What Parents Need to Know About Swine Flu And Their Child

With swine flu fears spreading around the world, parents in the United States are on high alert after the first reported death here. A 23 month old child in Texas.
We talked to a local doctor who says parents need to keep an extra close eye on their children to look for signs and symptoms. Greenville Family Doctor Carolyn Fields, with Paris View Family Medicine, says news of the first death from swine flu in this country is cause for concern and parents should take note.
She says, "If you see congestion that is worse than usual, a cough, a high fever, a child that feels worse than usual. That child should probably be checked out." She says this time of year is not when your child should be experiencing flu symptoms. However, she does say that the swine flu does not seem to be worse in children than adults. She says the problem is a parent may not know a child has the virus for several days.
"Its not like an adult saying my throat feels scratchy, I have pressure in my ears, my nose feels a little stuffy. No one will hear those things."
According to Dr. Fields, children may run into trouble if no one notices they are sick. She says the medicine to treat the swine flu will work well in children and infants, but it needs to be administered as soon as possible.
"It is also a particularly rapidly moving form of the flu. The incubation period is more like one or two days instead of a week and it tends to move more rapidly once the person is infected."
If a child is infected and no one is aware, Dr. Fields says they are more likely to spread the flu.
"One child takes something out of his mouth and sets it down and the next child picks it up and puts it in his mouth. It makes you worry about how easily something could be transmitted."
Dr. Fields says parents should be aware but not to panic.
"It is better to check than to wish you had checked later and if you suspect something it never hurts to get tested."
If you do take your child to be tested, Dr. Fields says the doctor will test for the seasonal flu we see every year.
If that comes back positive, she says that's when your doctor will send the culture to the state for further testing to see if it is swine flu.