Hot Weather Increases Health Risks for Children

Oh the heat! I wonder why everything is becoming so severe in Bangladesh! Winter was very cold and now this sticky, sweaty heat! Children are prone to getting sick in this hot and humid weather. They get dehydrated and germs multiply in their bodies. This week, when I went for house visits, I was surprised to find 12 babies suffering from coughs and colds. The children get sick when they bathe in the ponds and canals. Sometimes their parents don’t notice that the children are in the water for a long time. The parents are too busy with their daily work. The children come out of the water and then they start playing in the fields while they are still wet, and they often get sick. The dust is also bad for the children. I tell the mothers to be extra careful this time of year to give children plenty of clean drinking water and to make sure their food is safe, since it spoils quickly in the heat and can cause diarrhea. I also warn the mothers that a normal cough and cold often turn to pneumonia. Being a little bit more careful can help us all stay healthy in this weather. I advise all the mothers – especially the mothers of the sick babies – to keep them clean and have them drink lots of liquids (for example: safe drinking water, lemonade and green coconut water). Children under 5 should not be given baths right away when they are hot and sweaty and have just come from being in the sun. I held a courtyard session with the pregnant mothers today and talked about the importance of eating extra food during pregnancy. I also advised them to rest more in this heat. The heat might become fatal if they work a lot in the sun. They should drink lots of water and other liquids like coconut water and fruit juice. Save the Children also gave us a refresher training this week, which was very good. It always helps to refresh our memory and keep up-to-date on our skills. Also, we had the chance to ask questions and get advice about situations we are facing in our work.