Influenza is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract often mistaken for a regular common cold due to similar symptoms.
In infants and children, influenza can manifest itself with:
a significantly increased body temperature (fever can reach as high as 40°C in a short time),
shivering,
a feeling of weakness,
a loss of appetite,
a tiring cough,
rhinitis,
vomiting,
and even diarrhoea.
Treating influenza in infants and children consists, above all, in alleviating the symptoms of the infection by giving the following medications:
Analgesic and febricide – containing paracetamol or ibuprofen; depending on the age of your child, you can give this medication in the form of suppositories or syrup. Remember that a high temperature, especially in a small child can result in shivering and fever that can be deadly.
Soothing rhinitis – in newborns and small children you can rinse the nose with a solution of sea salt and remove the secretions using a nasal aspirator. You can give a medication with oxymetazoline to an infant older than 1 month. Oxymetazoline will reduce nasal congestion and reduce exudation.
Fighting the cough – you may give your child a syrup containing bromhexine for a wet cough when the child is more than 6 months old. Bromhexine will dilute the phlegm lingering on the bronchi and facilitate its removal. On the other hand, a dry cough without mucus requires using an anti-cough medication. You may give a syrup containing dextromethorphan to a child who is older than 2 years. Dextromethorphan is an active substance which inhibits coughing reflexes. The cough can be alleviated in younger children and newborns by humidifying the air and patting the baby's back (in the case of a wet cough).
Make sure that your child stays in bed during the treatment. Give the child warm meals and plenty of liquids. Consequently the child will return to health faster.
Remember that if the symptoms worsen – particularly when a high fever occurs (especially in an infant) – urgently seek medical advice from a pediatrician.
