School children too are now victims of acidity in Mumbai

If you thought acidity was something only grown-ups have to deal with, think again. Rising cases of rumbling stomachs, vomiting spells, chest pains and dizziness among students have become a cause for concern for schools in the city. School principals and experts say that they are seeing a shocking rise among children suffering from bouts of acidity.

For instance, Apeejay School at Kharghar has a child suffering from acidity almost every day. Indu Mathur, the school’s principal, says, “We are forced to call parents of at least five to six students suffering from acidity every week.”

Experts say children skipping breakfast and coming to school on an empty stomach might be the reason. Mathur added, “We found out that most children don’t have breakfast before coming to school. When we talk to the parents, they say that the child did not feel like having breakfast or that they were too busy to whip up a breakfast so early in the morning.”

Dr Nitin Shah, consulting pediatrician, PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim says that due to bad eating habits - irregularity in meals, skipping breakfast, binging on junk food and exam stress - are to blamed for children suffering from acidity. “Children develop acidity for a short duration due to poor diet, lack of sleep, fever, intake of medicinal drugs, and even too much exam or other stress. These days, some children starve for a long time and this has worsened the situation,’’ he said.

He added that this acidity is unlike those in adults: it does not cause stomach ulcers and lasts only for a while, but prolonged bad eating habits can cause chronic acidity problems among children. 

Schools, meanwhile, are worried by this dangerous trend and trying to make sure children get to eat right. Monitoring kids’ tiffins, giving them diet plans, prescribing exercises, and counselling parents are some of the measures taken up.

Sudha Shanbag, principal of Children’s Academy, ICSE section, Malad, says that her school has launched a nutrition programme to combat acidity amongst children, where they stress on importance of a good breakfast and eating healthy. Similarly, Bal Bharati Public School, Navi Mumbai has introduced a 10-minute-break at 9am in the morning so that children who have skipped breakfast can have a snack.