Is your baby suffering from prolonged fever and the symptoms of pneumonia? Did the doctor diagnose her with Swine Flu? If you nodded along worriedly, you might want to read our post.
Swine flu occurs due to the presence of a typical H1NI virus in the body. Your baby may suffer from prolonged high fever accompanied by severe chills. Here, we look at the swine flu and how it affects babies.
Swine Flu:
The typical H1N1 virus triggers Swine flu in the human body. According to numerous researchers, it people who consume pork or stay near pigs are more prone to contracting the H1N1 virus. As soon as the virus enters the body, it attacks the respiratory tract and initiates severe health complexities. The virus infects major parts of the body including nose, bronchi, throat and trachea.
Causes Of Swine Flu In Babies:
The disease of swine flu mostly occurs in pigs. The strain of H1N1 virus resides in the pigs’ intestines and causes the harmful infections in pigs. When human beings consume infected pigs, the virus transmits to their body.
Babies are most vulnerable and are more prone to infection with the contagious virus. Moreover, the disease also spreads from an infected person through coughing or sneezing. The virus transmits via air particles and enters the body through inhalation. The strain of influenza virus infects the pigs and spreads in the atmosphere (2).
Symptoms Of Swine Flu In Babies:
Some of the noticeable signs of swine flu in babies are:
- Sore throat
- Fever (above 100.4 for babies under three months of age).
- Chills
- intense body aches
- Fatigue
- Coughing
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea (3)
Treating Swine Flu In Babies:
- For minor symptoms of cold and flu, Low- Risk babies need preliminary medical guidance. Some antiviral drugs doctors prescribe typically help cure such health discomforts. The antiviral drugs for Swine Flu are zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu). They help reduce and control the symptoms of swine flu in babies.
- For High-Risk babies, you need to seek requisite medical guidance and if required, hospitalize the baby immediately.
- For optimal results, the antiviral drugs should be consumed within 48 hours of the flu symptoms. But for small babies, you need proper medical advice and before administering such medications (4).
Home Remedies To Cure Swine Flu In Babies:
There are certain home remedies, which are extremely effective for curing swine flu in babies. Some of the home remedies are:
- Make your baby consume lots of liquids, like fruit juices, milk, and normal water. You need to keep her hydrated, as a scarcity of fluid can induce further complexities of the influenza virus.
- Get her to sleep for around 8-10 hours a day. Sufficient rest can keep the immune system healthier and help in early recovery.
- Children suffering from intense body or muscle pain can take certain pain relievers, to get adequate relief from the unbearable pain. But for small babies, it is always advisable to take requisite medical guidance (5).
Preventing Swine Flu In Babies:
There are certain preventive measures to protect your babies from the contagious viral infection:
- Keep your baby away from an infected person. The H1N1 viruses are quite contagious and easily spread from one person to the other.
- If the doctor has diagnosed your baby with Swine Flu, make her stay at the home and administer the prescribed medications accordingly. Do not take your baby to other places, as it may increase the risk of other babies’ of getting infected.
- Returning from your day to day activity or office, do not hold your baby with unwashed hands. The germs get easily spread through a simple contact or touching. It is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly with a medicate sanitizer or soap and then cuddle your little bundle of joy.
- Whenever you are coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth gently. It prevents spreading of harmful viruses (6).
Things To Remember:
- Scientists discovered the H1N1 virus in the human body, in the year of 2009. An outbreak of Swine Flu attacked a huge population of people from USA and Canada, and the World Health Organization declared the disease as a global pandemic.
- The severity of the symptoms can be mild in a certain group of babies and quite similar to regular influenza virus. But for High-Risk babies the viral infection induces complicated health disorders.
- The virus is easily transmitted from one infected person to babies or other individuals. The H1N1 virus gets transmitted through normal contact, touch, and cough, sneeze or water droplets.
- Like regular flu symptoms, the fever lasts for 2-3 days, and the baby suffers from nasal congestion or sore throat.
- A preferable way to keep your babies away from the harmful viral infection is the seasonal flu vaccination. The regular swine flu vaccine for babies prevents from getting attacked by the contagious virus. Moreover, it boosts the immunity strength of the baby and improves her health conditions.
When To Visit The Doctor?
In the preliminary stage, the doctor may prescribe certain antiviral medications along with pain relievers. But for prolonged health discomforts, seek immediate medical guidance.
Here are some of the complications, for which parents need to take their babies to the doctor immediately:
- Troubled breathing
- Not willing to drink fluids
- Bluish skin color
- Fever with painful skin rashes
- Becoming irritable day by day
- Intense coughing
With proper medical treatment and early diagnosis, your babies can stay fit and disease-free. The prescribed antiviral medications can cure early symptoms of the disease. But for any other health discomforts like trouble breathing or severe fever above 102 F, visit the doctor immediately.
Did your baby suffer from Swine Flu? Did your doctor prescribe any antiviral medications? If you have any questions, suggestions or experiences to share with us. Please leave a comment in the box below. We would love to hear from you.
