The worsening air quality across Delhi-NCR is affecting children too, with doctors saying cases of asthma and respiratory issues among the young have doubled as compared to last month. According to Dr Ajay Kumar, professor of the paediatric chest clinic at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, cases of asthma exacerbation have increased in the last two weeks. “More patients have come for respiratory issues, and generally children are in the age group of 2-13 years while those in the 6-11 year age group are coming in large numbers for asthma exacerbation. In the last two weeks, 15-20 per cent more children with respiratory illness have come to our department,” said Dr Ajay. He added that there are a number of factors responsible, and pollution is one of them. “Pollution, cold exposure, change in the season, and passive smoking have aggravated asthma in these children,” he said. At the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Delhi, children suffering from asthma have also shown exacerbations, and their condition has worsened as compared to a month ago, said Dr S K Kabra, professor at department of paediatrics. Dr Krishan Chugh, director and head of department of paediatrics, Fortis Memorial Research Institute said that in the last week, asthma cases in children have increased tremendously. “Until last month, asthmatic children formed only 10-20 per cent of my patients. This number has increased to almost 80 per cent. A few have had serious symptoms and required hospitalisation,” he added. According to Dr Manish Mannan, head of the paediatrics and neonatology department at Paras Hospital in Gurgaon, children under the age of 5 breathe air faster than adults, and as a result take in more contaminants. “Children are more susceptible than adults to the impacts of air pollution as they breathe air that is 93 per cent polluted on a daily basis. This can seriously endanger their health and development. Asthma and childhood cancer can be brought on by air pollution, which also has an effect on neuro-development and cognitive function. High levels of air pollution may put children at higher risk for developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease in later life,” he added. He further said a large number of children are also reporting migraine and headache issues because they can be triggered by air pollution. “Lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) are among the air pollutants that have been linked positively to migraine intensity, frequency, and duration as well as the frequency of medical visits as a result of migraine attacks,” said Dr Mannan. Doctors said that children and senior citizens should be prevented from stepping outdoors and should not play or go for a walk in the morning and evening hours when pollution levels are extreme. Dr Prabhat Kumar Bajpai, senior consultant of paediatrics and neonatology at Accord Super Speciality Hospital in Faridabad said the number of young children coming with asthma and related complications in the OPD is only going up. “Since mid-October, we have been seeing about 7-8 children with asthma features coming to the OPD daily. Sometime back, we were not getting such cases or there was a maximum of 7-8 in the entire week. So, the air pollution has spiked the problem,” he added. He said the worst affected are children from the age group of 2-8 years. “Parents should ensure enough hydration of children, and they should play only between 9 am to 4 pm when the sun is out. Kids should wear masks before going out and add citrus food to their diet and avoid junk food,” Dr Bajpai suggested.
