Recognizing Symptoms and Preventing Pneumonia in Children: Tips from Pediatricians

KOMPAS.com – Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that attacks the lungs. According to WHO, pneumonia is one of the biggest infectious diseases that causes death in children.

Therefore, it is important to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia in children and how to prevent it according to the following pediatricians.

Also read: Get to know the bacteria Streptococcus Pneumoniae, the germ that causes pneumonia

Symptoms of pneumonia in children

To note, the lungs consist of small sacs called alveoli. The sac will fill with air when a person breathes.

When someone suffers from pneumonia, the alveoli will be filled with pus and fluid which makes breathing painful. As a result, a person can experience shortness of breath and lack of oxygen.

Pediatrician Dr Wahyuni ​​Indawati Sp. A, Subsp. Resp, said, symptoms of pneumonia in children generally begin with fever, cough or runny nose and are followed by shortness of breath.

“Generally the symptoms of pneumonia begin with fever, cough or runny nose, then followed by symptoms of shortness of breath which usually occur within 14 days and are acute,” said Wahyuni, as reported by Antara, Thursday (07/12/2023).

Doctors who practice at Dr. Hospital. Cipto Mangunkusumo explained that the characteristics of a child having shortness of breath are breathing effort that is heavier than usual, such as pulling on the chest wall when breathing or the presence of nostril breathing.

To recognize a child who is experiencing shortness of breath, parents can also count the frequency or number of breaths in one minute by placing their hand on the child’s chest.

The following number of breaths indicates that the child is experiencing shortness of breath:

Babies under 2 months: 60 times per minute or more Children aged 2 months-1 year: 50 times per minute or more Children 1 year–5 years: 40 times per minute or more Children over 5 years: 30 times per minute or more more.

Shortness of breath due to pneumonia can be an indication that the child is lacking oxygen. If this happens, doctor Wahyuni ​​recommends that your little one be immediately taken to a health facility to undergo further examination.

By recognizing the various symptoms of pneumonia in children above, parents can be more alert and immediately take their child to the hospital if they experience this condition.

Also read: Is Pneumonia Contagious and Should You Be Wary? This is the explanation…

How to prevent pneumonia in children

Pneumonia can be caused by viral, bacterial or fungal infections.

Therefore, steps that can be taken to prevent pneumonia in children are to prevent the infection from spreading to the surrounding environment.

“For example, when we are unwell, it is best to wear a mask properly, and follow proper coughing and sneezing etiquette by covering your mouth with your upper sleeve or tissue and then throwing it in the trash,” said Wahyuni.

One way to prevent the spread of infection is to diligently wash your hands with running water and soap after every cough and sneeze.

Hand washing also needs to be done after handling surfaces, especially in public places, before eating, etc. This applies not only to adults but also to children.

Apart from that, exclusive breastfeeding, ensuring nutritional status, avoiding cigarette smoke and air pollution are also ways to prevent pneumonia in children that mothers and fathers need to know.

The next prevention of pneumonia in children is by vaccination. Currently there are several pneumonia vaccines that can protect children from this disease, namely the Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus Hemophilus Influenza B vaccine (DPT HiB) which is a combination vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine (PCV), influenza vaccine, and MR (measles rubella) vaccine.

Children who want to get the pneumonia vaccine can first consult with a pediatrician.

Also read: 4 Stages of Pneumonia Development and Their Symptoms

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2023-12-10 10:00:00
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