Jakarta (ANTARA) – Chairman of the National Commission on Child Protection (KIPI) (Post-Immunization Follow-up Events) and a specialist in Pediatrics, a sub-specialist in Child Health, Infection and Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. dr. Hinky Hindra Irawan Satari, Sp. A, Subsp. IPT, M.TropPaed explained that consuming guava juice, date juice and papaya leaf water is not to treat dengue fever but will only increase platelets.
“The fatal effect of dengue fever that can cause death is due to leakage of blood vessels. Not a low platelet count. So guava, date juice, papaya leaf water, it is claimed to increase platelets,” said Hinky when met by ANTARA at the hospital Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, Monday.
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“So actually that’s not the goal of treatment. The management of DHF treatment is fluid replacement because the blood vessels are leaking. Not to increase platelets. The platelets will go up on their own,” he continued.
However, Hinky said that it was okay if parents wanted to give guava juice, date juice or papaya leaf water if their child had dengue fever. However, it should be focused on meeting the child’s fluid needs.
“If the blood vessel leaks, you don’t give water, you will be in shock, you can die. So actually you can give guava juice, papaya leaf water or date juice. But it’s not just to increase platelets. Because the main thing, the key word is giving fluids that as needed. In accordance with the degree of leak in the child’s blood vessels,” he explained.
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Therefore, when a child has dengue fever, parents are not required to give date juice, guava juice or papaya leaf water. However, parents can give other liquids such as milk, tea, or even soup to children so that their fluid needs can be met.
“It doesn’t mean that he likes guava juice and his platelets go up. Isn’t it. Platelets will indeed go up on the 6th day. It’s the same as measles. It’s indeed a week’s sickness. If we fill up the fluids, God willing, the platelets will go up on their own,” he explained.
“It doesn’t have to be guava juice either. If you want avocado juice, you want any juice, just drink it. Tea, water, milk, soup can also be used. Anyway, it’s liquid,” Hinky explained.
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