Taking my baby away from the hospital after being discharged came with lots of instructions from the nurses on the do's and don't that need to be followed, one of those instructions that I hold very dearly to my heart is not exposing my baby to the cold of any sort, I have been trying my best to follow this adequately to prevent the complications associated with disobedience.
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A woman also came to tell me a story about how her child was diagnosed with pneumonia after birth and she thought it must be a result of exposure to cold, unsure about the causes of pneumonia in children I decided to read about it so I can protect my child and educate others about it.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by bacteria or viruses. The lungs are made up of small sacs known as alveoli, these alveoli fill the air when a healthy person breathes, but with the presence of pneumonia, the alveoli get filled with fluid and pus instead, this limit the intake of oxygen and will make breathing difficult.
Pneumonia is common as it stands as the largest cause of infection in children worldwide, and statistics showed it has killed over 740,180 children below the age of 5 in the year 2019. There is no locational restriction to the effect of pneumonia, but cases of death are more common in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, but the good thing is that protection is possible and it can be treated with consistent care and not-so-expensive medications.
Walking pneumonia is not a medical word, but so many people have adopted it to mean a mild case of bacterial pneumonia, which means the child is not sick enough to stay at home as he can still walk around without problems even with the presence of pneumonia in the body.
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Pneumonia is contactable, so it could spread from a person who is carrying the germs in fluid droplets in the nose, mouth, and throat. The person infected will cough germs into the air and it takes an unaffected child to breathe in the germs come in contact with the saliva or mucous of an infected person, or touch an item that has the mucous on it.
Pneumonia is more common during the month when the weather is cold, when children spend most of their time in close contact with others, and children below the age of two are more at risk of having pneumonia.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common type of pneumonia that affects children.
*Viral cause of pneumonia is commonly caused by respiratory syncytial virus.
Haemophilus influenzae is the second most common type of bacterial pneumonia.
- For infants who are HIV Positive, pneumocystis jiroveci is one of the most common causes of pneumonia.
The bacterial and viral features of pneumonia are similar, but the symptoms of viral pneumonia are often more than the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia. General symptoms include; cough, fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain, chills, muscle pain, nausea or vomiting, weakness of the body, and loss of appetite.
For pneumonia caused by bacteria, they can be treated with antibiotics, the symptoms should improve within 12-36 hours after medications begin. Taking medications based on prescription is very important, if the medication is not taken as prescribed, it could make the infection come back or not allow the medication to work well in the future. Most often, viral pneumonia will go away on its own.
Giving your child plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, ensuring the child gets lots of rest, controlling the fever with proper medicine, avoid exposure to tobacco smoke are all important to help recovery case of pneumonia.
I mentioned earlier that most viral cases go away on their own as the children can fight the infection with their natural defenses, but this is not usually possible in children whose immune systems are weak through malnutrition or undernourishment especially when these children are not breastfed exclusively.
Pre-existing illnesses like measles and HIV also increase the chances of a child getting pneumonia. Indoor air pollution caused by heating and cooking with biomass fuels, parental smoking, and living in crowded homes contribute significantly to pneumonia in children.
Preventing pneumonia in children is highly important, it is a strong strategy to limit death in children.
Imunization against pneumococcus, measles, Hib, whooping cough, and measles are very important, ensure that your children get adequate immunization at the right time. Giving your children adequate nutrition is also very crucial to help improve child growth and limit their deficiencies. Providing 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding as advised by doctors is important, it helps to reduce the length of illness even when a child becomes ill. As a parent, teach your children to practice good hygiene, and cover their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing.
References.
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/pneumonia
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia