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NEW DELHI: With air pollution levels worsening in the Capital after Diwali, hospitals are witnessing a significant rise in respiratory illnesses among children, with doctors reporting an alarming number of young patients, including newborns, arriving with breathing difficulties.
Besides the usual cases of cold and cough, several children are requiring frequent nebulisation, while many others are being admitted to hospitals for respiratory distress.
According to city doctors, even newborns are facing considerable difficulty breathing, raising concerns over the impact of deteriorating air quality on the most vulnerable age groups.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi’s average AQI stood at 299 on Tuesday, November 10, compared with 376 recorded on Monday.
The improvement was attributed to an increase in wind speed, which helped disperse some of the accumulated pollutants. However, 23 monitoring stations continued to record ‘very poor’ air quality, with Pusa Road reporting the highest AQI of 385, followed by Chandni Chowk at 381.
Doctors stated that the marginal improvement in air quality had done little to ease the respiratory burden on children, with several young patients arriving at healthcare facilities with breathing difficulties.
Dr Sameer Maqsood, paediatrician at Max Hospital, Patparganj, said the number of children reporting respiratory problems had risen sharply after Diwali.
“Post Diwali, the number has literally gone up. I am looking at over 35-40 such children on a daily basis. The newborns are requiring frequent nebulisation and even hospitalisation. Apart from cold and cough, lots and lots of kids are coming with breathing difficulties,” he said.
He also said that since there had been a ban on firecrackers around Diwali last year, the situation was a little better, but this time it had become worse.
Senior Paediatrician and Co-Director, Pediatric Pulmonology, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Dhiren Gupta, said even otherwise healthy children were experiencing coughs, colds, headaches, eye irritation, dry eyes and difficulty concentrating and studying.
Children with pre-existing asthma and allergies are facing greater difficulties, with many requiring higher inhaler doses or emergency treatment.
He warned that children are particularly vulnerable because they breathe faster, are shorter and spend considerable time outdoors. With schools reopening tomorrow, exposure to viral infections, allergens and asthma triggers could further aggravate respiratory conditions.
Dr Vijay Hadda, Professor, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders at AIIMS, expressed concern over the deteriorating air quality, saying Delhi’s AQI, which had earlier remained in three digits, had reached four digits at certain monitoring locations.
He warned that continuous inhalation of polluted air would have serious long-term consequences, adding that even otherwise healthy people were experiencing persistent throat irritation.
While Tuesday’s AQI of 299 offered marginal relief, doctors cautioned that the health consequences of sustained exposure to toxic air could extend well beyond the post-Diwali period.
