Children are Particularly Susceptible to Swine Flu
Now that the swine flu has begun to affect US citizens many are beginning to relax about the virus thinking that its effects won’t be as serious as first laid out by the World Health Organization earlier this year. For some this presumption may be true but for others who are at much higher risk of developing the virus, like small children, ignoring the early warning signs can be deadly.
What are those signs and what should parents look out for? There are many children who have the virus and come away with little harm but for others the symptoms worsened quickly and overcame them before the parent truly realized anything serious was going on.
If any of the following warning signs develop seek an ER quickly!
- Lack of Thirst
- Fast or Labored Breathing
- Blue Tinged Skin
- Fever Accompanied by Rash
- Grouchiness and Avoidance of Being Handled or Held
- Doesn’t Wake up Easily and Acts Listless and Unresponsive
- Improved Symptoms that Return as Fever and a Worsened Cough
Children who fall under the following categories are at highest risk:
- Are Younger Than 5
- Who Have High Risk Conditions Like Asthma or Other Lung Issues
- Cerebral Palsy
- Neurological Diseases Like Epilepsy
- Liver, Heart or Kidney Problems
- Diabetes
Even if your child has none of these issues keep a very close eye on them if they develop flu symptoms, at least 1/3 of the children who passed away had no underlying health problems to worsen the virus. If at all possible it’s best if you get your child immunized for both types of flu. It’s fine to keep your child home with cold or flu symptoms but if they worsen in any way they should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: chil, children, death, flu, H1N1, health, illness, kids, risk, swine flu
