Six tips to keep your child safe, hale and healthy.
Published Apr 17, 2025 | 10:58 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 17, 2025 | 10:58 AM
Children aged below five can have six to eight upper respiratory infections per year. (Representative image/Wikimedia Commons)
Synopsis: A major cause of frequent coughs and colds in Bengaluru is allergies, caused mostly due to dust from construction, vehicle exhaust, pollution, and pollens. Respiratory allergies can produce frequent colds and coughs which makes babies susceptible to infections of the ear, sinus, and lungs.
Fever is a major issue that worries parents of children in any age group. It is also a common complaint for which hospitals are often visited.
Children aged below five can have six to eight upper respiratory infections per year. In a city like Bengaluru, environmental factors such as weather changes, pollution, and overcrowding play a major role in causing recurrent fever with cough and cold in children.
The majority of babies in cities like Bengaluru attend daycare from an early age as young as six months, which makes them vulnerable to recurrent infection from increased exposure and immune immaturity.
There are millions of virus strains that can cause cough and cold. One infection provides immunity to that particular strain, so recurrent upper respiratory infections are common.
A major cause of frequent coughs and colds in Bengaluru is allergies, caused mostly due to dust from construction, vehicle exhaust, pollution, and pollens. Respiratory allergies can produce frequent colds and coughs which makes babies susceptible to infections of the ear, sinus, and lungs.
Some babies are genetically susceptible to more allergies due to their family history. Basic hygiene, lack of adequate sleep, improper eating habits, eating junk foods, sweetened drinks, bakery items like cakes, pastries, and coloured and flavoured food also add to repeated infections.
Children who are susceptible to allergies end up having frequent colds which cause enlargement of the adenoid gland (the gland behind the nose), leading to open-mouth breathing, snoring, and night sleep disturbances.
In the long run, enlarged adenoid glands cause recurrent respiratory infections, ear infections, and sinus infections, warranting antibiotics in children. It also affects the growth of the child and leads to peculiar facies called adenoid facies where the child always keeps its mouth open with pinched nostrils and protruded teeth. Ear infections are common in babies due to ear canal structure.
In rainy and winter seasons, Bengaluru witnesses many viral epidemics, which increases the possibility of infection when children are in closed spaces like daycare and play schools. Back-to-back infections can affect the growth and quality of life of both parents and children and also require frequent medications like antibiotics.
What’s the way ahead and how can we prevent recurrent infections in children?
As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure.
• Dietary habits: Try improving the natural immunity in children by inculcating good habits like healthy eating with lots of vegetables, dry fruits, pulses, and sprouts, and avoiding artificial, coloured and flavoured foods.
• Good sleep hygiene: Babies should get a minimum of 10 hours of sleep a day. Due to the late-night working hours of parents and gadget usage, many children are sleep-deprived, making them susceptible to infections.
• Hydration: Drinking plenty of water and liquids is the key. A daily intake of at least eight glasses of water is recommended.
• Habits during illness: Practicing and teaching children basic cough and cold etiquette is very important. Handwashing during illness and covering the mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing plays a pivotal role in preventing the spread of infections. Sick children should be cared for at home as going to school or playgroups leads to the spread of infections as well as makes them more prone to further infections. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet during illness is also important.
• Timely vaccinations: Vaccination plays an important role in preventing life-threatening infections. Children below five should take the flu vaccine every year from September to February to prevent infection from influenza. Influenza virus makes babies susceptible to lung infections and other complications. It can also trigger recurrent wheezing in children. Pneumococcal vaccines play a major role in preventing lung, ear, and brain infections.
• Home environment: The maximum allergic trigger is in the children’s bedrooms. The bedrooms should be clutter-free, devoid of things that accumulate dust like carpets, soft toys, etc. Pigeon feathers and cockroaches are strong allergic triggers and should be taken care of. Avoiding strong smells, cigarette smoke, dust, and indoor flowering plants prevents allergic colds in susceptible children. Avoiding exposure to extremes of weather is also necessary.
Proper attention to all the above factors can limit the spread of infections in children to a certain extent. Let us take the necessary steps to prevent our children from falling ill frequently.
(Dr. Anuradha Vinod is a Consultant Paediatrician at the Manipal Hospital, Old Airport Road, in Bengaluru. Edited by Majnu Babu).
