Resources Child Health Swine Flu Q&A: What Parents Need to Know
| Swine Flu Q&A: What Parents Need to Know |
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WebMD talks to pediatricians for answers to common questions parents have about swine flu.
"How do I protect my child?" That's the No. 1 question parents have when it comes to swine flu. To help guide parents, WebMD turned to three pediatricians for answers to common questions about swine flu. Are some children more at risk than others? Should you take your kids out of school if there are cases of swine flu in your town? What are the symptoms of swine flu in children? "Be vigilant, and watch your children closely," says Joseph Bocchini, MD, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Disease. Bocchini is also chairman of the department of pediatrics at Louisiana State University. "Follow the usual recommended procedures for reducing risk of transmission of infection. That means frequent hand-washing. Avoid large crowds. Avoid direct contact with sick individuals. If sick, children should stay home. So should parents." What if you’re out, at work, or at a playground?"If you are out in public and someone has a cough, you should stay away from that individual," Bocchini says. And people should cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze. How do you know whether to be concerned in your own area?"At this point, we know the virus is in certain locations within the United States and probably many other locations where we have not detected the virus," he tells WebMD. "Avoid the places where we know flu cases exist. Monitor what’s on the AAP [American Academy of Pediatrics] and CDC web sites. Keep up to date." What’s the most important thing parents should do now, just in case infections are reported in their own area?"Follow the usual precautions. Start thinking about what you would do if the child’s school or day care center is shut down, Bocchini says. Think about what arrangements you would make to be able to stay home with children. That may mean you need to stock up on supplies, food, and make arrangements for child care. Parents should start thinking about this now." What advice do you have for parents with children in school?"We know that right now we don’t have to close schools and stop movies and do other things to prevent infection except in those areas where cases have been reported. Based on finding of the virus in a certain areas, authorities may close day care centers and public events. But parents should not take children out of day care or school unless the public health authorities have recommended such a step," he says. In situations like this, sometimes mass hysteria sets in and people overreact. What can be done about this?"Just be aware of what’s going on in your area. You are always going to get some people who will become hysterical, withdraw their kids from school," Bocchini says. "But that is not necessary at this point. Follow recommendations of public health authorities. This is where leadership is very important. Leaders should let people know that this is serious, but not to overreact, and do what they should do, based on public health recommendations."
WebMD talks to pediatricians for answers to common questions parents have about swine flu.
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What if your child gets sick? What are symptoms of swine flu in children?"Influenza is very different from the common cold. Classically, with influenza, children have sudden onset of significant fever with respiratory symptoms. High fever, chills. Older children will complain of headache, scratchy sore throat, and muscle aches. Children will develop a nasal congestion and cough." What should parents do if their child has flu-like symptoms?“If a child has mild illness, or something that looks like the flu, with fever and chills, headache, body ache, coughing, sore throat, they should definitely stay home from school or day care, says Heather O’Donnell, MD, MSc. She works in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. "They should continue taking Tylenol andMotrin for fever. Parents should encourage hydration.” Are there signs parents should watch for?“Parents should monitor closely for any signs that children are getting worse, if they have any difficulty breathing, if they are not able to drink, or are not urinating well, if they are very irritable even after their fever goes down, if they have any sort ofrash, or if the fever goes down and flu symptoms get better, then get worse again," O'Donnell says. What can a child’s temperature tell us about whether they need to see a doctor?“Any child less than the age of 2 [months] or 3 months should definitely always be checked out with a fever," O'Donnell says. "If a child has symptoms over age 2, they don’t necessarily need to come in. If the child has other medical problems, such as having a heart condition, a lung condition, bad asthma, even if those children just have mild symptoms, they probably should be brought in. This includes children [with a weakened immune system.]" Paul Spearman, MD, pediatric infection disease specialist and vice chairman of research at the Emory University School of Medicine department of pediatrics, also tells WebMD, "We use a cutoff of 100.8." "That would be a cause for concern, along with lethargy. In an older child there is no cutoff. I usually use [a temperature of] 101, but that doesn’t mean one needs to go to an ER with that. They certainly don’t. What should be said right now is, ‘don’t panic.’ Keep up with the news." What swine flu treatments are available for children?"We already know this virus is susceptible to antiviral medication like Tamiflu and Relenza," Bocchini says. "Those drugs are in adequate supply. Tamiflu, if given within 48 hours of onset, will shorten the course. Its use depends on prompt diagnosis and treatment. Early treatment with Tamiflu is remarkable. Relenza is not for young children." In response to swine flu, the FDA is now allowing the use of Tamiflu for children younger than 1 to treat and prevent influenza. Is swine flu easier to detect in young children and teens?"Yes," says Bocchini. "An infant can’t describe his symptoms and may have more nonspecific symptoms. If they have a fever, we want to see them." Is flu more dangerous for very young children?"Yes. Children under 2 have a higher risk of complications. Seasonal influenza is associated with a significant risk of hospitalization in children 2 and under. Children under 2 have a similar hospitalization rate similar to adults over 65," he says. Are some children more at risk of getting very sick?"Yes. Children who have an underlying disorder, including asthma, diabetes, another metabolic disease, children with chronic kidney disease, sickle celldisease." What can you do for your children if they do get the flu?“Children with influenza should not get any product that contains aspirin," Bocchini says. "We don’t recommend aspirin for children anymore. Make sure it’s not in any medicines they are given. Tylenol, ibuprofen compounds are fine.” What about the flu shot? Can it protect you from swine flu?“The vaccine now available is not expected to offer any protection against the swine influenza.” To help guide parents, the CDC has posted tips on caring for a child with flu-like symptoms:
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