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sick baby smiles
No matter if you breastfeed, are careful about who holds your baby and mop everything with antiseptic wipes; your baby will eventually catch a cold. Children younger than 10 - 12 years are especially vulnerable to the flu virus. While a cold comes on gradually, usually via the appearance of lots of snot, flu has a sudden onset in children. Within one hour a baby can run a high fever and be drastically ill, but he'll probably recover within 2-3 days.
Look for other signs of illness when your child has a fever, Flu symptoms in children are often misdiagnosed - or even missed:
What to do
When to call the doctor
Look for other signs of illness when your child has a fever, Flu symptoms in children are often misdiagnosed - or even missed:
- Appetite loss
- Vomiting or abdominal pain
- Irritability
- Unusual sleepiness
- Severe headache
- Persistent crying
- Inability to swallow
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Ear pain
What to do
- Keep the fever under control with paracetamol syrup and by sponging the baby with tepid (not cold) water. A child with a very high temperature might be at risk of a fever fit (febrile convulsion).
- Do not treat your feverish child with aspirin, in rare cases this can trigger Reye's Syndrome which affects the brain and liver.
- Antihistamines should not be used in children under the age of two, unless specifically recommended by the paediatrician.
- Keep your child at home if he is ill or if a lot of children in his playgroup are ill.
When to call the doctor
- Your child (any age) has a temperature of 39°C or more.
- Your child has a fever even after taking paracetamol (such as Panado) for 3 days.
