6 days ago
Battling flu season and sick kids? Here's what the experts say you should do
Every parent has been there — your child is sick with a nasty virus, you're worried and not sure what to do.
Do you call your GP? A health line? Or do you drive them straight to the hospital emergency department?
We've asked the experts for their tips for parents as cold and flu season gathers pace.
Let's get straight to the most important stuff to look out for.
GP and president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), Danielle McMullen, has a crucial message for parents.
"The first thing is that there's no such thing as overreacting. As a parent you know your child best," Dr McMullen said.
"If your child has had a fever for more than five days, we always want to check in. Or if your child is less than three months old and has any fever — 38 degrees and above — we recommend actually taking them either urgently to the GP or to the emergency department," Dr McMullen said.
She said children who have had a seizure, are in severe pain or are struggling to eat or breathe because of mucus need to see a GP or head to emergency.
The same applies for new rashes or behavioural concerns.
"If they're either more sleepy than you would expect and you're really having difficulty rousing them or … if your child is so unwell and irritable that you really can't calm them down and you're worried about how they're behaving, then get some medical advice.
Earaches are common at this time of year and experts recommend seeing a GP if your child has been complaining of a sore ear for 24 to 48 hours.
"We don't expect parents to know and be able to tell the difference between a minor illness and a severe one. So, if you're worried you bring them in and then it's my job to help work [it] out," Dr McMullen said.
Parents should feel empowered to call for help if they're worried about their unwell child, medical experts said.
"Ultimately, I very much trust families. If you're worried, it's good to seek medical help," paediatrician Sarah McNab, director of general medicine at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, said.
"If your child seems to be getting worse rather than better, if you're worried about their breathing, or that they're drowsy or confused, then seeking medical advice is what you should be doing."
Dr McNab said if a child was "pale and mottled" they should get medical help.
"Or if you don't feel that they're drinking enough to stay hydrated, then I would seek medical advice and in that case I would consider going to your GP, organising a telehealth or some states have a virtual emergency department that is really helpful at letting you know whether you should come in person or not," she said.
You can call Health Direct on 1800 022 222, your GP, or take you child to the emergency department.
For emergencies, call 000.
Don't hesitate to give regular pain relief to sick kids.
"The mainstay of treatment of coughs and colds in childhood and in viral illnesses is rest, plenty of fluids, because the main risk is dehydration, and paracetamol or ibuprofen helps alleviate their symptoms so that they can sleep and keep their fluids up," Dr McMullen said.
And for kids with low fevers, who are a bit grumbly and snotty but are still alert and playing, love is also an "excellent medicine".
"These viral illnesses, there's not much we can do to get them better quicker and so it is about giving them a cuddle, some reassurance … to get them feeling a little bit better.
"It's rest and love and nurturing that is really all that will get them through it.
"The good news is that icy poles count as fluids, so if you can't get them to be drinking water or watered down juice, then those icy blocks are a good way to keep their fluids up."
Not exactly, Dr McMullen said.
"Cold and flu respiratory illnesses spread through the air and droplets and so when it's cold outside and we've huddled indoors with all the doors and windows closed, we're more likely to spread illness between people.
"So that's why we get that seasonal spread."
And of course staying up to date with vaccinations is also important.
