Childhood illnesses are an unavoidable part of childhood, but most kids with flu recover without medical attention. However, there are exceptions, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kids younger than 5 and children with certain kinds of medical problems have the highest risk of developing flu-related complications. Because children can't always communicate what's wrong, it's important for caregivers to be familiar with flu symptoms in kids.
Fever
Fever, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is a sign that a person's immune system is fighting an infection. It is also one of the most common symptoms of flu. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, an oral temperature higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit might indicate flu. Other systemic symptoms of flu in kids include sweating, chills, headache, muscle aches, lack of appetite and lethargy. In younger kids, look for fussiness, sleepiness and refusing food or fluids.
Cough
Coughing is one of the most common symptoms of flu, according to the AAP. However, unlike the cough associated with the common cold and other childhood illnesses, the cough associated with flu is a dry, "non-productive" cough. Some kids might produce small amounts of mucus or blood, however lots of mucus suggests something other than flu. In more than 70 percent of kids, according to a 2009 article in the "Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infections," other respiratory symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and, in rare cases, breathing problems appear a few days after cough. Contact your doctor in the case of breathing problems.
Vomiting and Diarrhea
Some kids with the flu will also develop vomiting and diarrhea. According to the earlier cited study in the "Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infections," these symptoms usually developed after fever and cough and were typically mild and short-lived compared with other flu symptoms. Kids with vomiting and diarrhea are at risk of dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include sunken eyes, depressed fontanelles fontanelles (infants), dry mucous membrane and decreased urine output, dark urine, fewer trips to the bathroom or fewer diaper changes. Call your doctor if any of these symptoms occur.
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Influenza
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Colds and the Flu in Children
- "Clinical Microbiology and Infections"; Dynamics of Clinical Symptoms in a Case with Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1); CS Lee and JH Lee; Nov. 13, 2009
