Rain Bugs Go Away!

Monsoon is rife with water-borne ailments. With infants and children being the most susceptible, here's a ready reckoner to help decode your little one's symptoms and cures.

- Dr. Tj Antony

WHEN MOSQUITOES BECOME A MENACE

dengue

What it does to your child: Dengue begins with high spiking fever that lasts four to five days. Young children complain of body ache. There may also be a transient red rash. Though the fever subsides at the end of this period, two common complications that occur are: Low platelet count (falling around the time the fever begins to subside, and staying low till day 8) and shock (condition appears to worsen with tummy ache and vomiting, giddiness, inability to walk or stand, occasional swelling of the legs, and cold feet and hands). Though low platelet count is what people fear the most, we now know that unless it is less than 20,000/cumm, most children do not need transfusion. The count will rise on its own by day 8, so monitoring is all that is required. Shock, fortunately, occurs only in a few. Again manifesting around the time the fever is subsiding, it needs urgent, specialized care. However, this too is transient in nature and most kids, will begin recovering by day 8-day 9.

What to expect from your doc: He will advise blood tests for the diagnosis. They include NS-1 at the initial phase and an antibody test by the end of first week of fever. He will also examine for signs of early shock.

There is no specific treatment for dengue. Your doctor will prescribe only paracetamol as most of the other fever-reducing medicines tend to affect the platelet count. Your little one will require plenty of fluids that’ll ensure good urine output.

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