Childhood illnesses

Seasonal Flu in Babies and Children

Seasonal Flu in Babies and Children


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The seasonal flu characterized by a small annual mutation of the virus Influenza. The onset of this disease can be prevented with the administration of a vaccine to patients belonging to risk groups (children, the elderly and adults with heart disease, diabetes, a weak immune system ... or who suffer from chronic diseases), and than a flu epidemic is common every year.

Seasonal flu is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract and this virus is transmitted through the air, through the coughs or sneezes of infected people, or by direct contact through rubbing the skin.

For this reason, it is very important to wash your hands frequently and avoid putting them on the face, since rubbing with the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes or mouth accelerates the spread from one child to another or from one person to another. .

The symptoms of a cold are milder than those of the flu, and they appear gradually.

Flu symptoms

- Symptoms appear one or two days after infection.

- The fever is usually high, above 38 ºC.

- The cough is dry.

- The nose is blocked and you feel difficulties in breathing.

- Pains appear in different parts of the body, especially in the throat, head and muscles.

- The feeling of tiredness is common.

Cold symptoms

- Symptoms begin to be noticed right after infection.

- A sore throat with tickling or itching and coughing appear.

- The nose is also clogged, but the secretions are abundant with drip, sneezing and watery eyes.

- Sometimes fever appears, not always, and you can notice the body sore

Children who have caught the flu are worse in the first few days. Liquid paracetamol is usually the pain reliever of choice to relieve a sore throat, headache and lower fever.. It should always be administered under medical recommendation, depending on the weight and age of the child.

If the flu is not complicated by another illness, it does not require the administration of other medications, since it heals over time, usually within 7 or 10 days. Antibiotics should only be used under a medical prescription, as they serve to attack bacteria and are ineffective against viruses such as the flu.

In the flu, it is important not to give acetylsalicylic acid because it can cause a serious illness in children known as Reye's Syndrome.

To help restore your child's health, it is important that they keep bed rest for at least the first 48 hours, and keep their room well ventilated and warm and humidified enough to facilitate their breathing.

It is recommended that you drink plenty of fluids to relieve a sore throat and thin your nasal secretions, as well as eat soft foods.

- If you have a strong cough for more than 5 days or any of the other symptoms lasts more than 10 days.

- If it is a baby under 2 months old and has flu symptoms.

- If the child is less than 2 years old and does not eat or has a high fever.

- If the child has rapid breathing, has a fever of over 39 ºC, is drowsy or down and has no appetite.

Babies under six months are one of the most important risk groups for the flu, mainly because they cannot be vaccinated. This means that the people who are in charge of the child or who live with him have to take extreme hygiene measures (wash their hands, do not cough or smoke in front of them, do not talk to them very close, in no case smoke ...) and , the most basic, get vaccinated. All this with the aim of creating a circle of immunity around the little one and reducing the chances of it being infected.

From the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the AEP (CAV-AEP) they also recommend that all professionals who are in contact with children administer the corresponding dose of the flu vaccine, for example, teachers, pediatricians, nurses ...

After this six-month period is exceeded, children can be vaccinated without any problem (both healthy and those who have a risk disease such as diabetes, asthma or cardiovascular conditions). If the child is over 9 years old and is being vaccinated for the first time, it is likely that the pediatrician will advise you to give him two doses, separated by a month from each other.

And one last very important fact: as explained to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics' it is known that children represent a fundamental factor in the chain of disease transmission, since they shed the virus for longer and with a higher viral load than adults '. So If your baby has siblings, check if he is up to date with the vaccination schedule!

You can read more articles similar to Seasonal Flu in Babies and Children, in the category of Children's Diseases on site


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