Children with heat-related illnesses are being treated at Kien Giang Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital - Photo: C.CONG
Common diseases in hot weather
At the examination department of Can Tho Children's Hospital, the examination area currently receives about 1,600 - 1,900 patients every day. Of which, about 700 cases are related to respiratory infections (accounting for 40 - 45% of the number of patients examined), about 200 cases of intestinal infections; the rest are hand, foot and mouth diseases, dengue fever, chickenpox, mumps, etc.
Doctor Truong Cam Trinh, head of the examination department at Can Tho Children's Hospital, said that hot weather is a favorable condition for bacteria, viruses, and disease-carrying insects such as flies and mosquitoes to grow and develop. This increases the risk of respiratory and digestive diseases, etc. Therefore, families should pay attention and proactively prevent diseases, especially in those who are sensitive to the weather such as the elderly and children.
In Kien Giang, Dr. Danh Ty, deputy director of Kien Giang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, said that since the beginning of 2024, the hospital has received more than 1,000 children for treatment of respiratory infections; more than 300 children with digestive disorders, acute diarrhea and especially 6 children with meningitis and encephalitis.
According to Dr. Ty, the reason why many children come to see a doctor and are hospitalized may be related to this year's unusually hot weather, polluted living environment, dust, etc.
In the past few days, at Kien Giang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, hundreds of parents have brought their children to see a doctor. The hospital's pediatrics department is also crowded with children coming to be treated for respiratory infections, acute diarrhea, skin diseases, and rash fever.
Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet Trinh in Hon Tre (Kien Hai district), whose child is being treated at Kien Giang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, said that her child came home from school with symptoms of stomachache and vomiting. She then took him to the hospital immediately. The doctors diagnosed an intestinal infection and ordered him to be hospitalized for treatment.
How to prevent diseases in hot weather
Doctor Truong Cam Trinh believes that in the hot season, you should first eat nutritious foods and drink enough water to help your body have good resistance to diseases. Avoid crowded places when there is an epidemic, limit exposure to cigarette smoke, polluted places, dust...
Create a clean, airy home environment; limit going out and outdoor activities in hot weather.
For diseases related to the digestive tract, especially in young children, attention should be paid to how to process and preserve food in hot weather. At this time, bacteria and viruses easily arise and multiply, so preserving food after processing is very important.
"Use clean water for eating and drinking, ensure safety rules such as "eat cooked food, drink boiled water", do not eat raw food, food with a rancid smell, food of unknown origin; wash your hands during processing and eating. Currently, it is hot weather, street food left outdoors is very easy to get dirty and spoiled, so you need to be very careful when choosing food for children," said Dr. Trinh.
And according to Dr. Trinh, in the case of a child with a digestive disease, if the child is still breastfeeding, they should continue to breastfeed. Children and adults when sick should choose foods that are easy to digest and limit fat.
When there are signs of digestive disorders, you should go to the hospital for examination. In particular, parents should not arbitrarily buy medicine for children to take, especially antibiotics, anti-diarrheal drugs... which may not be effective in treatment, but also harmful to children.
"For young children, you should proactively vaccinate them fully according to the local health department's vaccination program, as well as vaccinate them against some other common diseases," Dr. Trinh added.
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