Docs see respiratory illnesses in children

MUMBAI: The city’s worsening air quality has taken a toll on children’s health with many of them suffering from respiratory illnesses, paediatricians have said.

Dr Tejal Shetty, consultant paediatrician, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, said about 10-12 children are visiting the outpatient department (OPD) every day with complaint of persistent cough and cold that deteriorate in the evening.

“As the routine therapy is not working, we are treating them symptomatically with anti-allergic medication, bronchodilators, steroids in rare cases, and cough syrup to soothe their throats. We avoid antibiotics if there is no bacterial infection,” she said.

Dr Shetty further said asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory problems are commonly caused by air pollution. “Children are more vulnerable because their lungs are in a developing stage. Parents should advise their children to wear masks, especially during winter, and use home remedies instead of overthe-counter medications.”

Dr Indu Khosla, a paediatric pulmonologist in Andheri, said in the last two days, more than 95% of her OPD patients had been children. “We have been seeing respiratory illnesses but the number has gone up with the poor air quality. We are seeing infants too with viral respiratory infections.”

She said while she is seeing more of cough and cold at present, asthma and bronchitis cases may rise if the air quality continues to remain poor in the next few days.

Fluctuations in temperatures make young children, and even adults prone to a slew of respiratory ailments that may range from common cold to persistent cough, wheeze, exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia and others, Dr. Behzad Bhandari, paediatrician at SRCC Children’s Hospitalhaji Ali, said. “Low temperatures along with ongoing construction projects like Coastal Road and metro lines, which inadvertently increase the pollution level and particulate matter, are responsible for a surge in these cases. Children are more vulnerable in early mornings or late evenings/nights when the air is colder and the amount of dust is on the higher side.”