Flu Season Is Starting Early: When Your Sick Child Needs Care

What flu looks like in children

Flu symptoms often start suddenly. According to the CDC, they may include fever or chills, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and unusual tiredness. Vomiting and diarrhea can happen too, especially in children. Not every child with the flu has a fever.

A cold, flu, RSV, and other respiratory infections can share symptoms. You can't always tell which illness your child has just by looking at them. If you're unsure, contact their healthcare professional.

When home care may be appropriate

Many children with mild flu symptoms can rest at home while their families follow their pediatrician's advice. Offer fluids, let them rest, and watch how they breathe, drink, urinate, and respond to you. Keep an eye on whether symptoms are improving or getting worse.

Follow your childcare program's illness and return policy. Ask your pediatrician about the right next step if symptoms persist or you're worried. Don't send a child back to a group setting simply because fever medicine brought the temperature down.

Call your pediatrician early for higher-risk children

Children younger than five, especially those younger than two, and children with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease have a higher risk of flu complications. Contact their pediatrician promptly when flu symptoms begin. A clinician may recommend testing or antiviral treatment, which is most helpful when started early.

Emergency warning signs: get medical care right away

The CDC says children with the following warning signs need medical care right away:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing; ribs pulling in with each breath; bluish lips or face.
• Chest pain; severe muscle pain, such as refusing to walk.
• Signs of dehydration, including no urine for eight hours, a dry mouth, or no tears when crying.
• Not being alert or interacting when awake; seizures.
• Fever above 104°F that is not controlled by fever-reducing medicine.
• Any fever in a baby younger than 12 weeks. A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in this age group needs prompt medical evaluation.
• Fever or cough that improves but returns or worsens; worsening of a chronic medical condition.

This isn't a complete list. If something about your child's condition seems seriously wrong, seek medical help.

Check, don't guess: keep a working thermometer

Keep a thermometer where the adults caring for your child can find it. Check its batteries before sick season. When you call the pediatrician, be ready to share the temperature and when it was taken, what your child has been drinking, whether they're urinating normally, any medicine given and when, and how their breathing and alertness have changed.

For babies younger than 12 weeks, don't wait to build a symptom log if they have a fever. Get prompt medical advice and evaluation.

Our Large Family First Aid Kit includes a digital thermometer, along with other family first aid supplies. A kit won't diagnose flu or replace medical care, but having a working thermometer and familiar supplies in one place makes it easier to give the pediatrician accurate information.

Want to put together your own supplies? Read the children's first aid kit checklist.

Help limit the spread at home and in childcare

Wash hands with soap and water, cover coughs and sneezes, clean commonly touched surfaces, and follow your childcare or school illness policy.

RSV and other respiratory illnesses can circulate during flu season too. In babies, watch closely for changes in breathing, feeding, and hydration. Don't assume every respiratory illness is flu.

For childcare directors and teachers

When a child becomes ill, staff need to recognize changes in breathing and responsiveness, know their emergency plan, and have current pediatric CPR and first aid skills. The Life Safety Pro offers on-site CPR, AED, and first aid training for childcare teams. Explore training options and request a quote.