Tag: children

RSV infection in children

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Dr. Srinivas Jakka, Senior Consultant Paediatrician and Pulmonologist,

Ankura Hospital for Women and Children

Telugu super news,november 8th,2023:Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is one of the most common viruses causing respiratory infection across the world. Many people recover in a week or two with mild, cold-like symptoms but the disease can be severe in infants, elderly populations, and certain high-risk groups.

Mode of spread

RSV is highly contagious. It spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus enters the body when an individual inhales air containing the infected droplets. It can also be spread by contact with a contaminated surface. RSV now accounts for 14% of all influenza-like illnesses (ILI) across the country. RSV often occurs in yearly outbreaks in communities, classrooms, and childcare centres. The infection is more common in early spring and winter months. RSV can affect a person of any age but causes the most problems for infants and the elderly. Also, babies born prematurely or with diseases of the heart, lung, or immune system are at increased risk for more severe illness.

Common symptoms

Symptoms start about 2 to 5 days after contact with the virus. The early phase of RSV in babies and young children is often mild, like the common cold. In younger children, the illness may cause inflammation in the airways (bronchiolitis) and lungs (pneumonia) causing more severe illness.

The most common symptoms of RSV include:

·       Fever  

·       Runny nose

·       Sore throat

·       Cough

·       Difficulty in feeding

·       Wheezing

·       Breathlessness (breathing faster than usual, or increased work of breathing)

·       Short periods without breathing (apnea)

·       Turning blue around the lips and fingertips 

The symptoms of RSV can however mimic many other respiratory viral infections. The child needs to be seen by a Paediatrician if any worrying symptoms like high temperatures, severe cough, poor feeding, or breathing difficulties, drowsiness etc. are seen.

Diagnosis of RSV infection

The diagnosis is based on the above symptoms and specific tests. There are now tests available (PCR tests) to confirm the diagnosis of RSV infection as well as other common viruses. These involve taking a swab from the nose similar to the COVID testing.

Treatment will depend on the child’s symptoms, age, and general health. Antibiotics are not effective against RSV and other viruses that cause common cold and flu-like symptoms. Specific treatments using drugs like Ribavirin are indicated only in selected groups of patients. In the remaining patients, treatment is mainly symptomatic and supportive.

This includes ensuring that the child receives adequate fluids orally. Paracetamol might be given for fever. Sick patients might require hospital admission and additional treatments like intravenous (IV) fluids, oxygen, and nebulization. Extremely sick patients might require Intensive care unit (ICU) admission and breathing support using a breathing machine (ventilator).

Prevention

RSV vaccination is available for the elderly (above 60 years) and at-risk newborn babies in some countries. However, there are some general measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of infection including:

·       Encouraging breastfeeding.

·       Preventing contact with sick people.

·       General hygienic measures like the use of masks, sanitizers,  hand hygiene etc.

·       Sick people should avoid going to school, work, and other public places.

·       Sick people should cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.

These measures are especially important in the above-mentioned high-risk groups during the RSV season.

HUL introduces Millet Horlicks in Telangana Chocolate Flavour to promote healthy growth and development of children

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Millet Horlicks

Telugu Super News,Telangana,March 21,2023: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), India’s largest fast-moving consumer goods company has introduced a new variant of Horlicks. Millet Horlicks in a Chocolate flavor is a new addition to the Horlicks portfolio, and it has been launched in all the Southern markets.

Millet Horlicks in Chocolate flavour is HUL’s first product with this super grain – it is made with multi-millets like Finger Millet (Ragi), Sorghum (Jowar), Foxtail Millet (Kanngani) and Pearl Millet (Bajra). Multi-millets are a natural source of Calcium, Iron, Protein and Fiber which are critical for growing children. 

Millets will play an important role in HUL’s vision of ‘nourishing a billion lives’ through its Functional Nutrition business. One of the challenges in this journey is to make the traditional Indian grain easier to adapt through enhanced palatability, so that it is not rejected by children. Millet Horlicks in Chocolate flavour is designed with a focus on the taste preferences and nutritional requirements of children above the age of six.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Krishnan Sundaram, Vice President and Business Head, Nutrition, HUL said, ‘Millets have been an integral part of South Indian households and we are happy to introduce the staple food in a multi-millet offering for children in our health-food drinks category. We are proud to support the Government’s initiative in making India the global leader of the super-grain. With the launch of Millet Horlicks in Chocolate flavor, we are moving closer to delivering on Unilever’s ‘Future Foods’ commitment. Our aim is to create a nutrition solution that addresses the issues of unbalanced diets and micronutrient deficiency in India. Mainstreaming millet for children is a critical step in this direction.’

To quote Dr Dayakar Rao, CEO, Nutrihub, ICAR-IIMR, “Millets as “Nutricereals” are enriched with proteins, amino acids, essential micronutrients such as Iron, Calcium, Magnesium & Zinc which are lacking in other staples. Millets products can be tailored for required GI and bioavailable minerals which are vital for Children.”

The Millet Horlicks launch in South India markets is led by television and digital platforms, including YouTube, OTT platforms as well as print. 

The all-new Millet Horlicks packs are available in a chocolate flavour and in 3 SKUs of a 400g jar priced at 279, 400g pouch priced at 239 and 600g carton (bag-in-box) pack at 399 in stores across the South India market.

The UN declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets” after a recommendation from the Indian Government. 

*Horlicks is a nourishing beverage to be taken as a part of the regular daily diet. Horlicks combines the goodness of milk, wheat and malted barley with 23 vital nutrients such as proteins, Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D with other immunity supporting nutrients like Selenium, Folic acid, Iron, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6.  

Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative turns air pollution into pencils for school children 

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Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative turns air pollution into pencils for school children

Today sees the launch of a pioneering new initiative, ‘Pollution CapturePencils’ by Otrivin Breathe Clean, turning pollution waste by-products into school supplies for local children.

Air pollution is considered the world’s largest environmental health threat1 with 98% of children in India breathing toxic air2. Otrivin’sActions to Breathe Cleaner program promotes the adoption of everyday actions that help reduce the impact of air pollution on children’s breathing health. Improving air quality in schools being part of this program, Otrivin Breathe Clean launched the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative.For the first phase of this initiative, threeschools with the poorest air quality across Bengaluru were identified to partner with.

Otrivin Breathe Clean installed twenty-two sustainable and self-cleaning air purifiers across these three schools,in a bid to improve the air quality of approximately one thousand school children every day, in this innovative pilot project.After 2 months these specially designed purifiers, installed both inside and outside the school buildings, had together cleaned over2 billion cubic feet of polluted air. The toxic air particles or ‘pollution residue’ was then gathered to mix with graphite*. This mixture was used as the core of 10,000 pencils, specially produced, and designed, to be distributed by teachers to the school children for their use and utilized as tools for multiple interventions to generate more funds for installation of more air purifiers.Otrivin Breathe Clean focused on the solution and transformedthe pollution residue into pencilswhich will act as instruments of change for the kids. 

Headteacher of one of the participating schools said:“We are thrilled to have partnered with Otrivin Breathe Clean for the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative. The air my pupils breathe is a constant concern for me and my staff. We see the repercussions on respiratory health every day so anything that we can do to help mitigate the health impact of air pollution is a positive step to a healthier way of life for us all. The children have been so excited to see just how exactly the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ will come to life – and love drawing and writing with the finished product. It has been important for us also to amplify our education of air pollution, so we hope to inspire young change makers of the future to continue to make a difference.”

The pencils, which come in specially designed packs, created by local Bengaluru artist Gautam Datta, reflect the identity and personality of each school and the pupils who attend them.

Artist Gautam Dattacommented: “It was a pleasure to design the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ packs for this important initiative from Otrivin Breathe Clean. I took my inspiration from time I spent at each school, getting to know the children and their teachers. I believe the finished packs reflect life in Bengaluru and the hope all the children feel for the future, having learnt so much more about air pollution and what we can all do to help mitigate its impact on our health.”

Of thechildren that participated in the initiative, one of the students said: “It’s amazing to see the air purifiers in my school, working to help give us cleaner air to breathe. My friends and I love using the pencils. I never knew it was possible to make anything out of air pollution, they are so clever.”

Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative turns air pollution into pencils for school children

Another student added: “I have learnt more about the air I breathe when I am playing and learning at school. I don’t like to think the air I am breathing is bad for my heath, I am pleased that we have new purifiers to help clean it. I think all school children in India should have purifiers at school.”

Anurita Chopra, Head of Marketing, India Subcontinent, Haleon added: “We are led by our purpose – to deliver better everyday health with humanity, and in order for people to be healthy, they need to be living in a healthy world, which includes having clean air to breathe. However, air pollution is having a catastrophic impact on our ability to be able to breathe clean, especially amongst children who perhaps contribute the least to this problem but are affected the most. We hope that the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative as a part of Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner program, inspires people to take simple actions to make the world a better place to live in and breathe. Do watch out for the next chapters of the campaign wherein we use these pencils to bring forward the expressions of the children to help build awareness as well as help many more to breathe clean.”

Ashik SV, CEO of Panjurli Labs said, “People all over the world are looking at India as a growing economy, but at the same time I feel India has a huge role to play in terms of helping the global economy. But first we need to make the children healthy. Through this project we are trying to ensure the same. The thing I’m happiest about is that every day more and more kids are able to breathe clean air for 6-7 hours per day, and that we’re able to protect them during that time.”

This is the start of the campaign with more phases and activities planned to take the Actions to Breathe Cleanerprogram to greater heights. Otrivin Breathe Clean will soon announce the upcoming events and developments planned. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO: To learn more about how you can contribute to the ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative by Otrivin Breathe Clean and help install more air purifiers across Indian schools, please visit: www.actionstobreathecleaner.com The initiative aims to raise INR 40 Lakhs which would result in setting up approximately 100 air purifiers in schools. 

Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative turns air pollution into pencils for school children

‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ is the latest initiative under the Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative from nasal health expert Otrivin Breathe Clean, that aims to promote everyday actions that help reduce exposure to air pollution on children and their families. Since 2021, Otrivin Breathe Clean has successfully piloted two initiatives (for more information see Notes to Editors).

The ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ concept and launch campaign is created by Wunderman Thompson Singapore as part of WPP Team GSK/Haleon.