Help Your Little Ones Freeze the Flu this Sickly Season
Cold weather months generally put our little ones at greater risk for colds and flu. Colder temperatures and more family and friends around during the holidays increase children’s exposure to possible illness. Here are some suggestions to keep your family healthy during the next few months.
Staying Healthy
Babies and toddlers between the ages of one month to five years often get sick from exposure to germs from siblings, or other children at daycare, church, or school. Rest assured, if one child is sick then others will likely become sick too. Proper and frequent hand washing is an easy way to prevent the spread of illness. A good rule of thumb is to have everyone wash their hands when they come home from school, work, play, or shopping. It’s also important to wash your toddler’s sheets, blankets, and toys frequently during the cold and flu season to protect everyone from the germs that may have been brought home from daycare. You may also wish to use disinfecting spray or wipes, like Lysol, to kill germs around the house.
To protect your children from the flu, be sure any child over the age of six months gets a flu shot. Each year in the United States, an average of 20,000 children under age five are hospitalized for flu and related complications, and during the 2012-2013 flu season in Arkansas, five children under age 18 died from influenza. If you do not want to wait in your pediatrician’s office, most local pharmacies can vaccinate children seven years of age and older with no appointment.
Dealing with Fever
If your child isn’t feeling well and has a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, you need to keep them home. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends contacting your child’s doctor under the following circumstances:
• Under 3 months: Any fever of 100.4 F or higher, even if he shows no other symptoms of illness. If the fever develops after office hours or on a weekend, go to the emergency room.
• 3-6 months: A fever of 101 F or higher.
• Over 6 months: A fever 103 F or higher.
If your child feels badly from a fever, medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can help lower their fever. A lukewarm bath can also help to bring a fever down.
When your children are sick, it is very important to keep them hydrated. Adults and children can be prone to dehydration as a result of a stomach bug or other common illness such as a cold. To replenish the fluids and nutrients they have lost, some parents will turn to Gatorade or other sports drinks, but these are not ideal to give to children because of the high sugar content. Instead, electrolyte solutions, such as Pedialyte, are the best option.
Help with Medications
If you have questions about prescription or over-the-counter medications when your children are sick, your pharmacist is just a phone call away. If your child is under age two, you will want to consult your pediatrician about specific dosing of over-the-counter medications, but if older, a pharmacist can recommend the right dose. He or she can also flavor medications, so your child is more willing to take it.
It is important for parents to understand that antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. Many illnesses that begin during this time of year can be attributed to the cold virus or other viruses, and antibiotics do NOT work on these infections. The flu virus is a little different because there are specific medications that can treat the flu, but they must be prescribed by your doctor. If your child is prescribed an antibiotic, they need to finish the entire course of treatment even if they start feeling better after a few days of antibiotics. Be sure to take it as the doctor prescribed. If it is not finished, the infection could reemerge and, in some cases, this is how bacteria form resistance to certain antibiotics.
This time of year can be stressful for parents of small children. Just remember that your local pharmacist can play a vital role in helping you through the cold and flu season.