With the recent dip in mercury, and changing weather conditions, the Advanced Paediatrics Centre of PGIMER, is witnessing an increase in number of cases of pneumonia in patients below five years of age.

Dr Meenu Singh said, "Low birth weight, malnutrition, lack of breast feeding, lack of measles vaccination, over-crowding and indoor air pollution due to biomass fuel are some of the risk factors which cause pneumonia in children." Most of these cases come from neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

Other respiratory ailments in children are Tuberculosis (TB), which the children get mostly after they come in contact with an adult who is suffering from it. It is very commonly seen in patients from Saharanpur, Jharkhand, Punjab and Haryana.

"Tuberculosis is quite common in adolescent girls but due to social stigma, they are not taken to the DOTS centre which makes them drug resistant and complicates the disease. We get adolescent girls, who suffer from advanced stage of TB but they are not taken to treatment centres known as DOT centres for the parents feel that if it gets known publicly their chances of getting married will be adversely affected," said Dr Meenu Singh.

On an average, PGI gets about 10 to 12 children suffering from TB per week who have already stopped responding to medicines. Most of them are girls.

In light of these observations, PGI's Paediatrics department is organising a two-day scientific meet on "evidence based management of common respiratory disorders in children" on February 18-19 to disseminate information.