Children suffer most with dehydration as mercury rises

Bangladesh is going through a highly unusual weather phenomenon as a heatwave is sweeping the country and the children are heavily suffering from diarrhoea, dehydration, pneumonia and cold diseases.

However, it apparently seems that certain conditions prevailing in the country have helped the children avoid severe disease infections.

During visits to several hospitals, including specialised child healthcare centres, in Dhaka, it was found that the number of patients was the same or relatively low compared to the time before the heatwave but the changes have come in the pattern of diseases.

Healthcare professionals said that humidity in the air has dropped significantly due to the severe hot and dry weather during the day and random drops in mercury late at night.

Lower humidity causes no sweating but children must drink more water. However, few patients with diseases like dehydration, less urination and in some cases pneumonia were found, they said.

According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the heatwave will continue to flow over several districts of the country on Monday while other districts will experience low to mid-level heatwave.

In Dhaka, physicians said they have been seeing more patients affected by dehydration, less urination and pneumonia while diarrhoea is the most revealing one in rural areas. They warned that as humidity seems to be increasing, parents will need to be more careful in the coming days.

Professor Dr Md Jahangir Alam, head of the Paediatric Rheumatology Department at Dhaka Shishu Hospital, said that when the heatwave started to intensify, most of the children were already at home as their schools have closed due to Ramadan and Eid holidays.

Also, due to Ramadan, they merely go out to play. So, they are receiving better care at home, he added.

“This is why we are observing the very little impact of the current heatwave on children. Only a few heatwave-related cases came in the past few days while the number of cold-related patients remained the same at this hospital,” he said.

Heatwave-related cases still low

Sources from icddr,b said their hospital generally has around 600 patients just before the rainy season and currently they have some 500 patients.

The situation is nearly the same at Dr MR Khan Shishu Hospital and Institute of Child Health (popularly known as Mirpur Shishu Hospital) and the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute as well.

Mirpur Shishu Hospital’s Prof of paediatrics Dr Nobo Krishna Ghosh said, the number of admissions or the number of children taken to the hospital does not show the real picture. “The change has been observed in the pattern of the diseases they are being admitted for.”

He said there were not many heatstroke cases although the heatwave is continuing. But diarrhoea, dehydration and less urination are dominating the admissions.

Moreover, as the humidity is increasing, the children will sweat more and this may lead to pneumonia for many. So, people need to be more careful, he added.

Different district correspondents of The Business Post reported that more mothers and children, especially those aged five or less, were admitted to hospitals the most in recent days. However, government health officials said there is no information on severe patients or crises till now.

Sylhet Civil Surgeon Dr SM Shahriar said that many patients suffering from heat exhaustion and diseases caused by drinking unsafe water were admitted to hospitals in the past few days.

Dr Rosy Ara Khatun, assistant director (disease control) at the health directorate’s Rajshahi Division office, said they also did not receive any information about severe diseases caused by the current heatwave.

What should parents do?

Dr Jahangir said that although the children seem to be doing well, the parents should remain alert to the excessive sweating of their children.

Children will need to drink water more than usual. If possible, give a glass of water every hour for children aged over 1 year and a sip of milk for the breastfeeding children, he added.

Dr Nobo Krishna said that there is no alternative other than breast milk for children aged less than six months. And those over six months must have fruits and water.

Most of all, ensuring hygiene is a must. Any exception can lead to fatal diseases for children. With the humidity starting to rise from Monday, safe drinking water and oral saline every hour should become the prime duty of the parents, he added.

If the children refuse to drink or have a meal and become very sick, they should be taken to a physician immediately, the professor advised.