Cold and Flu in Children

Children deal with sickness and show symptoms in different ways.  Below will be a synopsis to help you evaluate, watch, and care for varying degrees of illness.  Please remember these are just helpful tips and not to be intended to replace your doctor’s medical advice.

Babies

Nursing is wonderful for helping your baby heal faster.  If you get sick first, then get your rest take some Vitamin C, B Vitamin Complex, Calcium plus Zinc to help your body fight off the flu faster.  Sleep is vital; get as much rest as humanly possible.  If you don’t, then nursing plus being sick will really wipe you out. 

Start doubling up on your nursing, average about every 45 minutes.  After a few days your baby will get a steady stream of Antibodies from you.  In many cases your little one may not even get sick or it will be quite mild.  Drink plenty of water; your milk supply will increase by the end of the day or so.

If your baby gets sick first then get prepared to get sick too.  Really slow down, take naps, sleep in.  Take the above Vitamins again; stock up on easy to prepare meals.  Then rest and recover.

Toddlers

Toddlers are so tired and clingy when sick.  They just want to be held.  Needless to say, not much will get done.  So once again, prepare yourself with easy meals, paper plates and just slow down.

If your little one has the stomach flu they may not want to eat.  Smoothies are so wonderful and satisfying.  They come in many flavors and they just need a little cup full throughout the day.

The first symptoms of a cold are usually a low-grade fever plus extreme fatigue.  The next day or so the fever will diminish and a runny nose will take its place.  After that a cough may develop.

The stomach flu has a few different variations.  It usually starts with a low-grade fever as well as fatigue.  Many toddlers forgo throwing up and just end up with diarrhea instead, which only lasts a day or so.  Prepare the place where your little one will be resting with towels, just in case there are leaks.  If there is a “leak”, just wrap your toddler up with towels and plop in the tub for a quick bath.  Make sure to get the room heated so the fever does not spike up.

Remember to keep your child well hydrated.  A smoothie made with bananas is good to help replenish their potassium, plus it is really good.

Children

Well school age children do not normally have fevers when they start a cold.  They just get tired and start showing cold symptoms within a day to two.

The stomach flu can be mild or severe.  It lasts a day or two as well, then it may travel down into their intestines and finish up with the “runs” as well.  Older children have the advantage of telling you how they are feeling as well as what they want.

Body Aches and Ear Aches

Children may complain of just not feeling well.  This could just be body aches.  Feel their backs and if there are any knots or hard lumps, gently massage them out.  The pain may be in the neck area as well.

Feel behind the ear and down the neck, you may feel a lump or the child will tell you it hurts there.  Once again gently massage those painful lumps and muscles.  It may hurt at first, but surprisingly feels good at the same time.

If their ear feels full or painful, rub behind their ears from a top to bottom motion as if you are trying to bring the fluid or “pain” down away from the ear.  You can pull on the ear gently and hold it out to see if the ear drains.

If there is severe pain, you can open up a garlic capsule and put a few drops in each ear.  Place a washcloth over each ear if the smell is bothersome or to catch the oil that may come out.

Fevers

Read my article on Reducing Fevers in children for advice on how to control or bring down fevers naturally.