With her health improving, two-year-old Mayamanat Islam Sadia was spending her time playing with a balloon on her bed at the dengue ward of Mugda Medical College and Hospital.

The toddler was admitted to the hospital on August 7 after showing a dengue warning sign -- extreme weakness.

"Whenever she feels better, she smiles and plays," said Rokaya Ferdous, the child's mother and a resident of the capital's Khilgaon.

Rokaya and her sister live in the same house, along with their mother and children. Her sister's six-year-old child Mariyam and Mayamanat were diagnosed with dengue on the same day.

"We admitted them together, and they are still under treatment," she said.

Meanwhile, Farida Begum has been in the hospital with her three-year-old twin girls, Humayra and Faria, who also fell sick together.

"They've been undergoing treatment for the last few days and their conditions have not yet improved," she said, as she sat between their neighbouring beds.

At least 9,541 dengue child patients between zero and 10 years of age were hospitalised across the country, accounting for 12 percent of the total number of dengue patients this year.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), at least 12 dengue patients died in the last 24 hours till yesterday morning, raising the total number of dengue fatalities to 364.

Of those, 31 patients, or 9 percent of all fatalities, were children aged 0 to 10 years old.

Meanwhile, 2,959 new patients were recorded yesterday, bringing the total number of dengue cases to 78,028.

HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, said dengue symptoms are slightly different in children.

"While for older people, the symptoms begin with a sudden fever with pain in the body and eye, children first experience nausea and/or coughing."

A child (newborn to 12) may cry excessively, have a fever with nausea and cough, and younger ones may show disinterest in being breastfed – if such symptoms show up, they may be suspected of having dengue, he said.

Dengue, he added, also reaches the critical stage faster in children.

"It takes 48 hours for the situation to become critical for adults, while children only have 24 hours, which is why we suggest hospitalisation as quickly as possible.

"Children are also more prone to developing shock syndrome, which is risky for any dengue patient."

Urging guardians to be careful while sending children to the coaching centres and schools, Nazmul said the chances of being infected in educational institutes are high, and both the authorities concerned and guardians will have to be careful.

"Most of the schools don't have full-sleeved uniforms, which is very essential during the dengue season. Their legs should also be protected with long socks and shoes."