Winter, while often associated with festive celebrations, also sees a surge in infectious diseases. The chilly season is marked by an upswing in respiratory illnesses including the common cold, flu, and acute bronchitis in the children. They can even suffer from pneumonia. It is essential to take timely treatment to protect the children from falling further sick.

“During the winter, children can be impacted by a myriad of respiratory illnesses. A large number of children suffer from common colds, coughs, and fever. Bronchiolitis holds a prominent place. Mostly affecting infants and toddlers, it is an illness involving inflammation of small airways in the lungs that is bronchioles caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This virus spreads via droplets from a cough or sneeze and initiates symptoms like runny nose, fever, and wheezing. We are also seeing cases because of Adenovirus and influenza group of viruses. Another winter-related respiratory illness in children is pneumonia which is an infection inflaming one or both lung air sacs with fluid or pus leading to serious breathing difficulty. It could be bacteria, viruses, or fungi that bring about this condition but during winter increased indoor activity can facilitate its spread within families causing more severe pneumonia in kids than adults. Similarly, asthmatic flare-ups instigated by cold weather can make one’s breathing difficult,” said Dr Tushar Parikh, Senior Consultant Pediatrician and Neonatologist at Motherhood Hospitals Pune.