Pneumonia is the leading cause of infant mortality

• April 27, 2024

The pneumonia or pneumonia is a infection of the lungs, and is characterized by congestion with fluid and inflammation, which causes difficulty for breathe or pain In addition, this is the main individual cause of Child mortality around the world.

A healthy child can fight the infection thanks to its natural defenses; However, specialists recommend applying the vaccine PCV13 during the first months of life and throughout childhood.

The little ones acquire the pneumococcus between six weeks and 24 months of age, through small droplets of saliva exhaled or expelled by third parties to the cough or sneeze.

There are two types of diseases caused by pneumococcus, called invasive and non-invasive. The first ones are characterized by the presence of the bacteria in the blood (meningitis, bacteremic pneumonia, bacteremia and septic arthritis). On the part of the ailments without invasion of the blood stream, the otitis mean and non-bacteremic pneumonia.

The diseases What causes this infection can produce sequelae such as hearing loss, learning problems, speech difficulty, delay in the development of skills for mobilization, coordination, learning, and even death.

One of the main causes of the condition is the infection generated by the bacterium of the pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae), of which there are 90 varieties called serotypes.

The following video explains the symptoms of pneumonia , as well as some treatments to combat it:

Some risk factors for the small ones to contract pneumonia For pneumococcus include:

1. Smoking parents
2. Attend the daycare
3. Frequent hospitalizations

Prevention of pneumonia

Despite its dangerousness and high level of deaths, the pneumonia caused by pneumococcus is preventable through the vaccination of babies and children in preschool.

The pneumococcal vaccine 13V, consists of 3 minimum doses; one at two and four months, plus an additional dose between 12 and 15 months; although the ideal, for a complete scheme, is to apply four doses at two, four, and six months, with reinforcement between 12 and 15 months quantity of dose that offers the greatest protection.

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Video Medicine: Weekend Express: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in children (April 2024).