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Know Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & Prevention of Dengue in Children

Dengue is one of India’s most common yet dangerous health conditions. It’s especially dangerous for kids and children.

In some cases, Dengue does not create any complications. But in some, the complications are severe.

That’s why it’s very important to understand its causes, symptoms and risks. And that’s exactly what we will discuss in this blog.

Dengue is a disease that’s rampant, especially due to the monsoon. The vector is responsible for the spreading of Dengue is known as Aedes aegypti.

These mosquitoes grow in the stagnant water collected during the monsoon. They tend to bite humans, especially in the evening.

The Dengue-causing virus is present in these mosquitoes, and when such mosquitoes bite humans, the virus spreads to humans.

These viruses are of three types:

•  Dengue 1
•  Dengue 2
•  Dengue 3

If a patient has got fever due to Dengue 2, it becomes quite life-threatening.

Now let’s take a look at the

Dengue presents numerous symptoms in children.

Some of the most common symptoms include:

•  High-grade fever
•  Vomiting
•  A lot of headaches
•  Body ache
•  Leg pain
•  Stomach pain
• A lot of sleep
• Rashes on the body

These symptoms appear in the initial phase, also known as the febrile phase. In many cases, children start recovering after this febrile phase.

If the child does not recover, he/she might enter a leaky or complicated phase.

In this phase, the child’s body starts accumulating water. This results in swelling in the body parts like the lungs, heart and brain.

If Dengue is diagnosed in the initial phase, the chances of complications are rare. The child starts recovering in the recovery phase.

Also, you may want to know, why Do Fits (seizures) Occur In Children.

Have queries or concern ?

Early diagnosis of Dengue eliminates the risk of complications in most cases.

For early diagnosis, we perform a Haemogram test where we look at the platelet counts. But it is important to note that the platelet count generally stays normal in the initial 2 to 3 days of the infection.

So if the platelet counts are alright, we cannot determine immediately that the kid is okay.

The next most common test of Dengue in children is the Ferritin test. This test gives a clear indication of the possible complications in the children.

If the Ferritin is high, the chances of a child going into the second (leaky) phase are quite high.

Other diagnostic tests include:

•  NSI Antigen test (3 to 4 days)
•  IGG test (6 to 7 days)
•  IGM test (6 to 7 days)

If these tests are positive, we can confirm that a child has Dengue. And once Dengue is diagnosed, it’s very important to treat it aggressively.

No,

Every child does not have to be admitted necessarily.

If the child has a low fever, his/her oral intake is good and has normal urination; then hospitalization is not necessary.

But if the child has a high-grade fever, they are sleeping too much, or multiple complications are observed, hospitalization becomes necessary.

It’s very important to know that no dengue-specific anti-viral treatment options are available.

All the treatments offered are supportive treatments. Moreover, if the child is in a leaky phase and has to deal with complications, it can be life-threatening.

So it’s critical to treat Dengue as early as possible.

There are no anti-dengue vaccines available.

You can reduce the risk of Dengue by maintaining cleanliness, keeping the water bodies clean, and eliminating the stagnant water and breeding places of mosquitoes.

You can use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets to prevent bites. Make sure the child is wearing full-sleeve clothes while playing outside.

All these precautionary steps can help prevent Dengue.

As of now, there are no anti-dengue vaccines available. Moreover, Dengue is becoming common even in winter, apart from the monsoon.

So we strongly recommend that if you see any symptoms of Dengue in your child, do not ignore it. Consult a doctor and get your kid diagnosed right away.

Remember, early diagnosis can be extremely helpful in reducing the risk of complications.

To know more about Dengue, feel free to connect with our experts today.

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