Swine flu is the common name for the H1N1 flu virus, first identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in April 2009. Swine flu is classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization and, as of January 2010, has been linked to more than 14,000 deaths around the world. According to the CDC, children younger than age two have a higher risk of complications and hospitalization due to swine flu than older children.
Systemic Symptoms
According to the CDC, systemic symptoms of swine flu include fever, headache, muscle pain and malaise, which is a generalized feeling of ill health. In a June 18, 2009, article in the "New England Journal of Medicine," fever greater than 101.3 degrees F was the single-most common symptom of swine flu, present in 94 percent of adults and children, including babies. However, as the authors note, younger babies--especially those younger than six months--may not exhibit fever in response to swine flu. Babies are not able to tell you about their symptoms, so caregivers must rely on signs, such as irritability, fussiness, poor appetite and decreased activity. According to the CDC, babies who do not want to be held, are having trouble waking up, are not interacting or have seizures need to be seen by a doctor right away.
Respiratory Symptoms
Swine flu produces both lower-respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and breathing problems, and upper-respiratory symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose and nasal congestion. According to a Nov. 13, 2009, study in "Clinical Microbiology and Infection," upper-respiratory symptoms of swine flu typically begin a few days after other symptoms. Respiratory symptoms of swine flu are the same in babies as they are in adults. Signs of breathing problems in a baby include abnormally fast or slow breathing, exaggerated chest wall movements, bluish color around the mouth or nails, distress and, ultimately, loss of consciousness. Babies with breathing problems need to be taken to the emergency department as soon as possible.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Unlike seasonal flu, the swine flu is associated with vomiting, diarrhea or both in up to 40 percent of outpatients, according to the June 18, 2009, "New England Journal of Medicine" article cited earlier. In babies, it may be difficult to distinguish vomit from spit-up. Spit-up that occurs more frequently than normal, is green or brown, or that occurs in babies who have not recently been fed is probably vomiting. Similarly, baby stools are usually different from adult stools. Stool that is markedly different from a baby's baseline may represent diarrhea. Dehydration develops rapidly in babies, so a baby's urine should be carefully monitored. Dark urine and decreased urine volume are signs of dehydration.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- "New England Journal of Medicine;" Emergence of a Novel Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Virus in Humans; Novel Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Investigation Team; June 18, 2009
- "Clinical Microbiology and Infection;" Dynamics of Clinical Symptoms in a Case with Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1); C.S. Lee and J. H. Lee; Nov. 13, 2009
