Strollerderby : flu

They Say: Pregnant Women with the Flu Should Take Antivirals

Miriam Axel-Lute — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Given that pregnant women are among those considered at high risk for severe cases of swine flu, and there has been at least one death, concerned doctors have experimented with giving them antiviral medications early, to apparently good results.

The numbers are small (20 women tracked by the CDC so far), and drugs like Tamiflu are usually not recommended during pregnancy, but the CDC has decided that the known risks to mother and baby from flu outweigh the unknown possible dangers of the drug to the fetus, and is recommending the drug to all pregnant women with flu symptoms and "a history of likely contact with someone else with swine flu" (whatever that means). Because timing matters, they don't even want to wait for tests to come back.

Meanwhile, if this is making you feel like a hypochondriac again, check out this detailed description of when to worry—it's not just a head cold.

Photo by kannon, via Flickr.

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5 Tips for Parenting While Sick

SunnyChanel — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:03:00 GMT

Recently I had a non-swine like flu. It felled me with a single mighty and powerful punch. There were fevers, chills, aches and pains. I was totally out of commission. Generally when I opt to acquire some kind of horrible virus, I tend to try to let it attack when my partner is as right as rain so he can take over. Sadly, on this occassion, my husband got bitten by the bug at the same exact time. And he got it worse. The one person who wasn’t affected by this almighty affliction? Our action packed three-year-old girl. My husband and I were met with a very real dilemma…how to functionally parent while being totally sick. Here are five tips to survive those sick days.

Just Say Yes to Drugs
Indulge in one of the many over-the-counter medicines available like Motrin, Theraflu, Alka Seltzer Cold Plus, Nyquil, Vicks Vapor Rub or maybe a little bit of all of them. Although some of the active ingredients may make you feel fuzzy in the noggin, it’s better than curling up in the corner and hoping for a quick and painless death.

Meet Your New Mommy – Her Name is Television
Whether you are pro, anti or undecided on kids watching TV, the boob tube can be an indispensible tool to wean your child from your hip to a more manageable hypnotic state. Yes, extended periods of screen time are far from recommended but when you simply can’t function in your child’s playland, TV will the void that is your temporary absence.

Time to Call in That Favor
If your regular alternative caregivers aren’t available, it’s time to get creative. If your child is in school or goes to some kind of day care facility, see if you can do a baby/kid swap with a fellow trusted parent…that is if your child isn’t a carrier ready to spread your sickly germs to all. Then at a later date, when are back to your old self, you can watch their little one.

Mary Poppins to the Rescue
It may seem a little indulgent, especially if you don’t regularly enlist the help of nannies, but across the country there are many choices for last minute childcare services. If you’re not comfortable with leaving your child with a stranger, you can just stay sequestered in bed and listen to the giggles and guffaws of your offspring nearby.

When You Can’t Beat ‘Em Join Them
Illness is far from fun, but you can attempt to make the whole ordeal a game. If your child has a doctor’s kit, this is perfect time for you to play patient and have your child check your ailments. Give your kid paper, pens and crayons and ask them to make you a ‘Get Well Soon’ card. Let them help you make chicken soup. Ask them to tell you a story for a change. And last but not least take a nap together.

Do you have any tips on how to survive parenting while sick?

Swine Flu Claims First US Victim

JeanneSager — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:23:00 GMT

The swine flu pandemic has claimed its first victim here in America, according to U.S. officials, and he was just shy of his second birthday.

Although the toddler was in Texas, he was actually a Mexican native visiting the states with his family.

The little boy (listed as twenty-three months by Houston, Texas health officials and twenty-two months by U.S. officials) entered the country in early April with "underlying health issues" according to representatives of the CDC. He developed flu symptoms on April 8 and died on April 13. Considering Mexico is still being considered Point O for the swine flu infection, the chances that he brought the disease with him to the states are almost one hundred percent, although health officials say there's little chance he infected his fellow travelers as he wasn't contagious at that point. His family has so far tested clean for the swine flu and remains healthy.

This is a sad and tragic occurrence, but I think we all knew it was coming. The American healthcare system is not infallible, and the deaths in Mexico cannot all be blaimed on the sub-standard care available to poorer residents of that country. The very young and the very old are more highly susceptible to disease (fifty-three children have died this year already from seasonal flu in the states), and that includes swine flu.

But does the fact that a life has actually be claimed inside the borders of our country change your opinion of the pandemic? Chatting up other local parents, we all agreed that we were a little nervous, but rather more confidant by living in our relatively isolated area and access to better healthcare. But that was when we only had sick kids in America. Now we have a tragic death of a little boy (not much younger than my child). Are you more afraid?

Image: Business Week

Swine Flu - Are You Worried About Your Kids?

Brett Singer — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:30:00 GMT

I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. It's not a debilitating thing, but I do have a bit of the "hangnail = brain tumor" thing going on. (A comedienne whose name I can't recall had a line somewhat like this, and apparently it's also on an episode of ER. But I digress.)

So when I heard about the swine flu that is sweeping the nation (you can track which parts using this handy map) I admit that I became slightly more paranoid about any coughing and sniffling that my guys were doing.

You want to be careful, but you also want to be sane. A runny nose without a fever is not, to the best of my knowledge, swine flu. On the other hand, swine flu looks quite a bit like regular flu. According to Bloomberg News, "Influenza normally causes symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, headaches and body aches, fever, chills, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Swine flu causes the same symptoms, and may be difficult to distinguish from other strains of flu and respiratory illnesses." Fun.

So what do you do? Flip out at every sniffle? Call the doctor at every cough?

The answer is that you shouldn't do that, of course. Hysteria helps no one. (Maybe it helps the makers of Xanax.) On the other hand, is it really paranoia if the illness is real? Being more careful than usual isn't a bad thing, right?

Are you concerned about your kids catching swine flu? Or am I being silly?

Check out Babble's Swine Flu Guide here.

Image: Obsessable

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Swine Flu: What you need to know

editors — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:37:00 GMT

The CDC has confirmed 109 cases of Swine flu in the U.S. and states have reported several more, prompting the Department of Health and Human services to declare a Public Health Emergency. While government officials try to halt this outbreak, what do you need to know?

Check out CNN's extensive swine flu Q&A to learn about past swine flu outbreaks, why health officials are concerned, and the preventive measures you can take, plus more. Some quick facts:

Swine wine influenza, or flu, is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus. Outbreaks in pigs occur year-round.
Humans aren't usually infected and researchers have yet to determine the cause behind this outbreak.
Symptoms are very similar to the common flu: fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, etc.
Swine flu is contracted the same way the flu is: If an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus passes. Or if you touch something with the virus on it, then touch your eyes or mouth.
To prevent it: wash hands, avoid close contact with people that are sick and touching surfaces that may be dirty.

More info:

Bloomberg.com tackles similar questions, from flu vaccinations to how to tell if your child is sick.

Head to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for their key facts on swine flu.

The Plain Dealer asks the question on everyone's mind: Is this the next global flu epidemic?

What lessons we can learn from SARS and the bird flu.

Also check out Brett's post "Are You Worried About Your Kids?" and let us know how freaked out you think us parents should get over this.

Is it the Flu?

JeanneSager — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:02:00 GMT

After news that the flu virus has claimed several kids around the nation in recent weeks because they hadn't been vaccinated, I can't be the only parent who needed to brush up on her flu facts.

Because along with all that misinformation on the flu vaccine floating around, there are a lot of misperceptions about the flu itself. Just listen to the parents in the preschool line talking about how their kid got the flu this year - because they got him the flu shot.

Er, no. It doesn't work that way. The flu shot might not prevent against every strain of the flu (this year's vaccine protects against the A strain of the virus circulating and at least one-third of the B strain that's been reported), but it also does not infect you our your kids with the flu. It's an inactive virus.

So how do you know if it works?

Thanks to the folk at FluFacts.com, we have a check list for you to figure out if it's time to call in the doctor or it's just a run-of-the-mill cold:

If it's the flu, they will have:

Fever - almost always (it should be noted that with viral symptoms, fevers are known to come and go - and when the fever is low, kids can be acting almost normal, only to have their malaise return when the fever spikes)
Aches - almost always, and they're pretty fierce
Chills - quite often
Tiredness - moderate to severe
Coughing - dry and unproductive
Chest discomfort - often severe
Headache - check

If it's a cold, they will have:

Aches - slight, but not major
Tiredness - mild
Coughing - they're going to hack, and they're probably going to bring up some funky looking gunk
Sneezing - you betcha
Stuffy nose - bring on the humidifier
Sore throat - almost always
Chest discomfort - moderate (made worse by all that coughing)

So what now? Even if they only have a few symptoms of the flu, get them to your pediatrician - stat.

Image: Dr. Gwenn is In

Flu Has Claimed at Least Three Kids This Season

JeanneSager — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:09:00 GMT

When people ask me why I'm so pro-vaccine, I have one answer: they prevent disease and/or death.

So why have three kids already died in what is being described by doctors as a pretty average flu season?

At least one of the children went unvaccinated not because his parents were lax, but because the twelve-year-old reportedly lost his permission slip to get the immunization at a school clinic. Hunter Pope is the first child in Massachusetts known to have died from the flu this season; he was fine on a Friday and gone by Sunday.

Sadly, the weekend also brought the death of a ten-year-old boy on Long Island, the first ever pediatric flu death in the five years since public health officials have been tracking the diease. First believed to have been fighting meningitis, tests eventually showed the boy was carrying the A-strain of the flu, one of two preventable by this year's vaccine. The two deaths followed the announcement of a six-year-old North Carolina child who succumbed to flu complications on February 9 - again because he had not been vaccinated.

Why? It's the question you always ask when a child dies (when anyone dies, really, but the question is more plaintive when a child has been taken). It's just that much more confusing when there was a clear method for preventing a tragedy, and people opted to ignore it. I equate vaccines with seatbelts - they might not work every time, but there's a much higher degree of success with them than without them.

The Centers for Disease Control came out with new recommendations this flu season, calling for every single American under the age of eighteen to get the shot - which paved the way for insurance companies to cover the shot and for those on public assistance to get them for free. They made it even EASIER this year, and yet parents refused.

Why? Read the answers to my post on the CDC recommendations last fall: because they've never gotten it before (neither - might I add, had Hunter Pope - whose parents said he had no pre-existing health conditions), because they are afraid of thimerosal (not necessarily - there are thimerosal-free flu vaccines available for kids six months to twenty-three months), because they think the pro-vax crowd is too preachy.

I realize I stand on a soapbox and beat the vaccine drum, but I will tell you I also practice what I preach. On Halloween day, I lined up at a crowded neighborhood clinic with my daughter so the two of us could get our flu shots. My husband got his - separately, but around the same time.

Seeing the flu really can kill children, will you do the same?

Image: Flu-Vaccine.org

Cough Cover: Because We Can't Possibly Make Them Use a Tissue

JeanneSager — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:20:00 GMT

OK, I'm all for mompreneurship and new ideas to make parenting easier. But a cover for kids sleeves to trap their runny nose germs?

Aren't we supposed to be teaching them NOT to wipe their nose with their sleeves?

The CoughCover was created by a registered nurse, mother and grandmother who says she saw a need for something that would "help children manage their coughs, colds and runny noses and provide a convenient method for everyone to use good respiratory hygiene practices."

We thought Kleenex and Puffs had it covered, but Michele Strocel thought otherwise. The CoughCover is made of a non-woven fabric coated in an anti-viral solution. It's made to be slipped up on the sleeve or shoulder. It's supposed to help keep those "green sleeves" at bay by giving the kids a place to wipe their nose. It's also supposed to provide something to sneeze into so kids don't get germs on their hands.

Again, whatever happened to a tissue? Or, I don't know, washing your hands after you sneeze?

Because I can't think of any adults who walk around with their arms coated in snot - if I do see one, I'll make sure to keep my distance. Kids need to learn at some point to use their tissues and wash their hands. Giving them a crutch now, and a disgusting one at that (who wants to play with the kid whose got a snotty rag hanging off his arm?), and they might be the adult you're giving a wide berth in twenty years!

Image: Cough Cover

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They Say: no cold medicine for kids 4 and under

Brett Singer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Kid has a stuffy nose? Suck it up. Well, not literally. But don't give them over the counter cold medicine. That's the word from the FDA, who are now saying that you shouldn’t give cold meds to any child under 4 years old.

The cough and cold medicine industry, in the wake of intensifying criticism from consumer groups, lawmakers and pediatricians, agreed Tuesday to add "do not use" warnings to pediatric cough and cold medicines.

Taken literally, this would mean that they will sell you the product, but add a label that says not to use it. I know that's not exactly what they mean, but it's funny to think about anyway. It's sort of what cigarette companies have to do, right? They can sell you the cigs, but they have to include a label that says YOU WILL DIE IF YOU SMOKE THESE. Of course, it doesn't say, "do not use." Just that if you DO use them, you'll get emphysema.

The real problem, according to the FDA, is misuse of the meds. "[Parents] should follow very carefully the directions on the package," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "The No. 1 cause of problems is children getting into medicine for accidental ingestion."

The American Academy of Pediatrics wanted the FDA to tell people that the meds didn't work for kids aged 6 and under, but the FDA was concerned "that parents would give adult doses if it instituted a ban of products for children under age 6." Well, duh. If I can't give them their own drugs, I'll just cut mine in half.

Now look. I'm being obnoxious here, and I apologize. But as I understand it, no one is saying that over the counter cold medicine is unsafe when the recommended dosages are used. They do seem to be saying that the medicines are ineffective, which I can believe. In my own experience, I have more success treating my old colds with Ginger Tea, Vitamin C and sleep. (Those three things even rhyme, sort of.) The best thing in the world, for me, is acupuncture. Two needles in the right spots on my nose and poof – no more snot. That's not going to work for everyone, and on the rare occasion when I have severe sinus pain, I'll take something stronger (an over the counter sinus pill usually does it for me). Again, this is only my own experience, your mileage may vary, and I'm not a doctor nor have I played one on TV. I don't even watch "Grey's Anatomy." So don't take this as advice.

Bottom line: the FDA says don't give your kids cold medicine if they are under 4 years of age. They would say under 6, but they're afraid that if they did, you'd give them your drugs. Thanks guys.

Source: Chicago Tribune

image: webmd

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CDC: Flu Plus Infection Killing Kids

Madeline Holler — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 GMT

A deadly combo of the flu and resistent bacterial infection has killed at least 22 kids in 2006 and 2007 and officials aren't sure what to do about it.

Almost a third of child deaths from the flu in those years found that methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, was also present.

From UPI:

Infectious disease experts say that infection with the flu virus may cause changes in the respiratory tract that increase the likelihood of a dangerous MRSA infection. Dr. Kenneth McIntosh of Children's Hospital in Boston said that other children may have survived the double infection.

"I've been surprised by this phenomenon of MRSA with flu, which has been really quite shocking this winter," McIntosh said. "I think everybody's concerned about it. What to do about it is not clear."

The CDC plans to start a monitoring network to track the disease in the next flu season.

Weekly Check-Up: Your Stress Makes Your Kid Sick

Kelly Mills — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:32:00 GMT

Feeling anxious and depressed? Well, now you have one more thing to angst about, because a new study suggests parental emotional stress can make kids more vulnerable to illness. Like it is enough that stress makes you more likely to get sick, now your children have to be felled by the latest bug as well. I totally knew that stomach flu my kid got was my fault, I just hadn't figured out how I caused it yet.

Researchers based the finding on both reports from parents on instances of their children's sniffles and fevers and so on, and on measurements of immune cells in kids. The scientists admit that parental reports might be slightly skewed, but say the study still suggests a link. However, one stress and health researcher says parents shouldn't get too upset just yet, and that more longterm studies are needed because it's possible there aren't lasting effects. "I believe that children are highly resilient, and their systems are sufficiently robust to cope with this. Although it is a good study, parents should not let it worry them unduly." Especially because if you get anxious about it, your kid might get sick. Heh heh, catch 22.

Mom Gets Ticket While Sick Kid Barfs In Car

Kelly Mills — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:29:00 GMT

I feel for moms and dads when I find things like this in newspapers, because what parent hasn't had a day like this? Gina Boyd's three-year-old daughter was running a fever and had an earache, so they climbed into the family van and headed for a clinic. As they were driving, the girl started making choking noises and throwing up, so Gina made an illegal U-turn to pull over and care for her kid. Aaaand that's when she heard sirens behind her.

Now, you might assume the officer would show some mercy considering the circumstances, but instead he wrote Gina a $123 citation. Deputy Jon Tillis also told Gina she was responsible for making a driver behind her execute the same illegal U-turn, and that she could have called an ambulance for her kid. Now, Gina doesn't dispute that she did something illegal--as she says, ""If I had thought about it, I could've put my hazards on, but it's hard to think in a situation like that"-- but she does wish the deputy could have exercised some discretion, given the circumstances. She can't afford the court or childcare costs to fight the ticket either. I bet lots of us have been there. Where's the karma police when you need them?

Shots Without the Shot? Where Do I Sign?

Madeline Holler — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:15:00 GMT

Show of hands: Which of you parents actually teared up the first few times your babies got shots? Me, me, me. I'm embarassed to admit, that I even got a little weepy when our dog got his rabies booster. Clearly, I suffer some kind of imbalance.

So imagine how delighted I am to read about this development in the world of innoculations: a flu vaccine that is administered orally!

Korean researchers say the new vaccine worked in mice, avoiding not only the painful prick but also the discomfort some people feel from the inhaled vaccine.

With the success of trials in mice, they'll now be testing it on humans.

Of course, this is the flu vaccine. No word on all the other shots kids get. But hey, it's a start. My now 6-year-old still screams and flails when she gets shots. Only I don't cry for her anymore. All the tears are for me.

Oh, Those Whining Sick Kids!

Karen Murphy — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:02:00 GMT

Sorry, can't get the sick-kid thing out of my mind lately. Maybe it's from the nose-wipage snail-tracks decorating my couch? Or the hacking phlegm-sounds invading my dreams at night, followed by the [intentionally weak-sounding] call of "Mamaaaaa!" Or the doe eyes that stare up at me, pleadingly, beseechingly, as if somehow that intense eye contact would be enough not only to convey what feeling like crap feels like but also to magically transfer it to someone—anyone—else.

I know you know what I'm talking about.

And it seems to be on everyone else's mind too. Take Rita Arena at BlogHer, for example. She's talking about flu shots and immune-boosting activities. Avoiding the one makes the other more important. I think that flu shots are useless/more dangerous than helpful in most cases, with some notable exceptions, so I was surprised/appalled to learn that The Ex had a flu shot administered to our four-year-old over the weekend. At second thought, however, it seems that he fits more in the category of notable exceptions, so I'll let sleeping immunosuppressants lie in this case.

Other notable exceptions include those who are health care workers or are frequently around those germy little kids (oops, that would be us, wouldn't it?), or the elderly or people whose immune systems need some boosting, or people like my son who have tiny respiratory passages and are prone to respiratory issues.

(By the way, Rita also presents a wonderful rundown on what to look for when your kid has the flu, as in when to go to a doctor. People have died from the flu and will continue to do so whether we have shots for it or not, so it's good to know when it gets to that serious stage)

But there's lots of people who get the shot every year, betting that the healthcare industry gurus chose the "right" strains to focus on this year.

Just not me, thank you. I will continue to take my chances. Just don't cough on me; I get enough of that at home. Now if only I could do something about the whining.

Photo: bbc.co.uk