. Monir suggested the following steps for prevention of pneumonia. Sal dud (colostrums) should be given to children one hour after birth and breastfeeding should continue for six months. Mothers should wash their hands well before taking their children on their lap.
He suggested the following measures for keeping children well in the winter. These are: care should be taken so that children are not kept in cold weather early in the morning or evening. Babies should not be kept in cold for a long time and cold foods should not be served early in the morning and at night. They should be removed from open space before evening. Necessary clothes should be used if there is cold inside room. Baby’s 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 minor children. Such journey should be avoided.
Infection is generally caused in breathing system after such a journey. Congested places are not safe for children because skin diseases may spread fast if they stay in such places. Parents should play responsible role when their children are affected by diseases. Preventive measures should be taken beforehand so that children don’t fall to diseases.