Khusboo Bharti shudders every time she thinks about the night of November 13, when her one-year-old daughter Samaria coughed so violently that she vomited, writes the BBC .
In the emergency room, Samaria received oxygen support for two days, and was later diagnosed with pneumonia. The girl is doing well today. But there are children who suffer permanent lung damage from the air.
Hospitals in India's capital have seen an influx of children sickened by the toxic air, reports the BBC.
Since last month, Delhi's air quality index has fluctuated between 300 and 400 - more than 20 times the WHO's recommended limit. These levels of airborne particles affect everyone, even the healthy, and are particularly dangerous for children, the elderly and the sick.
The particles can affect the immune system of children, which is still developing, pediatrician Shishir Bhatnagar told the British public service channel.
Smog is a recurring problem in Delhi during winter. As temperatures drop and winds die down, pollution settles like a blanket over the city. Burning of crop residues in neighboring states exacerbates the situation, as do industrial emissions and exhaust fumes.
For Khushboo Bharti, her daughter's illness earlier in November has left deep scars.
Even if she coughs just a few times, I panic, she tells the BBC.
