Parents told to watch for symptoms
Parents are advised to watch out for pneumonia and acute otitis media (middle-ear infection) symptoms in young children because these conditions could be further complicated by the ongoing spread of the hand, foot and mouth disease.
Speaking at a Bangkok seminar yesterday, Prof Dr Somsak Lohlekha, chairman of the Paediatric Society of Thailand, said pneumonia could be fatal for infants, while acute otitis media was found in 80 per cent of children under three and could kill if it developed into meningitis, brain abscess or septicaemia.
He said parents might overlook symptoms like earache or itchy ears if their toddler already has a cold. However, this could lead to severe ear infection and a ruptured eardrum, or even spread to the lungs leading to potentially fatal respiratory failure. The infection could also spread to the brain, leading to meningitis or brain abscess, he said.
The doctor advised parents to take action if their toddler is touching the earlobes frequently or constantly crying. As for pneumonia, parents should consult with doctors immediately if their children have any flu or cold symptoms like wheezing, heavy coughing or high fever. He said pneumonia was not curable through vaccines or over-the-counter medication.
In Si Sa Ket, there have been 260 confirmed cases of hand, foot, mouth disease, and six of them were children between the ages of 10 and 14, which is rare, chief of public health office, Dr Prawi Amphan, said.
