Worried about 6 mo catching swine flu

[alfonzo]

I'm a worried parent at the moment. I believe my dh has swine flu and we have a 6mo dd. I had the vaccine when I was pregnant last winter, I am hoping this may provode some protection? Every small cough dd does I am convinced is her getting ill. But she has had all her usual milk today and wet nappies, sleeping fine. I googled swine flu and babies and read some scary stuff. Like if your baby does not wake up get medical attention quickly. Now I'm going to be lying in bed all night wondering if she is ok. Any advice/reassurance please?

Google is your enemy! You know don't you that swine flu is for the vast, vast majority a very mild bug? It lasts 2-3 days, we've all had it, think ds' whole school had it, and can honestly say we've had nastier colds. Was more hacked off with getting norovirus when pg. SO you do what you would normally do, give Calpol or nurofen to bring down a temperature, tepid baths if they remain hot, and plenty of liquids - as with any cold. Keep 6mo dd in with you at night if she gets poorly.

Sorry should have added have a 6m old too, so am not unsympathetic at all, in fact he had a cough and temp a while back, so maybe he's had it, but really wouldn't know.

Anyway, how is dh - struggling manfully?

Hi kangaroo thanks for your immediate reassurance. Think I am just over anxious as this is the first baby and she's never been ill (touches large plank of wood). So I don't really know how severe it is when a baby gets ill. Dh spent the morning in bed, but is up now and feeling ok ish. In the time I've known him I've never seen him properly ill, only very occasional mild man flu complaints! But he is keeping good hand hygiene and catching and binning it bless him.

God, yes, angsting about the first is part and parcel isn't it? It's really when they go to nursery and school they bring home all the ailments and by then you're more confident I think. But dd's done well to get to 6m without being ill!

Keep your hands clean, keep DH away, wash every door handle and other surface with suitable cleaner etc. That's the best you can do! I did that when pregnant and (we think) DH had it.

She might catch it but if it's serious she'll get a fever. If it doesn't come down with calpol or calprofen/nurofen alternated every two hours (so giving each type 4 hourly) then seek medical attention.

Chances are she won't get it and will be fine. Or she'll catch it and will be fine. Just do the best you can.

I'm a worry wart anyway, so the first baby angst is quite bad! Will hopefully learn to chill a bit more when I have experienced things. Thanks Iggly I only have calpol, didn't know about using neurofen alternately with it, so will get some if fever occurs. Feeling better now

Can understand why you worried but not everyone will catch it and am sure you little one will be fine.

Swine flu does not last 2 to 3 days for everyone, trust me on that one, more like one week and over and is not just merely a cold for everyone, you were very lucky kangaroo.

my daughter had swine flu and she had to be isolated for 7 days, keep your baby well away and sleep in a different room and keep washing your hands and dont touch any where near your mouth. my self her brother and sister never cought it

Alfonzo, if you've breastfed, your DD should have your immunity. Also she may well have become immune in utero after your jab - I'm not 100% sure of that but I think it's true.

even people that have been vaccinated are not immune. I was vaccinated for swine and seasonal, this year yet still caught influenza b (was laboratory tested as such), but got it mildly. Hopefully because you have been imunised she will have some immunity and will only have a mild illness if she does get it.

PS: you could always evict your DH!

Don't think we were unusual Ghekogiddy - it swept through dcs' school and then mine, and the 2-3 days was common for most. There was one child who went to hospital for dehydration afair at primary and a few others who had a week to ten days off at secondary. They were still tired a few days after but feeling actually ill was short lived.

i recently had flu jab (last week) dd couldnt have it as allergic to egg but will she now get immunity as i breastfeed her does anybody know? it is ever so worrying isnt it iam terrified shw will catch it and ds too as they have medical problems but although eligible for jab cant have it because of the egg

"flu symptoms usually last for three to four days, but cough and tiredness may linger for up to two weeks after the fever has gone away"

Think one of the points made about SF compared with other types of 'flu is its shorter duration.

I breastfed for 5 months so maybe she will have some immunity (i don't know for definite ariane but someone further up the thread suggested that), or perhaps if she was to get it she would have a milder version. Dh is feeling a bit better now, so I'd say that's day 3 of the illness. The problem is I'm now coming down with something, whether it's swine flu or not I don't know yet. The infection could have been passed on to dd already I think, as there is an incubation period that starts when you have no symptoms which is contagious. But obviously we will still keep good hand hygiene and not cough on one another. And so far she is fine (fingers crossed). Dh back at work tomorrow so will be out the house while dd is up, so know eviction needed unfortunately

*no not know

but Kangaroo you dont know you actually had swine flu unless you were swabbed and laboratory tested. You and the school may have just had a cold.

True, but it went through both schools, my dcs' and the one I work in, and there were so many confirmed cases that they stopped testing but all with broadly the same symptoms. The NHS symptom checker also popped out the code for the antivirals should the dcs need them. School communities are very efficient in this regard.

Swine flu is not known for being a short lived illness, not in Scotland anyhoo. I was told to stay in quarantine for at least a week. I was in my bed for five days with feeling weak, had diarrhoea, sickness, aches and pains, temp, cough etc. Didnt see slight improvement until about day 6 though i did have secondary chest infection. Think those who have really mild symptoms are lucky lol. Any flu has about a weeks duration or so my doc said. Two weeks on and still knackered.

Will add I wasn't swabbed but doc said defo flu, thought more swine flu cos of GI symptoms and also the speed with which it took hold. But it could have been Flu B, who knows, it was crap whatever. They said had i presented sooner i would have been given Tamiflu.

lucybrad - what is influenza b? Is it another name for swine flu?

No its another seasonal flu. It seems to be around at the moment as well as swine. It has much the same symptoms although they are meant to be less severe . This year some people have dies of influenza b as well as swine flu according to official figures, bt there are many more deaths from swine than influenza B.

Oh I see. So I don't see the connection you were making between immunity to H1N1 and immunity to influenza b, if they're caused by different viruses.

what i think lucy was trying to say was that swine flu and flu b are in the seasonal vaccine and just because you have the vaccine does not guarantee you won't catch either of the flus. Many people are still catching either flu B or swine flu who have had the vaccine.

Ah, I didn't realise that flu b was in the same vaccine...perhaps I missed that bit. Well, then that is strange. What's the point of the vaccine if it doesn't, er, work? (I guess that's sort of what lucy was saying as well!)