The influx of child patients suffering from pneumonia, winter diarrhoea and other cold-related diseases has been straining hospitals.

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection of the lungs. It is the biggest infectious killer of children worldwide.

With the onset of winter, reports are coming in from around the country of growing cold-related illnesses in children. Among the more serious winter ailments is pneumonia but most parents are often confused about how to differentiate between pneumonia and the common flu. Here's what you need to know.