Why is Your Child Sick in Dubai?

28 May 2018

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With the scorching heat outside for most of the year in Dubai

Children are left with little else to do but to stay indoors and resort to lounging around the house, engaging in physically passive activities such as idling online and playing video games. From the time they go to bed, wake up, go to school and eventually get back home, children spend the majority of their time in air-conditioned environments.

People are spending more time in air-conditioned environments.

This is all too common a scenario for numerous children growing up in Dubai. Is this a normal aspect of growing up today, not just in Dubai but also worldwide? According to Dr. Rain Osman, an expert pediatrician with long-standing relationships with parents and their children here in Dubai, disclosed that some of the most common pediatric health issues are: respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis (AE) or eczema and Vitamin D deficiency.

Children are most vulnerable to air pollution and air-borne diseases

According to the National Center of Biological Information (NCBI), it asserts that sick building syndrome (SBS) is used to describe a situation where occupants of a building experience acute-health effects are linked to the amount of time spent inside a building. Some of these health effects include respiratory tract infections and asthma. Since most children spend a sizable portion of their time indoors at school, they are are more susceptible to SBS. Dr. Rain adds: “The issue we face in Dubai is mostly due to the fact that many parents send their children to nurseries and schools even if they’re sick, in this case they can contaminate other children and the cycle never ends.”

A common skin issue among children in Dubai is Atopic Dermatitis (AE)

A non-contagious skin disorder where you have rough, dry, itchy and red skin. Medical experts have long conceded that AE is a result of multiple environmental, food and genetic factors. As previously mentioned, the environment for children in Dubai is usually restricted to mostly air-conditioned rooms which promotes the constant drying of children’s skin, robbing it of necessary moisture balance. To further aggravate the situation, many parents’ busy lifestyles and limited time constraints promotes a faster dietary lifestyle such as resorting to fast food and other less healthy meal options: “In a world of stress and too much work the children are mostly eating fast food, less vegetables and fruits. From a very early age, the child needs to train and acquire a healthy lifestyle habit, the child should learn to drink enough water not juices or soft drinks and be trained that candy is just a treat and not part of their diet.”

“Vitamin D deficiency is nearly prevalent in more than 80 percent of children”.

According to the Vitamin-D Council, a non-profit U.S. organization: people need 10 to 15 minutes in noon-time summer sun which is enough, and leads to the production of 10,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin-D3. Not only is this sunshine vitamin crucial for bone development and health but also prevents a litany of other potential diseases. According to Dr. Rain “Parents should try their best in good weather to encourage the child to play outside or ride the bike, conversely in very hot weather engage their children in activities like swimming, summer camps, indoor sports, ice skating, skiing.”

Parents should be proactive in providing their children with a more healthy and balanced lifestyle.

There are plenty of options to utilize either during the summer or cooler weather. The most important thing to is keep your children engaged in more balanced activities and educating them on the health benefits of being outdoors .

Special thanks to our contributing pediatrician:

Dr. Rain Osman is a German Board Certified Pediatrician and a Specialist in Child and Adolescent Medicine. Her special fields are in Neonatology and Gastroenterology in early and newborns development.