Tsai-Yi Shen

Tsai-Yi Shen
11/12/2012
Interviewed: Dr. Yi-Lin Cheng
Job: Main pediatric doctor in Sha Lu District Pediatric Clinic, Taiwan

The top five trends that children are facing in Taiwan are influenza, pneumonia, diarrhea, chickenpox and febrile convulsion. Children are tend to get the following diseases are causing by their weaker immunization. Also, they are exposed to the environment which increases the possibility of getting infected.
Influenza
As weather getting colder, the rate of infants getting influenza is gradually rising. The difference between influenza and flu is that influenza causes more serious problems, including fatigue, muscle pain, high fever, headache, sometimes children have abdominal pain and tend to vomit. If taking care well, babies will recovered and cured easily. If delayed the golden time of curing it, it might turn into Pneumonia, which is the second most popular trend Pneumonia.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is the extension of the flu and tracheitis. In a pediatric hospital, it made up to one fourth of infant patients in Taiwan who are suffered with pneumonia. It is hard to detect because of the similarities of the signs and symptoms comparing with other diseases. Therefore, taking x-ray or other types of photo-shooting are necessary  It is so easily for infants to get it that when they are diagnosed of getting it, they tend to show the severe symptoms and signs, such as coughing and rapidly breathing.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is mainly caused by rotavirus. Rotavirus increases during the change of the temperature, especially during September till December, when weather starts getting cold. Viruses are easily multiply and reproduce under this circumstances. It can affect intestinal system severely and causes the nutritions having problems being absorb ed and disolved. Those nutrition will absorb water from intestine therefore leading the excrement to be watery. Children normally has a weaker immunization comparing to adults, therefore, they are in higher risk of getting diarrhea.
Chickenpox
Chickenpox happens to those under the age of 10. More severe cases happens in the end of winter and the beginning of spring. In general, when a person gets chickenpox, it is not likely to happen again in the same person. However, this is a highly contagious disease, therefore, it is the forth trend of the chickenpox.
Febrile convulsion
It is caused by the abnormal electrical wave of the brain that causes the quivering of the muscle. It is really commonly seen in pediatric diseases. For about 4--50% of children has at least once in their lives. This disease company with high fever, high body temperature and loss of conscious. It can cause eternal damage of brain or death therefore, people have to be really aware of this problem and prevent it effectively.