In the December 2009 issue of "Pediatric Nursing," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemiologists Anna Bramley, Dr. Joe Bresee and Lyn Finelli report that up to 30 percent of kids contract the flu each year. Of these, say Bramley and colleagues, approximately 20,000 kids are hospitalized and nearly 100 die. Serious and fatal outcomes occur more often in younger kids and kids with other medical problems, but two-thirds of hospitalizations occur in kids with no risk factors at all.
Causes
Kids and adults acquire the influenza A and B viruses that cause most human disease mainly through inhalation of respiratory droplets from an infected person. Fomite transmission, when the virus is acquired through transfer from objects, occurs more often in children than adults. In the United States, flu viruses circulate between October and May, so most cases occur during winter months.
Symptoms
Symptoms of flu include fever, chills, decreased energy, headaches, muscle aches and pain, dry cough, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and stuffy and runny nose. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, fever due to flu is usually over 101 degrees F. However, the absence of fever does not rule out flu. Children younger than one year---especially those younger than six months---are less likely to mount a fever in response to infection.
Onset
According to Harvard professor Dr. Raphael Dolin in the 2008 edition of "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," flu starts suddenly. Over the course of a few hours, a child can transition from healthy and active to ill and prostrate. Symptoms that develop over a few days suggest causes other than flu.
Duration
For most kids, flu symptoms last two to five days. Fever usually peaks within the first 24 hours. Kids who are still sick after five days and those who start to get better, only to become sick again need to be evaluated by a pediatrician or family doctor.
Vaccination
The CDC recommends annual flu vaccination for kids younger than 19. Kids who are eight or younger should receive two doses the first time that they are vaccinated. Kids younger than six months cannot be vaccinated, so parents and caregivers should be vaccinated instead.
Public Health Recommendations
In addition to vaccination, the CDC also recommends good health habits such as covering a cough or a sneeze with a disposable tissue, frequent handwashing and more. Although critics have challenged the effectiveness of these measures, a 2009 study in the "British Medical Journal" found that the risk of developing respiratory infections including flu decreased by 50 percents in households with children that adhered to public health recommendations.
Treatment
Most kids with flu recover with supportive care, such as over-the-counter acetaminophen for fever and pain, and cool liquids for cough and throat pain. Kids younger than five---especially those under two---and kids with certain kinds of medical problems, such as asthma, may benefit from antiviral drugs. Parents and caregivers of kids in these groups should call the child's doctor as soon as they suspect exposure to the influenza virus because antiviral drugs work better, the sooner that they are given.
References
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine;" A.S. Fauci et al. (eds.); 2008
- British Medical Journal;" Physical Interventions to Interrupt or Reduce the Spread of Respiratory Viruses; T. Jefferson et al.; Sep. 21 2009
- CDC: Seasonal Influenza (Flu): People at High Risk of Developing Flu-Related Complications
- "Pediatric Nursing;" Pediatric Influenza; A.M. Bramley et al.; December 2009
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Influenza
