YOUR KIDS AND H1N1 FLU

At Duluth Children’s, we share your concerns about your child’s health and
well-being. With all the stories circulating about the H1N1 (swine) flu, you may have questions about protecting your children. That’s why we asked Dr. Timothy Zager, a pediatrician with SMDC Medical Center Duluth Clinic, to answer some of them.

Q. What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 (swine) flu in children?
A. Influenza is primarily a respiratory illness and not a gastrointestinal illness. Symptoms in children include:

• Fever of about 102-105 degrees lasting 3-5 days
• Runny nose
• A very significant cough
• Achiness
• Nausea and occasionally diarrhea

Find more information, including how to tell if its a cold or the flu by going to our Children's Health Information and searching for swine flu or flu.

Q. How severe is the illness caused by H1N1 in children?
A. Children under the age of 2 have a higher rate of complications, hospitalization and office visits from flu than those over the age of 5. Recent studies show that children from 2-5 years of age have more office visits than older ages when experiencing influenza, although the hospitalization rate is not as high as those under 2.

Q. How can I protect my child from H1N1?
A. Influenza vaccination for all children 6 months and older is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parents who are immunized are also less likely to introduce influenza into the family unit.
I recommend vaccinations for children and parents when it becomes available next fall.

The CDC also recommends teaching your children to:

Wash their hands. Make a point of washing hands and face morning and night, and washing hands before meals. Teach your child to use a good jet of water, soap, and to wash for at least 30 seconds. (Long enough to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.)

Cover their mouth. Using your hands to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze is common practice, however, it is now recommended that you sneeze or cough into your sleeve or a tissue instead. Teach your child to throw any tissue they use into the trash right away. If their sneeze does end up in their hands, make sure they know to wash them thoroughly before they forget and move on to other activities.

Q. What should I do if my child becomes ill?
A. If your child seems to have symptoms of illness more severe than usual cold

Dr. Timothy Zager

symptoms with low-grade fever, call your physician’s office and review the situation with your doctor or the nurse. If the pattern of illness is not much different than prior illnesses you have managed, then there likely is no absolute need to contact your doctor. At this time, the Minnesota Department of Health is recommending that school-age children with a temp of 100 degrees or more and a sore throat or respiratory symptoms stay home from school until one week has passed from the start of symptoms. Admittedly, this will keep many children home who have little more than a simple cold, but the health department feels caution is indicated at this time.

More tips on treating the flu in children can be found in our Children's Health Information on the Duluth Children's Website.

Q. What medications can I give my child?
A. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen are very helpful for discomfort from fever and aches. It is important to remember that fever itself does not harm the child and evidence suggests that it improves immune system function. It is reasonable to treat fever that makes the child uncomfortable.
Generally, cold medications available at the pharmacy have little evidence of effectiveness. In certain cases, it may be advisable to treat a child with influenza with a prescription antiviral medication or antibiotic. According to CDC guidelines, this should only be done in a small number of cases.

Q. Is there anything else I should know about children and H1N1?
A. Children generally handle influenza well, though their symptoms can be very distressing. An ill child depends on a healthy adult to care for them, hence, any parent should consider getting immunized prior to influenza season. There are certain medial issues with specific childhood situations that do make children more vulnerable to influenza complications and parents should keep themselves informed. For more information on the swine flu, I recommend a very helpful CDC Website.