4 month old flu

[Missguidedsmiles]

Hiya guys!

So unfortunately I picked up flu last week and it's lasted 7 days I'm feeling better but still got the sniffles and mucus cough.

Unfortunately now my 4 month old son had started having a cough & a running nose..he is also sleeping a lot longer naps then usual..

So scared he's going to get/have got my flu.
Google scares you and says there can be a risk of pneumonia or even death

What can I do? I'm a new mother and completely lost.

If you were swabbed and flu was confirmed then the surgery will also swab your baby so, if flu is confirmed, he will get antivirals asap.

@KnockKnockKnockPennyKnockKnockKnockPennyKnock

I definitely had flu, I don't need to be swabbed to know that. I'm generally asking what I can give my son to relieve symptoms...

Ask GP for advice.

If your baby is ill and has definitely been exposed to the influenza virus then I would make an appointment with your gp. Hopefully, the flu jab during pregnancy would have given them some protection though.

Does anyone know of any remedies??

I would keep an eye on his temperature and I suppose you could give calpol if you felt it was high, but personally I would want to see a doctor for a young baby with influenza.

I hadn't heard that flu season had started (assuming you are in the uk). If it was definitely flu I think you should call the GP for a baby that young. If it was a bad cold just watch for a high fever.

Are you sure it was flu? A snotty nose and mucus cough aren't anything I've experienced with flu (although only had it twice in 40 years). I'd imagine he has a cold.

@ganglion it was sudden, I had a banging headache, blocked nose, runny nose, aches in leg, sore throat, painful tonsils, I really think it was flu x

Did you get the flu jab during pregnancy?

@hotcandle definitely not!

Unfortunately he has no immunity against flu as he hasn’t been exposed to the flu jab. There are no remedies to flu except tamiflu.
the general advice to all poorly babies feed little and often, monitor for regular wet nappies seek medical advice if you are concerned which you are so GP or 111

Why didn't you have the flu jab during pregnancy. It's important to have these vaccines when your immune system is low (which it is daring pregnancy).

Your baby will most likely be fine. Make sure he's still having plenty of wet nappies (sign of good hydration). Get a thermometer if you don't have one, you can give Calpol if he has a temperature, but it is often worth getting them checked out with a high temperature. Doctors are always happy to check young babies and children.

You used to be able to get a product called snuffl babe, baby version of vicks. Or we used to use the Calpol plug ins in the room to help them sleep.

That definitely sounds like a virus but I'm not sure you can definitely say it's specifically influenza, from that. There actually isn't much flu about at the moment compared to covid and colds.

Regardless of what the exact virus is I agree with the previous poster about checking he's got wet nappies, checking his temperature and so on, and if I was the slightest bit worried I'd also get him checked out by a doctor. GPs are always really happy to see small babies, partly because if they do get ill they can get worse quite fast.

Things to watch out for in babies are here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/is-your-baby-or-toddler-seriously-ill/

Unfortunately they do get lots of bugs when small, usually they're absolutely fine afterwards though, but as parents we do worry when it's happening.

Well that was stupid of you! Poor baby.

@Wishiwasatailor @eurochick @dragonpen @ganglion @drad @MigGirl thanks for all of your responses x

You're the one who didn't get the flu vaccine...

I'd would rather be a Karen than an idiot.

She isn’t being a “Karen” to point out you put your baby at risk and baby is now suffering because of your choice.

Could be COVID too. Symptoms were pretty similar for me and I imagine it's currently more prevalent. As youve not had a flu jab, guessing you've not had COVID either?

Are you breastfeeding, that will have given your baby some immunity. I felt sympathy with you till the misogyny, I hope you will learn from this that jans are important.
There is no way you can say you definitely had flu without a swan. Flu is really bad - a week in bed feeling delirious with fever bad and probably two weeks off work. Your symptoms don’t sound that bad to me. But in terms of advice if your baby seems I’ll the see a doctor!

If you haven’t had the flu vaccine I’m going to assume your baby is unvaccinated.

Keep a very close eye out for anything that is usually vaccinated for so baby is protected. Meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, flu, whooping cough, rotavirus, as any of these can make your baby very very poorly and they can deteriorate very quickly.

Things to look out for: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/health/is-your-baby-or-toddler-seriously-ill/#:~:text=during%20the%20day%20from%20Monday,worried%2C%20take%20them%20to%20A%26E

Thanks for all the "youre stupid for not getting vaccinated or giving your child a flu jab" My religion is rastafarian and we don't support getting jabs.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have protected my child or stopped him from getting flu.

Did covid19 jab prevent people from getting covid19? No.
It may have lessened their symptoms but didn't stop the issue.

My point in this post was primarily to ask for home remedies but instead I got a whole group of people talking about jabs.. bit strange and judgemental.

But all the same thankyou to those who mentioned calpol and good ideas. I appreciate it x

Did the covid jab stop people getting covid? Yes, it did.
Religion is irrelevant, it is foolish not get vaccinated against easily preventable potential fatal or disabling diseases, and even worse not to protect your child.

Vaccines absolutely do prevent disease, diseases such as smallpox and polio have been eliminated due to vaccines, numbers of children contracting deadly diseases like measles and pertussis have dropped drastically due to vaccines - why would the NHS spend so much on vaccine programs if they were ineffective?
From what I've read, rastafarians promote using more natural, holistic medicines - if you are happy to give calpol (which isn't particularly natural or holistic), why not give the vaccine in the first place?