How Bihar’s worsening air quality is affecting children, even infants

The number of children, mostly infants, visiting government hospitals and private clinics with respiratory illness has increased across Bihar with reports of worsening air pollution in major towns, including Patna. Most of them have been complaining of respiratory infections, breathlessness and allergies,  and doctors treating them blame air pollution for it.

On November 9, Patna reported an air quality index of 409. It was followed by Purnea with an AQI of 391, Saharsa with 320, Chapra with 318 and Bhagalpur with 302.

“Increasing air pollution is directly affecting children in the age group up to 4-5 years mostly. Even some new born children are suffering from it,” said Athar Ansari, professor, paediatric department at Patna-based government hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH).

“Manifestation of allergies is increasing among children due to air pollution. Impurity in air is human-made and lack of pure oxygen in air affects children more than adults because their immune system is weak. We are witnessing air pollution’s effect on a large number of children as they are not coping with poor air quality,” Ansari noted.

He pointed out that roughly a third of children or infants coming to NMCH are suffering from difficulty in breathing and allergies due to air pollution.

Dr Jayant Prakash of Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS) concurred, saying that air pollution is harming children’s health and they have become prone to allergies.

The toxic air has also impacted pregnant women and babies while they are still in the womb, said a senior doctor of the gynaecology department of government-run Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on condition of anonymity. “We have come across some cases where new born babies don’t cry immediately after delivery and have difficulty breathing due to shortage of oxygen in their hyperactive airways due to air pollution.”

However, superintendent of the government-run Muzaffarpur-based Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) Dr BS Jha said there is no data available about the effect of air pollution on pregnant mothers and newborn children. “But cases of respiratory infections among infants and allergies are increasing due to air pollution.”

“We have not come across any newborn child affected by air pollution. But cases of allergies, asthma and other illnesses among children aged 2-5 years are increasing and it seems to be a result of air pollution,” Gopal Shankar Sahni, head of the paediatric department, SKMCH, said.

In Begusarai district, breathing problems or respiratory illnesses are increasing among children due to air pollution.Though the government-run Sadar hospital officials refused to share any data related to it. But doctors admitted that numbers of such children are rising year after year.

“Children are mostly affected by increasing air pollution and affecting their health. Children are facing the brunt of poor air quality. Early this week Begusarai AQI was 315, which is very poor and alarming for all,” Dr Krishna Kumar, a child specialist at Sadar Hospital and medical officer said.

Kumar said as a result of air pollution, children are more vulnerable to lung disease and other chronic diseases.

In Bhagalpur, allergies among children reported on large scale during the last three to four years. “Breathlessness, cold and cough are increasing among children due to air pollution because they are visiting hospitals,” said Dr KK Sinha of Paediatric department of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bhagalpur.

Officials of Bihar State Pollution Control Board said that so far there is no official data of how much air pollution affecting children.