Children Are Vulnerable To Diarrhea And Pneumonia, Paser Indonesian Doctors Association Asks Parents To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) Paser Regency, Dr. Ahmad Hadiwijaya. (AMONG)

PASER - Chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) of Paser Regency, Dr. Ahmad Hadiwijaya, asked parents to be aware of diseases that are prone to attack children, including diarrhea and pneumonia (pneumonia).

"Currently diarrhea and pneumonia are prone to occur in children, so parents need to pay attention," said Dr. Ahmad Hadiwijaya who is also a pediatrician at the Panglima Sebaya Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Paser Regency, East Kalimantan, Antara, Thursday, February 24.

Referring to pediatric patients at the Panglima Sebaya Hospital in February 2022, the two types of diseases are mostly experienced by pediatric patients. "This can be seen from the occupancy of the child care room to 80 percent, most of whom suffer from diarrhea and pneumonia," he said.

Symptoms of diarrhea are vomiting and defecating more than three times. While pneumonia symptoms are cough, runny nose, fever, and shortness of breath. To prevent these two diseases, parents must maintain a clean lifestyle and pay attention to balanced nutrition for their children.

"Make sure the environment where the child lives is clean and avoid exposure to cigarette smoke," said Hadiwijaya.

He said, although the current COVID-19 pandemic is still hitting and capturing the attention of the public, the two diseases are still a concern for parents. In addition, children from an early age must be provided with immunizations.

He stated, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the participation of children in national immunization was only 60-70 percent, even though ideally 80-100 percent of children should be immunized.

Hadiwijaya said that the immunization that must be given to children, namely BCG immunization, to protect children from tuberculosis (TB), is given only once when the baby is two or three months old.

Then measles immunization to prevent severe measles, which triggers pneumonia, diarrhea, and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Measles immunization was given three times, namely at the age of nine months, 18 months, and six years.

Furthermore, the DPT-HB-HiB immunization is a combination vaccine that can prevent six diseases at once, namely diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumonia, and meningitis (inflammation of the brain). This immunization is given four times, namely when the baby is two months old, three months old, four months old, and 18 months old.

Furthermore, Hepatitis B immunization is to prevent hepatitis B which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Immunizations are given to infants four times, namely immediately or after delivery, to children aged two months, three months, and four months.

The last is the Polio immunization, which is given four times, namely from birth or at the latest at the age of one month, two months, three months, and four months.

Hadiwijaya also revealed that at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, immunization was postponed, raising fears of disease, which should have been prevented through immunization.

"Parents must continue to pay attention to the growth and development of their children. Malnutrition or stunting continues to stalk their child's growth and development. Therefore, parents are expected not to neglect to pay attention to their child's growth," he urged.

In addition, parents must also take care of their children not to be exposed to COVID-19, make sure to always apply health protocols. Wearing a mask is the most difficult thing for children to do. But it is important to do.

He again mentioned that of the total COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, 13 percent of them occurred in children. The child mortality rate is around 1-3 percent. The highest in Asia, which averages below one percent.

"Currently there are vaccinations for children aged 6-11 years, parents do not need to worry about their children being vaccinated because the vaccine is guaranteed to be safe and halal," he said.