What Parents need to be aware of in the current Dengue Season?

Any fever with no respiratory symptoms in the current season...can be Dengue Fever...Be aware. If one family member has been diagnosed with Dengue Fever, any fever in other family members within next 1-2 weeks might be Dengue. Even if it's Dengue Fever 70-80% of them recover within 3-4 days. Remaining few kids instead of recovering straight away might enter Critical Phase of Dengue.

Critical phase in Dengue Fever is around 4-6 days after Fever starts, When the fever goes away and there is a fluid leakage from blood vessels into free compartments of body which causes the problems.... Blood starts becoming thick and platelets start dropping which is expected

What are the symptoms of Dengue Fever?

Warning Symptoms in Dengue Fever..These are the symptoms which shall indicate that child with Dengue is entering critical phase and needs intense monitoring..These are:

Vomiting
Stomach pain
Facial puffiness/swelling
Very tired and Giddiness
Any Mucosal bleed like nose bleed, red urine, black stools

*Caution: When the fever goes away but the child is not improving or is worsening like getting more tired, starts to vomit, has stomach pain or the urination frequency has decreased than usual or has red spots on the body....It might be a Dengue Fever which is getting critical...Rush to your Pediatrician immediately..!*

If any vomiting or stomach pain in a child diagnosed with Dengue Fever.....Do not attribute it to food, medicine or stomach upset. Please follow up with your Pediatrician, child might be in critical phase of Dengue Fever.
There is no specific treatment for Dengue Fever. It's usually symptomatic like for fever, vomiting and is usually self limiting and meanwhile the damage it can cause in some kids needs to be identified and corrective measures taken as and when it occurs so that the vital body organs are not affected.
Good Fluid intake, regular urine output and adequate hydration is very important in Dengue Fever management at home by parents.
Don't worry about reduced food intake and passing less stools which most parents do and which is expected as child is not well. Definitely to worry about are reduced fluid intake and reduced urine output. So..*Focus more on fluids n urine than food and stools.
Writing down the Fever spikes when they happen, and the number of times child voids urine is very important to objectively.
Key to Safe management of Dengue fever is - Cautious monitoring of the symptoms, fever management, hydration with adequate fluids, Watching out for any warning signs and periodic follow ups with your Pediatrician for assessments is important. If in doubt or not satisfied about your child ..just get to your Pediatrician.
Myth buster: Giving Papaya leaf extract to increase platelet counts is absolutely not suggested as it can cause vomiting and worsen the hydration and it has no effect on platelet count at all.