Flu is a contagious respiratory illness that infects millions of Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most children recover without medical intervention. However, children under five and children with certain kinds of medical problems may benefit from antiviral drugs.
Symptom-Based Treatment
Symptom-based treatment remains appropriate for all children and its purpose remains, as the name implies, to provide relief from symptoms that interfere with rest. For fever, the CDC recommends non-medicinal remedies such as a placing a cool cloth on the child's forehead or a tepid bath for children who have become well enough to get out of bed. If those measures fail, parents may use over-the-counter medications instead. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests pain relievers that contain acetaminophen--Children's Tylenol, for example--to treat fever and soothe head and muscle aches and pains.
Tamiflu
Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) is a prescription antiviral drug that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat flu in people of any age, including infants. According to MedlinePlus, Tamiflu works by interfering with the way the influenza virus replicates in a person's body. It should be given as soon as possible after symptoms begin. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe Tamiflu for a child who has not yet become sick to prevent him from developing the flu. Tamiflu comes in both a capsule and a liquid form for children too young to swallow pills.
Relenza
According to MedlinePlus, Relenza (zanamivir inhalation) is a prescription antiviral drug that the FDA has approved for the treatment of flu in children seven and older and for the prevention of flu in children five and older. Relenza works the same way as Tamiflu, but it is dispensed as a powder so that flu sufferers can inhale through the mouth using a device called a diskhaler. Children with asthma or a history of wheezing should not take relenza, because it can make these symptoms worse. It also contains lactose, so caregivers of children with milk allergies should share this information with their healthcare provider.
