Children with flu, how is it treated?

The immune system in toddlers that is still less than optimal can make toddlers susceptible to various diseases including the flu. Some of the clinical symptoms that appear are fever, body aches, cough, runny nose, and several other accompanying symptoms. Generally, children or toddlers who catch the flu can recover in less than a week, but in some children, the flu can progress to a more serious infection and requires hospital treatment.

Flu in children can be treated by providing enough fluids and rest and it is best to consult a doctor if the child seems uncomfortable to be given medication that can reduce flu symptoms.

Here are some tips that can be done to relieve flu symptoms in toddlers:

• Make sure that the child always feels comfortable by adjusting the room temperature so that it is not too cold or stuffy to make breathing easier.
• Make sure the child can get enough fluids and is well hydrated. If he is under 6 months of age, give him regular breast milk, if he is over 6 months old, he can give drinking water or home made natural fruit juice.
• Allow the child to rest more.
• Lay the child on their stomach and gently pat their back. Of course this can be done under the full supervision of parents. Make sure his head can stand up and support his own neck. This can relieve nasal congestion and provide comfort to the child.
• Elevate the child's head position. In children aged 1 year and over, raising their head while sleeping or resting on the bed can help them breathe more comfortably.
• Bathing children in warm water so they can sleep better and help mucus come out more easily.

Even though the flu is one of the common illnesses that children experience, there are several conditions that need to be watched out for and immediately consulted with a pediatrician, namely:

• Colds accompanied by cough, fever exceeding 39 degrees Celsius in children under 3 months of age, and fever exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in children over 3 months.
• Fever that can last for more than 2 days.
• The cough gets worse or is accompanied by rapid breathing, making wheezing sounds when the baby breathes.
• Significant changes in eating patterns, sleep patterns and frequent drowsiness accompanied by fussiness.
• Babies cry when feeding while rubbing or pulling their ears, and cry when placed in bed.
• A cold doesn't get better after 7-10 days.

Apart from the things that have been mentioned, to avoid being infected by flu, we can optimize our efforts by getting vaccinated. Influenza vaccine can be given early to children, starting from 6 months of age. The first dose is given 2 times with an interval of 1 month. After that, vaccination is continued once a year, because the influenza virus itself has the potential to mutate. So, a specific vaccine is needed according to the circumstances regarding the mutation in order to achieve effectiveness. The hope is that the body can produce antibodies to fight the Influenza virus in the future. The Influenza Vaccine is available at RSU Hermina Medan, so let's do the influenza vaccine for children so that their immune system increases and becomes stronger.