Dengue fever in children — what every parent needs to know this monsoon

बच्चों में डेंगू बुखार — इस मानसून हर माता-पिता को क्या जानना चाहिए

Every monsoon, the number of children brought to Aria Healthcare with high fever rises sharply. Dengue is one of the most common and most mismanaged causes. Parents often wait too long, or give the wrong medication, or both. This post tells you what you actually need to know.

What is dengue?

Dengue is a viral infection spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito — a daytime biter, unlike the malaria mosquito which bites at dusk and night. It does not spread from person to person. One infected mosquito can bite several family members, which is why multiple children in the same household sometimes fall ill together.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. Management is supportive — fluids, monitoring, and catching complications early. This is why recognising it early and coming to hospital at the right time matters so much.

How dengue looks in children

Dengue in children can look different from adults — it may not follow the textbook pattern.

Typical presentation:

• Sudden high fever — often 39–40°C — appearing within hours
• Severe headache, especially behind the eyes
• Body aches and joint pain — children may refuse to walk or move
• Nausea and vomiting
• A rash appearing on day 3–5 — flat red patches that may look like measles, or a “islands of white in a sea of red” pattern

What makes dengue tricky in young children:

• Infants may have nothing more than high fever and irritability
• The rash often appears after the fever has already started coming down — parents sometimes think the child is improving when they are not
• Platelet count may be falling even when the child looks better

The warning signs — come to hospital immediately

These signs mean dengue may be entering a dangerous phase. Do not wait, do not give home remedies:

• Abdominal pain — persistent, worsening, especially in the upper right abdomen
• Persistent vomiting — more than 3 times in a few hours, or unable to keep any fluids down
• Bleeding — from the nose, gums, in the urine, or blood in vomit or stool
• Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
• Lethargy or restlessness — the child is unusually sleepy, limp, or conversely very agitated
• Cold, clammy skin with the fever suddenly dropping
• No urine for 6 or more hours
• Swollen abdomen

Any one of these is enough reason to come to emergency immediately.

What not to do — this causes serious harm

Do not give ibuprofen (Brufen, Advil) or aspirin. These thin the blood and dramatically increase the risk of bleeding in dengue. This is one of the most common and dangerous mistakes parents make.

Paracetamol only — for fever control. Give the correct dose for your child’s weight. Do not overdose.

Do not stop fluids. Even if the child is vomiting, keep offering small sips of ORS, coconut water or plain water frequently. Dehydration worsens dengue rapidly.

Do not delay hospital if warning signs appear. Dengue can go from manageable to life-threatening within hours once complications begin.

What we do at Aria Healthcare

A blood test (CBC — complete blood count) gives us the platelet count and white cell count. In dengue, platelets typically fall progressively from around day 3 onwards. We track this with serial counts.

Most children with dengue can be managed at home with strict monitoring and oral fluids, with daily blood counts. Children with warning signs, very low platelets (below 20,000), or inability to take fluids need admission.

Platelet transfusion is given only when platelets fall to critically low levels with active bleeding — not simply because the count is low. Many parents request transfusions unnecessarily, which carries its own risks.

Preventing dengue at home during monsoon

• Eliminate standing water — coolers, pots, tyres, flowerpots, any container that collects water
• Change cooler water every 2–3 days
• Use mosquito nets for young children, especially during daytime naps
• Full-sleeve clothing on children during peak mosquito hours (early morning and late afternoon)
• Mosquito repellent on exposed skin — age-appropriate formulations

हिन्दी में — बच्चों में डेंगू: ज़रूरी जानकारी

डेंगू क्या है?

डेंगू एक वायरल बुखार है जो Aedes aegypti मच्छर के काटने से होता है। यह मच्छर दिन में काटता है — रात में नहीं। यह एक व्यक्ति से दूसरे को नहीं फैलता, लेकिन एक संक्रमित मच्छर परिवार के कई सदस्यों को काट सकता है।

डेंगू का कोई विशेष दवा से इलाज नहीं होता — इसलिए सही समय पर पहचान और अस्पताल आना बेहद ज़रूरी है।

बच्चों में कैसे दिखता है?

• अचानक तेज़ बुखार (39–40°C)
• सिरदर्द, खासकर आँखों के पीछे
• शरीर और जोड़ों में दर्द — बच्चा चलने से मना कर सकता है
• मतली और उल्टी
• बुखार के 3–5 दिन बाद दाने

तुरंत अस्पताल आएं यदि:

• पेट में तेज़ दर्द हो
• बार-बार उल्टी हो, कुछ पेट में न ठहरे
• नाक, मसूड़े या पेशाब से खून आए
• बच्चा बहुत सुस्त या बेचैन हो
• त्वचा ठंडी और चिपचिपी हो
• 6 घंटे से पेशाब न हो
• पेट फूला हो

क्या न करें — यह बहुत ज़रूरी है

Ibuprofen (Brufen) या Aspirin बिल्कुल न दें — ये खून पतला करती हैं और डेंगू में बहुत खतरनाक हैं।

केवल Paracetamol — वज़न के अनुसार सही मात्रा में।

पानी बंद न करें — उल्टी होने पर भी थोड़ा-थोड़ा ORS, नारियल पानी या सादा पानी देते रहें।

घर में डेंगू से बचाव

• कूलर, गमले, टायर — कहीं भी पानी जमा न होने दें
• कूलर का पानी 2–3 दिन में बदलें
• दिन की नींद में बच्चे को मच्छरदानी में रखें
• सुबह और शाम पूरी बाँह के कपड़े पहनाएं
• बच्चों के लिए उपयुक्त मच्छर-रोधी क्रीम लगाएं

At Aria Healthcare, Deoghar — we diagnose dengue with same-day blood tests, monitor platelet counts daily, and admit children who need close observation or IV fluids. If your child has high fever during monsoon, get a blood count done — do not wait to see if it settles.

Dr. Sonali Verma — MBBS, MD (Paediatrics), UCMS Delhi; PDCC (Paediatric Endocrinology), SGPGI Lucknow. Paediatric & Adolescent Endocrinologist, Aria Healthcare, Deoghar. First Paediatric Endocrinologist of Jharkhand.