He advised parents to take precautions and protect their children from the harsh weather of deprivation.
Olagunju Bamidele, an Osun-based physician, offered this advice in a conversation with DAILY POST on Monday in Osogbo.
Noting that harmattan is always accompanied by dust, particles, haze and dry cold, Olagongo said there is a need for breastfeeding parents to ensure their babies are not exposed to the cold unnecessarily.
He also advised parents to keep their children indoors early in the morning and late in the evening and not allow them to approach or play with water at any time.
Parents should bathe their children in warm water and make sure they wear thick clothes. Children under the age of five are mostly susceptible to infection in this critical period due to the weather.
“At this time, the weather is severe and anyone can see that there is a need for even adults to take precautions. Catarrh, pneumonia and other diseases are common, and children are more likely to catch these infections than adults.
“They should let their children eat the food when it is warm and they should not encourage them to drink cold water.
“For those who are going to nightly religious programs because of the season, they should make sure that they dress their children and even themselves in thick, warm clothes.”
Olagunju also stated that NIMET’s forecast should have been enough warning signs to expect harsh harmattan at the end of the year.
“NIMET predicted severe rainfall conditions and we all saw what happened, dry weather will be no different. We just have to stick to weather forecasts and give ourselves a better life.
We found out that during these periods, uncommon diseases and infections are common. This is because many parents do not stick to the precautions and at the end of the day, they end up spending more on treatment.”
Harmattan: The doctor urges to adhere to precautions
