16 percent of dengue patients are under 15 years old

Jawad, an 11-month and 23-day old, is being treated at bed number 51 of the dengue-specialized ward at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in the capital. There is no place left on his tiny hands and feet for a cannula. Out of necessity, saline is being administered through a cannula in his head, too. Next to him, at bed number 52, Jawad's older brother, 4-year-old Azoad, also infected with dengue, is undergoing treatment. Although another brother of theirs also has a fever, the parents left him in the village.

According to data from the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services, 121,699 people have been hospitalized with this mosquito-borne disease this year. Among them, the number of children under 15 is 20,004. And 377 people have died during this period, of whom 56 were under 15 years old.

Public health experts say a significant number of children are being infected with dengue. Many are also dying. The figures provided by the Directorate General of Health Services do not present a complete picture of dengue infections and deaths. There are also discrepancies between hospital counts and the Directorate General of Health Services' figures. In addition, due to the Directorate General of Health Services' "five-year interval counting method," the accurate number of children (up to 18 years) infected and killed by dengue cannot be known.

According to public health expert Mushtaq Husain, "In the case of any disease, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are at higher risk. It is the same with dengue. As soon as children are infected with dengue, they should be kept admitted to a secondary hospital under a doctor's supervision. This will reduce complications in children and lower the risk of death."

Visiting the dengue-specialized ward of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute on Saturday morning, it was seen that Jawad's mother was looking after him. And his grandmother was busy caring for Azoad. Jawad's mother was saying, "My sons developed fever within two days of each other. The fever was 105 degrees. After tests at Brahmanbaria Hospital, doctors advised taking them to Dhaka quickly. And since the fever of the seven-year-old eldest son was lower, we left him with his grandparents."

Like the two children from Brahmanbaria, 58 children are being treated for this mosquito-borne disease at this hospital. Among them, 6 new patients were admitted between midnight and noon. One child died. And this year, 755 children have received treatment for dengue at this hospital. Six children have died.

Associate Professor Md. Kamruzzaman of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute says, "Young children have comparatively lower immunity. They cannot express their physical problems themselves. Besides, when they fall ill, they stop eating. Then complications increase further." Therefore, this doctor advises seeking a doctor quickly as soon as there is a fever. He also said that waiting up to three days after a fever develops increases complications in many children.

Analyzing data from the Directorate General of Health Services, it is seen that 6,270 children infected with dengue are under 5 years old. Twenty-four children of this age have died. Again, 6,238 children aged 5 to 10 have been infected, and 18 children have died. Although 7,496 children aged 10 to 15 have been infected, 14 have died. In other words, the risk of death is higher for young children.

Maskan, 2 years 7 months old, died on October 9 while undergoing treatment for dengue at the hospital. Maskan, from Purba Shewrapara, was treated at the Shishu Hospital. Information on four children who died at this hospital has been found, all of them under 10 years of age.

Senior Consultant of the Pediatrics Department at BIRDEM General Hospital, Abid Hossain Molla, says, "Overall, the younger the age, the higher the risk of death. As with other diseases, children are at higher risk in the case of dengue. In that respect, younger children are at greater risk than others." He said that along with prompt treatment, children infected with dengue also need more care.

This doctor further says that if a child is infected with dengue a second time, the risk increases. When infected with this mosquito-borne disease, fluid leaks out of the blood vessels and blood pressure drops. As a result, blood flow to the child's brain, heart, kidneys, and lungs does not remain normal. There is also a risk of bleeding due to protein deficiency and a drop in platelets.

Parents of several child dengue patients say they were aware of protecting their children. They did not realize when their child was bitten by a mosquito.

In this regard, doctor Md. Kamruzzaman's comment is that since young children move around less and cannot swat mosquitoes themselves, they get more easily bitten. Besides, many children use devices, and children may be less attentive because of this. Mosquitoes also bite while using the toilet. This pediatric doctor advised giving extra attention to children.