Durga Puja Kids Health Tips: Paediatrician Doctor Near Me

Dhak at dawn, new clothes, phuchka and pandal queues past midnight: for Kolkata children, nothing in the year comes close to the Puja. It is also the week children get separated in crowds, get dehydrated in the heat, pick up stomach bugs and collect mosquito bites in the dengue season. And many clinics and chambers change their hours, so a parent searching "paediatrician doctor near me" late on a holiday night may not find an answer in time. Plan for each of these before you step out.

Durga Puja kids safety in Kolkata: a lost-child plan

At busy pandals the crowd moves as one body, and a small hand can slip out of yours in seconds. Make the plan at home, not in the queue.

• Phone card. Put a card in your child's pocket, or a wristband, with two parents' mobile numbers. Keep your child's name off the outside of clothes and bags.

• Photo of the day. Take a full-length photo of your child in today's clothes. It helps police and volunteers search faster.

• One rule for your child. Teach them: "If you lose us, stop and stay where you are, then ask a police officer, the pandal's volunteer desk, or a mother with children for help." Older children should learn one parent's number by heart.

• Meeting point. At each pandal, agree on a fixed spot, such as the main gate.

• Crowds. Go earlier in the day, when queues are usually shorter. A baby carrier is safer than a pram in a crush. If the crowd starts to push, step aside and leave.

Neighbourhood pandals in Behala, Barisha, Sarsuna and Thakurpukur can be easier on small children than the most crowded ones.

Heat, sweat and water in the pandal queue

October in Kolkata is often still hot and humid, and a long queue in heavy new clothes is hard on a small body.

• Dress children in light cotton; keep the silk outfit for a short photo.

• Carry water for each child and offer sips often, even if they do not ask.

• Babies under 6 months need only breast milk (or their usual formula), offered more often in the heat. Do not give them plain water.

• Keep a couple of WHO-formula ORS sachets from a chemist in the bag, made exactly as the packet says with clean drinking water. Ready-made fruit-flavoured "electrolyte" drinks, glucose powder, soft drinks and juice are not ORS. Throw away made-up ORS after 24 hours.

• Rest in the shade between pandals.

Watch for dry lips, less urine or fewer wet nappies, dark urine, unusual tiredness or dizziness. Move a child who looks flushed or unwell to a cool place, loosen tight clothing, sponge with cool water and fan them, and give sips of ORS or water (breastfeeds for a baby under 6 months) only if they are fully awake. If they are confused, faint, very drowsy, vomiting, have a fit, or are not clearly better within 30 minutes, go to a hospital emergency at once.

Phuchka, rolls and upset stomachs

Puja food is half the fun. To lower the risk of a stomach upset:

• Choose stalls that cook food hot and fresh in front of you.

• Be careful with uncovered cut fruit, ice, sherbets and phuchka water, which may use untreated water.

• Clean hands before eating, and carry your own drinking water.

• If your child has a food allergy, carry the emergency plan and medicines the doctor prescribed, and ask about ingredients.

If loose motions or vomiting start, give ORS in small, frequent sips, keep offering food and breastfeeds, and see a doctor, who may advise zinc. Please do not give antibiotics, or medicines to stop loose motions, on your own; most stomach upsets in children are caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not treat.

Dhunuchi smoke, burns and asthma

The dhunuchi naach fills the pandal with smoke, and the bowls carry live coals. Add incense, dust and traffic fumes, and the evening air can be hard on a child with asthma or allergies.

• Watch from the back or the side, not the front row.

• If your child uses an inhaler, carry it with the spacer and follow the asthma action plan your doctor gave you.

• Keep small children away from dhunuchis, diyas and candles; synthetic and frilly clothes catch fire easily. Let alcohol hand sanitiser dry fully before going near flames or coals, and keep the bottle out of small children's reach.

• If clothes catch fire, stop the child, lay them down and roll them, or smother the flames with a blanket or thick cotton cloth.

• For a burn, hold it under cool (not ice-cold) running tap water for 20 minutes, remove bangles, rings or clothing near the burn unless stuck to it, keep the rest of the child warm, and cover loosely with cling film or a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Do not burst blisters. No ice, toothpaste, oil, butter or ointments. Show any blistered burn in a young child to a doctor the same day.

For breathing problems through the year, see child cough, cold, asthma and allergy.

Late nights, sleep and mosquito bites

Several nights past midnight leave children overtired, cranky and more likely to trip in a crowd. Let younger children nap before an evening outing, keep one quiet day at home, and return to normal bedtimes before school reopens.

The Puja usually falls in the dengue season. The Aedes mosquito bites mainly by day, especially early morning and late afternoon, and breeds in small pools of clean water. Dress children in light-coloured, full-sleeve clothes and use nets at home. Use a repellent suited to their age as the label directs (do not use repellent on babies under 2 months, and ask your doctor before using one on an older baby). An adult should put it on, keeping it off the child's hands, eyes and mouth. Show any fever after the Puja to a doctor; read about dengue warning signs in children.

Searching for a paediatrician doctor near me during the Puja?

Before the holidays begin:

• Save the numbers of your child's doctor and a clinic near home, and check their Puja timings.

• Know the nearest hospital emergency department, near home and near where you are going.

• Pack a pouch: thermometer, ORS, plasters, sanitiser, repellent, your child's regular medicines and inhaler, and copies of prescriptions.

A mild fever or cold in a child who is drinking, passing urine and playing can usually wait for a clinic visit or a call to your doctor. For questions that do not need an examination, an online consultation can help. See also when a child's fever needs a paediatrician.

Go to a hospital emergency now if you see any of these:

• Difficulty breathing, bluish lips, or an asthma attack not settling with the reliever inhaler your doctor prescribed

• A fit (seizure), confusion, unusual sleepiness, or a child who is hard to wake

• Hot, flushed skin with confusion or fainting after time in the heat

• Repeated vomiting, or a child who is unable to drink or breastfeed

• Signs of dehydration such as sunken eyes, no tears when crying, a very dry mouth or a sunken soft spot on a baby's head, or no urine (or a dry nappy) for 6 hours or more

• Blood in vomit or stools, black stools, or severe tummy pain

• Swelling of the lips, face or tongue, trouble breathing or swallowing, a hoarse voice, wheezing, or sudden paleness or floppiness after eating something or an insect sting. If your child has prescribed adrenaline, use it as the plan says, then go.

• A burn larger than your child's palm, a burn on the face, hands, feet, joints or private parts, a burn that looks white or charred, an electrical burn, or coughing, a hoarse voice or soot around the nose or mouth after smoke or a fire

• A head injury followed by any loss of consciousness, a fit, vomiting, drowsiness, unusual behaviour, a severe headache, or blood or clear fluid from the nose or ears, or any significant fall or knock to the head in a baby under 1 year

• Fever with bleeding gums or nose, new red or purple spots, cold, clammy hands and feet, or a child who is unusually restless or irritable

• A temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher in a baby under 3 months old, or a young baby who feels unusually cold, is floppy, or is not feeding

While you get help for a fit, lay the child on their side, move hard objects away, and put nothing in their mouth.

Do not wait for a clinic or chamber to open. If roads near the pandals are closed or jammed, ask the nearest police officer or the pandal's volunteer desk to help you get there quickly.

Paediatricians at MCR, Behala

Looking for a pediatrician or child specialist doctor near Behala Tram Depot? Two of the paediatricians at MCR are:

• Dr. Debangana Chatterjee: 6 years of experience in child health and immunisation. Languages: Bengali, Hindi, English. Fee: Rs 800.

• Dr. Agnik Chattopadhyay: 13 years of paediatric experience, focused on preventive and acute care. Languages: Bengali, Hindi, English. Fee: Rs 800.

All MCR paediatricians, including those who consult online, are listed on the paediatrics department page. Blood or urine tests the doctor advises can be done at MCR's own pathology lab in the same building.

How to book at MCR. Call or WhatsApp 9830525004, or tap "Book Now" on the paediatrics department page.

MCR Super Speciality Polyclinic & Pathology is at 11A, Sourin Roy Road, near Behala Tram Depot, beside Ellora Cinema Hall, Behala, Kolkata 700034. The clinic also serves families from Parnasree, Silpara, Joka, Taratala, New Alipore and Tollygunge.

Regular hours are Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM; closed on Sunday. Timings and each doctor's availability can change around the Puja holidays, so please call or WhatsApp to check before you come.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to take a baby pandal-hopping?

Short outings at less crowded hours are usually fine for a healthy baby. Use a carrier, keep away from smoke and loudspeakers, and feed often. Ask your paediatrician first if your baby is under 3 months old, was born early, is behind on the vaccines due for their age, or has a health condition.

My child ate phuchka and now has loose motions. What should I do?

Give ORS in small, frequent sips, keep up food and breastfeeds, and see a doctor. Do not give antibiotics on your own. Go to a hospital emergency for blood in the stools, repeated vomiting, a child who cannot drink, clear signs of dehydration such as sunken eyes or a very dry mouth, no urine for 6 hours or more, or unusual sleepiness.

What should we carry in a Puja health pouch for children?

Water, ORS, a thermometer, plasters, sanitiser, repellent, your child's regular medicines and inhaler, prescription copies, and a card with your phone numbers.

My child has a fever a few days after the Puja. Could it be dengue?

It could be dengue or another infection. See a paediatrician or doctor within 24 hours (the same or next day), and give plenty of fluids.

Never give aspirin to a child. Do not give ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, or any combination fever syrup or tablet that contains them, even from an old prescription, until a doctor has ruled out dengue. If your child needs a fever medicine, use only paracetamol, in the dose your child's doctor has advised for their weight.

Go to a hospital emergency at once if your child has severe tummy pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding from the gums or nose, new red or purple spots, unusual sleepiness or restlessness, cold clammy hands and feet, or very little urine, especially in the days when the fever is coming down.

How do I find a child specialist near me during Durga Puja?

Check before the holidays. MCR's regular hours are Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM, but timings can change around the Puja, so call or WhatsApp 9830525004 to confirm. For any emergency sign, go straight to a hospital.

This article is general information, not a substitute for a consultation with your child's doctor; if you notice any warning sign, go to a hospital emergency.