Influenza in a baby what to do. A baby has the flu, what to do and how to treat? What can you do

Influenza is an acute viral illness that usually occurs during winter time of the year. A patient with this disease often has a lesion of the upper respiratory tract and acute infectious intoxication.

Babies, because of their weak immune system, are very difficult to tolerate any viral disease, so flu in young children is almost always the cause of one of the following diseases:

Influenza and SARS spread at a tremendous speed, sometimes reaching epidemic proportions. Usually babies become infected with this viral infection from adult family members living with them in the same apartment, especially when the disease is not prevented.

The winter season, characterized by cold air temperatures and short daylight hours, is an ideal environment for the active reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.

A child can get the flu at any age, but infections usually occur in children older than 2 years of age. Newborns suffer from influenza and SARS infrequently, but, with the negligent attitude of parents to the prevention of viruses, such situations occur.

Influenza in the first month of life

Babies are considered newborns for the first 28 days of their lives. This period of time is full of difficult trials for a tiny organism, because in the mother's tummy, the children felt completely protected, and now they have to learn to exist independently in this vast world.

Influenza in newborns is of two types:

An infection that the baby received from the mother while still in the womb.
Infection received by the baby after childbirth

congenital disease

If the flu virus or SARS caught a pregnant woman a few weeks before the birth or just before the birth, the child also has a hard time. To understand that a recently born baby has the flu or SARS, the following symptoms will help:

Weakness
subfebrile temperature
Swelling of the mucous membranes

Additional symptoms of congenital influenza:

lethargy
Almost no appetite
Breathing is severely impaired.

The congenital form of influenza in infants always resolves with complications, which in the worst case can result in pneumonia. Therefore, if the infectious disease is severe, the newborn is urgently hospitalized in a special intensive care unit for infants.

Disease acquired by the newborn after childbirth

If a pregnant woman managed to protect herself from the flu and SARS and the baby was born completely healthy, this does not mean that there is no reason for concern. During a viral infectious epidemic, anyone who has contact with a baby can infect him with the flu or SARS. In this case, the disease develops gradually.

If you notice that your baby:

The temperature rose slightly
Spoiled appetite
Lethargy and drowsiness
slight runny nose
Cough
Swelling of the nasopharynx
Breathing has changed (he sniffles and breathes mostly through his mouth)

So he got sick. Call a doctor right away.

Any sick person (adult or other child) who had direct contact with the baby can infect a child with ARVI. Therefore, during the period viral epidemics and in general in autumn and winter period it is desirable to protect the baby from communication with strangers without urgent need. There is even folk tradition, forbidding to look at the baby, to anyone other than the household.
Try to ventilate the apartment as often as possible and carry out wet cleaning every day.
Use medical masks when in contact with a child
Ask your pediatrician what medicines should be used to prevent influenza in children. Usually, doctors advise moms interferon in the form of drops or rectal suppositories in a reduced for a tiny child's body dosage.
The main prevention of viral infections is to eat breast milk, which contains a huge amount of nutrients needed to strengthen children's immunity. Breast milk can protect the baby from infection, even if the mother herself is sick with the flu or SARS

How to cure

In most cases, influenza in infants occurs in mild form, provided that the baby was born healthy and feeds on mother's milk. If prevention was carried out in the proper form, then the likelihood that a child will catch the flu from you or other family members is almost zero.

But if, nevertheless, it was not possible to protect the baby from SARS, and he fell ill, especially when the temperature rose to 38 degrees, you should immediately consult a doctor and begin treatment. Remember that in this case self-treatment can lead to very unfortunate consequences.

Treatment of influenza in infants occurs with the use of antiviral drugs and antipyretics. When medical preparations don't bring positive results, the child is transferred to inpatient treatment.

Influenza cases in children older than one year are much more common than in newborn babies.

This flu is almost always very severe and has the following symptoms:

Body temperature reaches 39 C and above
The child is constantly shivering
He is tormented coughing and weakness
There is no appetite.

The duration of the disease in one-year-old children averages 6 days. At this time, it is desirable to protect the child from everything, providing him bed rest, plentiful drink and light food.

If the temperature is very high, give the baby antipyretic drugs, but only those prescribed by the attending physician. Do not forget that small children are very weak before severe viral diseases, so the treatment of influenza and SARS is a very important and responsible process. And only strict adherence to the recommendations of the doctor will be a guarantee quick recovery organism, without complications after an infection.

Everyone gets the flu. For a newly born baby, the risk of catching an infection is much lower than for older children who attend childcare facilities. Nevertheless, such a possibility still exists. Symptoms and treatment of influenza in newborns have their own characteristics, which parents should be aware of in order to avoid complications and effectively help their child.

Specificity and symptoms of influenza in newborns

The peak incidence of seasonal viral infections usually occurs in late autumn, winter and early spring. It is at this time that people consume the minimum amount of fresh vegetables and fruits and are little in the fresh air, which leads to a weakening of the immune system. The causative agent of the disease becomes especially active in those cases when the winter is damp and dank, which in middle lane Rossi is seen more and more frequently. In those families where babies have recently appeared, adults do everything possible not to get sick and not bring the infection into the house. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Most often, babies become infected from someone close to them.

The danger of influenza in newborns is associated with the following factors:

Fuzzy symptoms, due to which the disease is sometimes treated late. The fact is that a newborn baby cannot complain about such standard flu symptoms as aching muscles and joints, headache and general depression. Catarrhal symptoms(cough, sore throat when swallowing) in infants often do not appear at all, and the temperature can rise only on the second day of illness. Often, parents notice only a slight lethargy and a decrease in appetite in the crumbs, and only when the body temperature rises above 38 ° C, they begin to sound the alarm;
Insufficient activity of the immune system, characteristic of children in the first year of life. It is for this reason that influenza in newborns is often accompanied by the addition of a secondary bacterial infection that causes severe complications (purulent otitis media, inflammatory diseases kidney and urinary tract, pneumonia, etc.). In this sense, seasonal viral diseases are especially dangerous for children who are bottle-fed and deprived of the natural protection that their more fortunate peers receive from mother's milk.

The death rate from influenza among infants is almost three times higher than among older children. Therefore, when the first signs of the disease occur, parents should call the local doctor. Even if the flu symptoms in a newborn are manifested only by a decrease in appetite and activity, it is better to be safe and consult a specialist than to start the disease and create a risk of complications. In cases where the baby's body temperature is above 38 ° C, you can try to alleviate his condition by wiping the breast and back with a weak solution of vinegar (one tablespoon per liter of water). From self use medicines worth abstaining. If the baby is choking, he has convulsions or repeated vomiting, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Treatment and prevention of influenza in newborns

Only a doctor can make a competent appointment of antiviral and antipyretic drugs for a baby. It does not follow from this that the mother cannot help the child in any way. Her main concern in the treatment of influenza in a newborn is the continuation of natural feeding. It is impossible to allow the baby to lose weight and receive less irreplaceable, vital substances. If it is difficult for the baby to suck due to a stuffy nose, the mother should supplement it with expressed milk from a glass or pipette.

High temperatures lead to dehydration, so the baby needs to compensate for the loss of fluid. It is better to drink it with special saline solutions that are sold in pharmacies. The child's nose should be regularly cleared of mucus, thus making it easier to breathe. The room in which the baby is located should be often ventilated, and also ensure that the air in it is not excessively dry. At proper care and the absence of complications, the disease begins to recede as early as 4-5 days.

Prevention of influenza in newborns includes not only general strengthening activities (walks in the fresh air, water procedures, air baths, etc.) and maintaining a healthy indoor climate. As prescribed by the doctor, you can use interferon preparations (drops in the nose or rectal suppositories). It is useful to rinse the baby's nose with a solution sea salt. Before visiting crowded places or traveling by public transport, you can lubricate the nostrils of the crumbs from the outside with oxolin ointment. However, it is wiser to take care of the newborn during the flu season and refrain from such travel.

Intoxication of the body during a strong infectious attack can cause complications muscular system and joints. Often the limbs are affected, sometimes they become completely immobilized. Kidney damage occurs and inflammatory processes V different systems organs. Depending on how the flu is treated, there are certain types of complications. However, their appearance can be avoided if you entrust the treatment to a doctor, and not self-medicate.

Influenza in infants is especially undesirable and dangerous. Symptoms that characterize the disease usually have manifestations in the form of cough, runny nose, and fever. This makes the child lethargic and drowsy. In addition to the fact that his appetite disappears, getting breast milk is also complicated due to a stuffy nose. As a result, the child begins to lose weight, which can lead to undesirable consequences. The child's body does not have the ability to accumulate strength and energy, as well as to make reserves in case the food supply stops. A fast metabolic rate, which is not at all similar to the metabolism of an adult, can lead to the fact that the baby will not be able to generate strength and energy, and the body will be significantly weakened.

A cough that cannot be left untreated can lead to the development of pneumonia. It is one of the complications that often occurs in both adults and infants.

When the flu is treated in a newborn, under no circumstances should a mother stop breastfeeding her baby. It has the main beneficial vitamins and trace elements that contribute to the development of the protective forces of the baby's body. In infants, body temperature often rises sharply, often even up to 39-40 degrees. Cough and runny nose are common symptoms that accompany the flu.

Influenza treatment must begin with the doctor's appointment of the strictest diet. A mother who breastfeeds a child with her own breast should give up meat dishes for a certain period of time, as well as other heavy foods. It is clear that she already follows a diet while breastfeeding, but with the flu, it should be even tougher. To avoid hospitalization, infants should have a special regimen, just like adult patients. Need more sleep and rest.

A sick child should be provided clean linen both underwear and bed. The apartment should be cleaned regularly, you need to wash the floors and wipe the dust. Often a hospital ward is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, but it is impossible to do such a procedure at home.

If the baby is hard to absorb breast milk, the mother must be patient and also temporarily feed the baby with expressed milk. Treatment of infants should not be accompanied by the use of anti-influenza serum, because it is almost useless and has a small percentage of effectiveness.

A baby should definitely be given some kind of antipyretic. But doctors strongly recommend doing this when the temperature rises by more than 38 degrees. Small child must also drink a large number of liquids. However, it is not recommended to drink blackcurrant tea in order to avoid an allergic reaction.

But you can treat the disease with drugs that contain allowable doses vitamin C. For example, amizon is a common remedy used in the treatment of influenza. It is allowed to be used for children over the age of 6 months. During the period when the flu in children - the temperature drops due to the use of antipyretic suppositories. They act more quickly, directly affecting the infection itself. Candles contain the right dosage paracetamol allowed for the child's body.

Painkillers for children infancy giving is prohibited. By the crib, you can hang a gauze bag in which there will be chopped onions or garlic. This kind of "aromatherapy" procedure can help destroy the flu virus both in the room that surrounds the baby, and in his nasal cavity and larynx.
The disease is very dangerous for pregnant women, babies.

Despite the fact that in children who are breastfed, along with mother's milk, the body is saturated with substances that help strengthen immunity, it is not always able to resist viral infections. Influenza in newborns artificial mixtures happens even more often and is much more difficult.

For these reasons, parents should think about possible methods prevention viral diseases in babies under one year of age. While older guys are already able to adequately perceive some medicines, for infants, this approach is not always rational. Better get by folk methods and observance of universal rules.

The main points of preventive therapy in the off-season or the period of epidemics

Considering the fact that the too tender age of the child is a contraindication to the use of most medications, the prevention of influenza in newborns is a mandatory step in caring for the baby in the appropriate seasons. Infants have not yet developed immunity to certain forms of the disease, the pathology is longer and more severe than in older children.

Tip: Paradoxical as it may seem, it is good if the mother is sick at the same time as the child. In this case, the milk that the baby will receive will be enriched with antibodies. It turns out that even during feeding, the baby will receive the best, most effective and safe medicine. For this reason, it is impossible to stop breastfeeding during the period of illness!

Among the most effective ways prevention in babies under the age of one year, the following manipulations are distinguished:

Compliance with personal hygiene. All family members and even the baby himself should wash his hands with soap every time they come from the street. This also applies to guests, even if they do not plan to contact the child.
Wearing a protective mask. Prevention in this case involves the use of the product not by the baby himself, but by those around him, especially if there is a suspicion that they are sick. You need to change the mask every 2-3 hours, if possible even more often.
Regular exercise. The flu epidemic is not a reason to refuse to walk with a baby. Children, including those under the age of one, on the contrary, need to be brought out every day to Fresh air. At the same time, crowded places should be avoided; quiet parks and squares will be the best option.
good effect gives the use of Oxolinic ointment. To prevent influenza in newborns, it is lubricated with the outer parts of the baby's nose and the septum between the nostrils. An equally pronounced result is given by instillation directly into the nose with a drop of breast milk. This manipulation can be carried out at home - up to 4 times a day.
All toys and objects that were on the street during the walk upon returning home must be thoroughly washed with soap and water. hot water, wash with powder.
The room in which the baby is located must be regularly cleaned and ventilated, then germs will not be able to multiply. An additional result will be obtained by using ultraviolet lamps that disinfects the air.

With a variety of inhalations and lubrication of the nose with ethers, garlic, vegetable oil it is better to wait until the baby is six months old. These tools can only be used if total absence negative response in the baby.

Features of nutrition that help strengthen children's immunity

The given prevention of influenza in young children will give a pronounced effect only if certain rules when catering. In the case of breastfed babies under the age of one year, a lot depends on the mother's diet.

Her diet should include following products and dishes:

Components that contain a lot of vitamin C. These can be citrus fruits, fresh or sauerkraut. If the baby does not like these products, then you should try kiwi, carrot and apple salad, seasoned with unrefined vegetable oil.
The pronounced effect of strengthening the immune system gives vitamin blend made from dried apricots, raisins grated with lemon peel and honey. The listed components are crushed, mixed and placed in a glass container with an airtight lid. A nursing mother needs to take this composition in a teaspoon three times a day.
Tea with ginger and honey, filtered several times through gauze, can even be used to solder children. But only on condition that they are already 6-8 months old and they respond well to complementary foods that are characteristic of this age.
As for garlic rich in phytoncides, it must be handled with care. It happens that the product slightly changes the flavor of breast milk and some babies refuse to breastfeed because of this. For a test and a therapeutic effect, half a clove will be enough.

In addition to all of the above, mom should not forget that you need to drink a lot. Removal of waste products and toxins from the body reliable prevention flu in her baby.

Effective folk remedies and rules for their use in infancy

Although the approaches traditional medicine are more aimed at adults or already grown children, some of them can be adapted for infants. The main thing is not to get carried away with manipulations, monitor the temperature of the baby and respond to his attitude to the chosen procedure.

A good preventive effect is given by baths with a decoction of chamomile or sage. They can be used as a prophylaxis or when the first flu symptoms appear in an infant (only if the temperature is normal).
Good effect give foot baths with mustard powder. They not only warm the body, but also have an inhalation effect, prevent coughing. True, they are not so easy to arrange for infants.
Gargling by mother and people who are constantly in contact with a baby under the age of one year will minimize the risk of infection, and this will also prevent adults themselves from getting sick. As an antiseptic, you can use a decoction of chamomile, calendula, sage.
The child himself can treat mucous membranes every 2-3 days chamomile decoction. It is allowed to wash the eye, clean the nose, wipe the gums while brushing your teeth (even if they are not there yet).
Older children who have already become acquainted with the first types of complementary foods can be offered various fortified infusions in minimal quantities. True, before this it is better to consult a pediatrician. Blackcurrant, raspberry and rosehip drinks provide a good effect.

It is worth considering that the listed approaches do not protect against the influenza virus, they only increase the resistance of the child's body to infection.

Medicines that can be used for newborns

For the prevention of influenza in children under the age of one year, medications are used extremely rarely (except for Oxolinic ointment). In any case, these products are used only on the recommendation of a doctor in case of appropriate indications (prematurity, weakened immunity, artificial feeding susceptibility to viral infections).

IRS 19. Spray, valid for use from 3 months. With it, irrigate the nasal passages 1-2 times a day for 3-4 weeks.
Aflubin. For babies, it is released in the form of drops that are diluted in breast milk.
. They can irrigate the throat of the baby several times a day to combat pathogenic microflora.

Additionally, it is necessary to provide the child with vitamins. This is achieved by saturating mother's milk with appropriate substances or using special forms of innovative drugs designed specifically for infants.

A seasonal rise in the incidence of influenza is approaching, which in a number of regions takes on epidemic proportions. Not everyone knows how to prepare for the flu properly. Someone is hardened hard, someone drinks vitamins, someone is vaccinated. But no less important is the awareness of the population about how the flu proceeds and why it is so dangerous. The flu does not always proceed the way we used to think about it. And in some categories of patients, the flu is completely “special”. For example, in newborns. Although many say that newborns rarely get sick respiratory infections, but during the period of influenza epidemics, danger lies in wait for everyone. In this article, we will talk about the features of influenza in children of the first month of life and why it is so important to see a doctor in a timely manner.

No that's not true. The flu affects absolutely everyone. It's just that newborns get sick less often than older children, although their immunity is less perfect. Why? Everything is simple. Newborn children have little contact with other people, do not visit kindergarten, still “do not go” to the clinic (patronage is carried out at home), do not travel by public transport. The most common way a newborn baby gets the flu is from older family members.

It is almost impossible to catch the flu in the hospital. During the period of epidemics, quarantine is imposed on the institution, so visits to the maternity hospital are prohibited. Women with influenza are isolated from healthy mothers. In addition, most maternity hospitals adhere to the joint stay of mother and baby, breastfeeding on demand. This is also the prevention of influenza and other infections.

How is the flu in newborns?

Influenza in newborns is characterized by two somewhat contradictory features:

Erased course of infection and mild symptoms;
High complication rate and significant risk lethal outcome. Influenza deaths are three times more common in newborns than in older children.

Why is this happening? The point is the imperfection of the immunity of newborn crumbs and their anatomical and physiological features. Thus, the disease proceeds softly, which contributes to the gradual deterioration of the child's condition, which parents sometimes pay attention to too late.

So how does the flu in children of the first month of life?

There is no fever or the temperature does not rise to high values;
Symptoms of intoxication are erased or even absent;
Sick children often refuse to breastfeed, spit up, gain weight poorly;
The cough is mild, the runny nose is not strong (rather, sniffing through the nose), swelling of the larynx with vivid symptoms develops extremely rarely;
Segmental pneumonia is not typical.

If flu symptoms are so mild in newborns, why are they more likely to die from the flu than older children?

The fact is that in newborns it is very often superimposed bacterial infection. These include otitis, meningitis, pneumonia, encephalitis and others. It is the complications of influenza in newborns that lead to sad outcomes. Of course, parents notice that the baby has become ill and apply for medical care but sometimes it's already too late.

Controversial moment. Immunity against influenza is unstable. That is, if the mother did not get sick with the flu in the recent past or was not vaccinated, then antibodies from this dangerous infection She can't give it to a baby. Yes, and existing antibodies may be ineffective against the serotype of the influenza virus that threatens the baby for this moment. However, breast milk contains not only antibodies against specific bacteria and viruses, but also other protective factors. Therefore, the chance of not getting sick with the flu is higher in the baby who is breastfeeding. In addition, breast milk will be the most the best medicine for the child if he does get sick.

Should I stop breastfeeding if my mother has the flu?

No, breastfeeding does not need to be cancelled. Exception: hospitalization of the mother and the appointment of drugs for which breastfeeding is contraindicated. In general, with an uncomplicated course of the disease, it is realistic to choose such a treatment for the mother, which breastfeeding compatible.

Separate mother and baby as much as possible between feedings. This is also necessary in order to reduce the risk of infection of the baby, as well as so that the mother can observe bed rest and recover sooner. Regular airing of the apartment and careful observance of the rules of personal hygiene are very important.

No, newborns are not vaccinated against the flu. To date, the vaccination schedule for babies up to 1 month includes only a vaccination against tuberculosis and the first vaccination against hepatitis B. Children begin to be vaccinated against influenza at the age of 6 months with an inactivated vaccine, and the first vaccination course consists of two vaccinations.

Repeated studies have been conducted on the vaccination of children against influenza in more than early age(up to six months). What conclusions did the scientists come to? Vaccination with an inactivated (non-live) influenza vaccine in children under the age of six months does not lead to the production of a sufficient amount of anti-influenza antibodies, so such vaccination is, in fact, useless. But vaccination with a live vaccine in babies up to 6 months leads to a higher production of protective antibodies against influenza, but such a vaccine is worse tolerated (a quarter of children had a fever after vaccination, and 13% began to cough). That is, the question arose about the security of such a scheme. Based on the results of the studies, it was decided to refuse to vaccinate children against influenza until they reach the age of 6 months. Everything is explained by the peculiarities of the formation of their immunity.

Does the mother's vaccination protect against the flu in newborns?

Yes: maternal antibodies against influenza, which she developed after vaccination, will be transmitted to the baby, both in utero and with breast milk. Many people are afraid of flu shots, and especially in pregnancy. But officially, vaccination of pregnant women against influenza inactivated vaccines allowed. It is preferable to carry it out in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Available research results on currently they say that the flu vaccine does not have a toxic and teratogenic effect on the fetus, while the flu itself during pregnancy is very dangerous. The decision is up to the family whether to get the flu shot during pregnancy. Vaccination will not give a 100% guarantee against contracting the flu, but it will help to endure the disease without complications.

An excellent way to prevent influenza in newborns is the timely vaccination against this infection of all family members who will live with him in the same apartment and often communicate (grandparents, aunts, uncles). This reduces the risk of transmission of the virus itself from sick and virus carriers to defenseless crumbs.

It is also worth limiting visits to public places with the baby without urgent need (supermarkets, cafes, metro). Not all patients are at home. Many people carry the disease “on their feet”, go to work, use public transport, and, of course, they infect others.

How to treat the flu in a newborn baby?

Treatment of influenza in children of any age is prescribed only by a pediatrician (paramedic) or an infectious disease specialist. There should be no self-medication. Firstly, you can choose the wrong drugs and doses. Secondly, it may not be the flu at all. During the first month of life, some intrauterine infections such as chlamydial pneumonia. Incorrect diagnosis and treatment of diseases in newborns often end in failure.

Symptoms infectious diseases babies can develop rapidly, the child may deteriorate before our eyes. Therefore, with any hint of the presence of a child infectious process a doctor should be called to the house. If a newborn has symptoms such as heat, shortness of breath, blue (cyanosis) of the skin, frequent vomiting, convulsions, an ambulance should be called immediately.