• Appendicitis: A Year-Round Emergency but More Frequent in Winter

Appendicitis is the leading cause of laparotomy in the pediatric population of Jaipur city, and it is observed that the cold season brings a slightly higher number of cases. It is well known that weather changes and lack of exercise influence the digestion process, thus making abdominal troubles more likely.

The highlight of the symptoms are:

• Severe abdominal pain (usually beginning around the navel)
• Throwing up
• High body temperature
• No desire to eat

In a scenario where the infection in the appendix is not treated, the rupture can be a cause of death. Most of the time it is a must to remove the appendix and detection at the early stage is what provides a safe and easy surgery.

• Intestinal Obstruction from Viral Infections

Respiratory viruses during the cold season can inflame intestines, or eventually, cause intussusception, which is the situation when one part of the intestine enters another one in a telescoping manner. This painful condition frequently severely restricts infants and toddlers.

Symptoms of this include:

• Sudden, intense abdominal pain
• Crying without ceasing
• Throwing up
• Blood or mucus in the feces

This constitutes a real emergency in the pediatric sector that calls for prompt surgical or radiological intervention to prevent further complications.
This is one of the Winter health issues in children Jaipur that parents rarely expect but should be aware of.

• Severe Tonsillitis Leading to Abscess

Wintertime is a common period for throat infections. One of the most dangerous situations is when a peritonsillar abscess develops as a result of an infection in the area of the tonsils. This usually happens when the patient's tonsillitis has not been treated and thus makes breathing and swallowing very difficult.

The indication of these problems can be noticed through:

• Opening the mouth with difficulty
• Inability to control saliva
• Very high body temperature
• Intense throat pain localized to one side

If antibiotics fail to relieve the symptoms, children might have to undergo surgery for drainage.

• Trauma and Fractures from Indoor Play

The children usually play indoors when the weather is not suitable for outdoor activities. As a consequence of the increased indoor activities, the number of accidents is also rising, and the children may be hurt due to falls from beds, slipping on floors, or getting bruised by rough play, etc.

Certain fractures, particularly those around growth plates, may necessitate the placement of surgical hardware in order to avert the development of slow healing or incorrect bone growth over time.

While not caused directly by cold, such injuries add to the Common child emergencies in winter each year.

• Inguinal Hernia Complications

During cold weather, babies become uncomfortable due to various reasons such as colicky stomach or difficulty in nasal breathing. Overcrying in infants with hernia sometimes exacerbates the condition and thus the hernia becomes incarcerated-a situation that requires immediate surgery to release the trapped part of intestines.

The main symptoms of an incarcerated hernia are:

• Swelling in the groin area that comes on suddenly
• Unhappiness or distress
• Throwing up
• Redness of the skin or pain over the region

The situation cannot wait a minute longer, and only prompt intervention can help.

How Parents Can Stay Prepared During Jaipur’s Winter

Parents can use these methods to stay ready and vigilant about their kids' health:

• Make the children comfortable with layering clothes but do not excessively put on them.
• The use of air purifiers or indoor plants can be very helpful in lessening children's exposure to air pollution.
• Do not let the children miss out on drinking water even though they might feel cold.
• Carefully observe if your child is having minor breathing issues, stomach pain even slight dehydration symptoms that may be easily overlooked at first.

Don’t hesitate if you feel something is not right with your child’s health and quickly take them to a doctor without wasting time.