WHO has linked the role of air quality to the detrimental effects on development of children. The report mentioned both outdoor and indoor air pollution affects the children health as children usually spends equal time for outdoor and indoor activities. Not only in children, if pregnancy period is encountered with polluted air, ladies are more likely to deliver baby prematurely and underweight. The first most system affected with air pollution in children is respiratory system which leads to various diseases like recurrent chest infection, Lower respiratory tract infection, Pneumonia, or even lung cancer. The symptoms usually starts within a period of 1year of exposure to bad air, it starts with intractable cough, frequent wheezing and deep inspiration, unable to perform good in routine activities, tiredness, etc later on these all things gets aggravated and children goes on support of nebulizers or inhalers for treatment of asthma or allergies. The reason for getting more affected as compare to adults is that children breathe more rapidly and frequently as well remains low to ground where few pollutants are maximum in concentration. The pollutants even in smaller number are damaging the lungs of newborns or children. Besides lung function impairment, bad air quality also affects neurodevelopmental milestones and congnitive functions. read also about : Castration Knife
Children growing in cleaner air had much good lung health which helps them to perform better in latter life in terms of lung functions.
It has been stated by WHO that, almost 93% of children under age of 15years breathe polluted air everyday and in 2016, about 6,00,000 deaths were attributed to combined effect of household and ambient pollution.
How to reduce the risk of air pollution on my child?
When living in metropolitan city, it is difficult to get rid of air pollution as usually Air Quality Index remains more than 200, so few measures can be done to at least provide some relief in indoor air pollution
- Avoid smoking, especially during pregnancy, the more you smoke the more passive smoking happens with child. The passive smoking is more dangerous than active smoking which can have multiple detrimental effects on children health and development.
- Avoid strenuous exercises especially outdoor activities when there is high AQI.
- Local AQI also matters try not to pollute your neighbourhood write for us fashion paid
- Keep your cooking area well ventilated, so that all smoke get exit to outdoor area
- Schools and playgrounds should be away from the polluted area of city like bus stand, highways etc.
Global measures should also be considered by health authorities like setting up of clean air zones near playground and schools, switching to green source of energies, reducing emission in transport sector etc. National clean air programmer should be considered in which country’s air pollution should be reduced 20-30% in particulate matter by 2024.
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