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

A shivering cold coupled with dense fog pummelled the country, disrupting daily activities and communications by roads, rivers and air and spreading winter-related diseases.

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.

With the advent of winter, physicians have urged parents to stay extra cautious to keep their children safe from pneumonia.