Sep 14, 2011

Vietnam - Respiratory infection rate soars in small children


The cooler autumn weather is being blamed for a surge in the number of children being admitted to hospital with respiratory problems and fevers.

On Monday alone, 1,500 children were admitted to the National Hospital of Paediatrics in Ha Noi, compared to 300 on a normal day. Most were suffering from breathing problems and viral infections, medical staff said.

Dr Le Thanh Hai, the hospital's deputy director, said many children had caught pneumonia. A number of parents had tried to treat their children themselves and unwittingly allowed the infection to worsen, he added.

Hai said 80 per cent of the children admitted to the hospital were under one year old.

"The weather has been changeable, which is why the infection rate has gone up," he said.

Due to the surge in patient numbers, children had been sleeping two and three to a bed, he added.

Meanwhile the number of patients in Bach Mai Hospital's Paediatrics Ward, has increased by half.

Nguyen Tien Dung, head of the ward, said symptoms typically included a high temperature, coughing and vomiting.

Hai said children should be admitted to hospital at the first sign of respiratory problems.

To minimise the chance of infecting others, parents should keep their children away from crowded places. He said homes should be well-ventilated and that parents should bathe their children at midday when the weather was warmer to avoid catching a cold.

Source:  VNS



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