Take The Caution Signs Seriously When It Comes To The H1N1 Virus And Your Kids
30 Oct 2009It is a lingering question on most parents’ minds : how do they protect their kids from swine influenza till the vaccine is widely available? The H1N1 virus has likely infected thousands of children across the nation, but deaths among children aren’t common.
Last week alone, there were nineteen new reports of children who died, according to the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Most children will recover, but it’s still terribly concerning and should be observed awfully closely” Gerber explained. Dr Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago’s pediatric infectious illness chief, asserted there are common signs to point out when both types of influenza turn deadly.
Authorities urge parents to find immediate help if emergency warning signs develop. In kids, these are : Fast or uneasy respiring; Bluish skin color; Absence of thirst; Failure to wake up simply or interact; Improvement of symptoms, then a sudden return to the fever and a worse cough; Fever with a rash.
Parents should also seek medical help if influenza symptoms develop in children most exposed to influenza complications : those younger than five or with high-risk conditions, including asthma and other lung issues, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other neurological illnesses, heart, kidney or liver issues and diabetes. A report from the CDC revealed that one third of pediatric deaths from the new H1N1 virus were in children with no known underlying condition that would put them in jeopardy. During the past couple of weeks, news stories have totaled the deaths of children with no known health issues, including 3 in New Mexico, a second-grader in Dalton, Ga, and a Baltimore eighth-grader. “People are pretty concerned and I believe they should be,” said Harvin Bullock, coroner in Sumter County, S.C, where 11-year-old Ashlie Pipkin died 3 weeks back, 2 days after developing symptoms.
Authorities are walking a fine line between ensuring parents are vigilant without raising unwarranted alarm. That suggests children should get vaccination shots for both normal influenza and swine flu when the vaccine is available, and stay at home from college if they’re sick. Trivial cases must be treated at home with rest and lots of liquids, but parents should call their doctor if more heavy symptoms develop.
“We definitely do not want to suggest to someone that has a particularly sick child that that kid should be at home. But at the same time, we do not need lots of children with mild sickness showing up in emergency rooms or doctors’ offices, keeping doctors from treating more needier patients ” said Dr Michael Landen, New Mexico’s Assistant State Epidemiologist. He claimed “it is a troublesome message for health officers to clarify, and is very challenging for parents to get this right”.
