What You Need to Know About The Number One Child Killer

Last February 23, we were invited to join other mom bloggers at Mommy Mundo's launching of PLAY. During the event, we learned about the importance of expressing your love for your child through bonding activities.

As parents, our main concern is to keep our children out of happy, healthy, and safe by providing a loving home for them and by ensuring their protection from any form of harm. We learned that one of the leading causes of death among children 5 years of age and below was Invasive Pneumococcal Disease or IPD.

Here are some important things you need to know about one of the leading killers of children, under 5 years of age and its most common form, Acute Otitis Media or AOM:

IPD: INVASIVE PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE

Invasive Pneumococcal Disease or IPD is the major leading cause of illness and death among  children. These include life-threatening types like meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis. There’s also Otitis Media, more commonly known as middle ear infection. 

Children 0 to 2 years of age are at highest risk for invasive pneumococcal disease, but children up to 5 years of age are also at risk. It can now be prevented through vaccination.

AOM: ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA

Acute Otitis Media (AOM) or more commonly known as “LUGA” is an inflammation of the middle ear. AOM can be very serious causing inflammation in the brain leading to more devastating consequences like speech difficulties and learning disabilities. 

This can now be prevented through vaccination.

INTERESTING FACTS about Pneumococcal Disease and Otitis Media 

PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE

1) More than 1.5 million children die from pneumonia each year

2) 4,300 young lives lost every day worldwide because of pneumonia

3) One child dies from pneumonia every 20 seconds worldwide.

4) The Philippines is in the top ten globally among number of pneumococcal diseases cases in children less than 5 years.

5) Pneumonia is the number 1 cause of deaths among Filipino children. 

6) 37 Filipino children die every day due to pneumonia. 

7) 1 out of 3 children diagnosed with IPD dies.

8) 35% of H. influenzae pneumonia cases in Filipino children are actually caused by the nontypeable strain.

OTITIS MEDIA

9) 8th: Otitis Media is ranked the 8th leading ailments among Filipino children.

10)Up to 40% of Otitis Media is caused by NTHi (Non-Typeable Haemophilus Influenzae).

11)3 out of 4 children will have had at least one episode of AOM before they reach the age 

of 3.

12) 1 out of 2 Filipino children suffering from rhinitis also have a concomitant otitis media

13) 25% of Filipino children with pneumonia also have otitis media

14) P5.7B cost to treat the pediatric population suffering from AOM in a single year in the Philippines

15)Hearing Loss is a common complication of Otitis Media that likewise imposes a significant medical, social, & educational burden.

The good news is that you can prevent your child from acquiring these diseases through vaccination. Let me share to you some facts about vaccines:

Vaccines are designed to protect against serious illnesses ranging from polio and tetanus to measles, mumps, and the seasonal flu. Many people consider them the most important part of well-child checkups.

Good thing is that we bring our little man regularly to his pediatrician for check ups and vaccinations. He just had his second shot of IPV last Monday. We are so proud of our little guy as he didn't cry after getting pricked. Hooray for our brave little man! 

To know more about vaccines, check out http://www.mommymundo.com/vaccinate/
*This is a sponsored post.