A parent's guide to Swine Flu

How do you protect your children from Swine Flu? Young pople are more affected by swine flu. If your child becomes ill then how do you react? Dr. Sanjay Gupta from CNN has created a parent's guide to dealing swine flu.

Point 1. As things stand now, the vast majority of children who develop flu-like symptoms this fall will have a few miserable days, and nothing more. And those days are best spent at home -- not in the ER or a doctor's office.

Point 2. If you are worried, you should call your pediatrician's office first. Don't take your child in without calling. Two reasons: Your child may not have H1N1, but could become exposed by being around sick children. And, after several hours of waiting, you are still likely to be told the basics -- plenty of fluids, rest and dose-appropriate acetaminophen for a fever. After all, it is still the flu we are talking about.

Point 3. One doctor told me a way to think about things that was helpful. He said "remove the term H1N1 from the equation." If your child had regular flu, would you take him to the hospital? If the answer is no, then don't take him/her to the hospital now.

Point 4. Yes, hearing between 30,000 and 90,000 could die from H1N1 is scary, but keep in mind -- around 40,000 people die from the regular or seasonal flu every year. The numbers may not be that much different, yet there is not panic about the regular flu. As things look now, H1N1 is causing only mild to moderate illness, not the widespread deaths people are worried about.

Point 4. There are some children who should be seen by their doctor. Call your doctor if:

• A baby younger than 12 weeks has a fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit

• A child, older than 12 weeks has a fever for three days

• A child's fever returns after a 12-24 hour time period

• A child is not passing urine or making tears for more than six hours

• A child does not smile or show interest in playing for several hours

• A child cannot speak while trying to breathe

• Has a blue or dark purple color to the nail beds, lips or gums

• Is not responding to you because he is too tired or weak

• The best place for a sick child is at home

Source: www.cnn.com...

Good points this, my Doctor and my wife also say the same thing.
The last thing you want, is to go to a plce where you can attrackt more disease.

If it is just the regular flu, which in a way, the SF is, you'll probably get the SW and the seasonal flu at the same time..

And wasting time in an ER where they dont even check to see if it is SF, they just asume you have the SF and push TamiFlu on you..

Stay warm, drink alot and eat some oranges or some thing !!

Hello, here is a link to my thread which is elsewhere in the Medical Issues forum on the many helpful anti-viral preventive measures that exist in natural food sources:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I believe that the most powerful chemicals we ingest on a daily basis are in the foods and liquids we consume. So let's make that a force for good!

And, speaking of food, don't forget that all refined sweeteners, especially sweetened drinks, candies, desserts and the like are known suppressors of the human immune system. Just remember how many kids get sick during the weeks of the school year following Halloween (after they ingest major amounts of candy). So the good news is, there's a lot that parents can do on the prevention side.

Note: The above thread also contains a link to recipes I posted separately in the BTS "Food and Cooking" section that feature ingredients that have proven power against viruses.

[edit on 9/2/2009 by Uphill]

Ahhhh sunny... come on man.

Don't get me wrong, I appreicate that CNN is trying to do its due diligence on the H1N1 front, although I'm not saying that a lot of Dr. Sanjay Gupta is suggesting is good info but the truth is Dr. Sanjay Gupta has never and will never admit that this virus is a man made bioweapon manufactored in a military lab (proven in many articles)

I agree more with "Uphill" and everything his post had to say and the link he provided you will find more informative.

OP great thread...

I do understand that 30-90,000 people dying is comparable to the deaths of regular flu. It's still scary! I have a 3 and a 5 y/o and it bothers me(oh and I'm pregnant)! Especially me daughter just started Kindergarten and she's already came home sick once. Being pregnant I know the decision is going to come up soon...but the vaccine kinda scares me...but of course so does getting it! Like when we go out to eat or anything , I think about how many people sneezed and then grabbed the salt shaker or something. The Fair is coming up and there is no way in hell we're going! Last time my daughter contracted Hand,Foot and Mouth disease. There has already been 2 deaths from H1N1 one in my county. They were brother and sister. They were family of sorts..my aunt's husband's cousin..LOL...maybe the odds are in my favor since its already hit my "FAMILY"

I'll get the vaccine later this year. My husband (as I've said many times) has heart disease and I work with children.

In addition, two weeks ago a good friend of mine died from the aftereffects of "no money to pay doctors" and H1N1. She came down with the flu which then turned into pneumonia. While battling that, she had a stroke and was hospitalized (I'm assuming she had undiagnosed high blood pressure as well). While there, a secondary infection emerged (when the others were suppressed) and killed her.

My nephew, who served three tours in Iraq and has some medical problems and PTSD also came down with H1N1 recently. It's been over a month that he's spent recovering from that and the secondary issues that cropped up after his immune system was weakened by the flu.