Hanoi (VNA) - Fluctuating temperatures, combined withdrizzle and high humidity, have created conditions for an unseasonal influx ofpediatric diseases, doctors said.

The number of children in many localities beinghospitalised has increased over recent days due to unusual changes of theweather, especially in the north.

Most of the children have been hospitalised fordiseases relating to respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia,digestive ailments or dengue fever.

The Central Hospital of Pediatrics has receivedaround 2,500 children for health check-ups and treatment each day over the pastweek, according to hospital statistics.

According to doctors, the number of childrenbeing hospitalised will keep increasing if the humidity remains high.

The Health Check-up Department is overloaded,especially during mornings. Long queues of parents and family members stand atdepartment doors waiting for check-ups.

“It’s hard to find a space in a queue. I’ve beenwaiting here for nearly an hour for my turn,” Le Mai Lan, a woman living in GiangVo Street with her six-month-old daughter said.

“I see most parents take their children herewith the disease relating to respiratory problems, and my daughter is also thesame,” she said.

Hospital staff have been working at full capacityto quickly deal with the situation, but people have still have to wait for longperiods of time.

Every time the weather changes, clinics see anincrease of 500-1,000 children patients compared to an average day.

About 60-70 percent of checked children hadrespiratory diseases, a doctor said.

The departments of respiratory, digestive,dermatology have received the largest number of patients in recent days. Thedisease ranges from infancy to children in kindergarten and primary school.

Prof Tran Minh Dien, the hospital’s deputydirector, said when the weather changed, children, especially those with weakimmune systems, are more likely to catch respiratory diseases.

“The high humidity and unusual change oftemperature are the reason for the spread of diseases relating to respiratoryand digestion,” he said.

At the Pediatrics Department of Bach MaiHospital, the number of children being hospitalised with respiratory diseaseincreased 20 percent.

Each day, the hospital received over 200 childrenfor health check-ups and treatment over the past days.

Most of them had cough, hard respiration,wheezing, fever or high fever, Prof Nguyen Tien Dung said.

"Many children have allergic rhinitis,bronchitis and many cases are identified as catching disease due to affectedmoldy and moist environment," he said.

In northern Ha Nam province, the health sectorsaid that the number of people coming to the general, obstetrics and pediatricshospitals as well as districts’ health centres increased by 5-10 percentcompared to last month.

Patients mainly are elderly and children whosuffer from chronic diseases, with some directly related to humidity ofweather, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, especially respiratory.

It is forecast that there will be a high levelof humidity in the next few days.

Doctors recommend people keep the environmentclean to prevent diseases related to weather.

They also suggest people should close the doorall day to limit the moisture blowing in the house and use dehumidifiers.

Nutrition also should be strengthened,especially for children, doctors said.

Prof Dung also warned people should notarbitrarily use drugs, especially antibiotics, without doctor’s prescriptionafter a health check-up.-VNA