Newborns with flu

Influenza (flu) and your baby

The flu can be dangerous for all babies, even healthy babies.

Babies 6 months and older need a flu vaccine every year. It helps protect children from serious health problems.

Parents, other family members and caregivers need a flu vaccine every year to help protect babies who are too young to get the vaccine.

Flu signs and symptoms include body aches, chills, cough, fatigue, fever, headache, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea.

If you think your baby has the flu, call her provider right away. Quick treatment can help prevent serious flu complications.

What is the flu?

Influenza (also called flu) is a virus that can cause serious illness. It’s more than just a runny nose and sore throat. It’s really important to protect babies and young children from the flu because it can make them very sick. In rare cases, flu can cause death. In 2017, the flu caused a record number of deaths in children. Most of the children who died didn’t get a flu vaccine.

How does the flu spread?

The flu spreads easily from person to person. When someone with the flu coughs, sneezes or speaks, the virus spreads through the air. Your baby can get infected with the flu if she breathes the virus in or if she touches something (like a toy) that has the flu virus on it and then touches her nose, eyes or mouth.

People with the flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before they get sick up to 5 to 7 days after. People who are very sick with the flu or young children may be able to spread the flu longer, especially if they still have symptoms.

Does your child need a flu vaccine every year?

Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (also called CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (also called AAP) recommend that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine each year. It’s especially important for children younger than 5 to get it because they’re more likely than older kids to have serious health problems caused by the flu. The flu can be dangerous for all children, even healthy children.

The best way to protect your child from the flu is to make sure he gets a flu vaccine each year before flu season (October through May). Even though your child’s more likely to get the flu during flu season, he can get it any time of year.

There are two ways for your child to get the flu vaccine:                                                                       

1. Flu shot. Children 6 months and older can get the flu shot.
2. Flu nasal spray. This is a spray your child’s provider puts in your child’s nose. Most children 2 years or older can get the flu nasal spray. But it’s not recommended for children who have certain health conditions, like asthma, heart and lung problems, or a weak immune system that doesn’t protect him well from infection. The flu nasal spray also isn’t recommended for children who take certain medicines for a long time, like aspirin (called long-term aspirin therapy).

The first time your baby gets the flu vaccine, he gets two doses to give him the best protection from the flu. Your child gets one dose of the vaccine every year after.  

If you’re not sure which vaccine is best for your child, ask his health care provider. Visit flu.gov to learn more about flu vaccines.

The flu vaccine is safe for most children, even babies born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy). But if your child had a bad reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, tell his provider. The provider may want to watch your child closely after getting the vaccine to check for a reaction. If your child is allergic to eggs, talk to his provider to decide if it’s OK to get the flu vaccine. Some flu vaccines are made from eggs.

There are many different flu viruses, and they’re always changing. Each year a new flu vaccine is made to protect against three or four flu viruses that are likely to make people sick during the upcoming flu season. With the vaccine, protection from the flu lasts about a year, so it’s important to get your child vaccinated each year. You get the vaccine from his provider or from other places, like pharmacies, that offer it. Use the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to find out where you can get a flu vaccine for your child.

Are some children more likely to have serious health problems caused by flu than others?

Yes. Babies and children younger than 5 years old—and especially those younger than 2 years old-- are more likely than older children to have complications from the flu. Premature babies also are at increased risk of serious complications from flu. The CDC recommends that premature babies get most vaccines, including the flu vaccine, according to their chronological age (the time since birth). Even if a baby is born small or with a low birthweight, she can get her vaccine at the same time as other babies who are the same age. If you have a premature baby, talk your baby’s provider to make sure your baby gets the flu vaccine on time. Children  with chronic health conditions, like asthma, heart disease or blood disorders, also are at high risk of flu complications.

What health problems can flu cause in children?

Complications from flu in children younger than 5 years old include:

• Making chronic health conditions, like heart disease or asthma, worse
• Brain problems, like encephalopathy. Encephalopathy is any brain disease that affects the brain’s structure or how the brain works.
• Dehydration. This means not having enough water in your body.
• Pneumonia. This is an infection in one or both lungs.
• Sinus problems and ear infections. Sinuses are hollow air spaces within the bones around the nose. Sinus infections can happen when fluid builds up in the sinuses.
• Death. Flu complications can sometimes lead to death, but this is rare.

What are signs and symptoms that your baby has the flu?

Signs of a condition are things someone else can see or know about you, like you have a rash or you’re coughing. Symptoms are things you feel yourself that others can’t see, like having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. If your baby has any of these signs and symptoms of the flu, call his health care provider right away or take him to see his provider:

• Being very tired or sleepy (also called fatigue)
• Cough  
• Fever (100 F or above), chills or body shakes. Not everyone who has the flu has a fever.
• Headache, or muscle or body aches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Vomiting (throwing up) or diarrhea

The flu often comes on quickly.  Fever and most other signs and symptoms can last a week or longer. While your baby can’t tell you how she’s feeling, babies who have the flu often are sicker, fussier and seem more uncomfortable and unhappy than babies with a common cold. If you think your baby has the flu even if she got a flu vaccine, call her health care provider.

If your baby has any of these signs or symptoms, take her to a hospital emergency room: 

• Being so fussy that she doesn’t want to be held
• Bluish color of lips or face
• Chronic health conditions, like asthma, get worse
• Fast breathing, trouble breathing, chest pain or ribs pulling in with each breath
• Fever in a baby younger than 12 weeks old, fever above 104 F in older babies or children, or fever with a rash
• Fever or cough that gets better but then returns and gets worse
• Having seizures. A seizure is when the whole body or parts of the body move without control.
• Not drinking enough fluids or not making as much urine as she normally does. If your baby doesn’t make urine for 8 hours, has a dry mouth or doesn’t make tears when crying, she may be dehydrated.  
• Not waking up, or not being alert or interacting with you when she is awake
• Severe muscle pain. It may be so severe your child can’t walk.
• Vomiting (throwing up) that’s severe or doesn’t stop

How is flu treated in babies and children?

Your baby’s provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine to prevent or treat the flu. An antiviral is a medicine that kills infections caused by viruses. Antivirals can make your baby’s flu milder and help your baby feel better faster. Antivirals also can help prevent serious flu complications, like a lung infection called pneumonia. For flu, antivirals work best if used within 2 days of having signs or symptoms.

If your baby is at high risk for flu, his provider may prescribe an antiviral as soon as he begins to have flu symptoms. All children younger than 5 are at high risk for flu, especially children younger than 2. Children who were born prematurely  or who have chronic health conditions, like asthma or sickle cell disease, also are at high risk.

Three medicines are approved in the United States for preventing or treating the flu in children:

1. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) for children as young as 2 weeks.  This medicine comes as a capsule or liquid.
2. Zanamivir (Relenza®) for children at least 5 years old.  This medicine is a powder that your child breathes in by mouth. It isn’t recommended for people with breathing problems, like asthma.
3. Peramivir (Rapivab®) for children at least 2 years old. This medicine is given through a needle into a vein (also called IV) by a health care provider.

If your child has the flu, help him get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. He may not want to eat much. Try giving him small meals to help his body get better.

If your baby seems uncomfortable from a fever, ask her provider if you can give her infant’s or children’s acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®). Don’t give her aspirin without checking with her health care provider. Aspirin can cause a rare but life-threatening liver disorder called Reye syndrome in children with certain illnesses, such as colds, the flu and chickenpox.

If your baby has a cough or a cold, don’t give her over-the-counter cough and cold medicine. These are medicines you can buy without a prescription from a health care provider. AAP says these medicines can cause serious health problems for children. Talk to your baby’s provider before you give your baby any kind of medicine.

How can you stop the flu from spreading?

Everyone 6 months and older needs to get a flu vaccine. This means you, especially if you have or take care of a baby younger than 6 months. Getting a flu vaccine can help keep you from spreading the flu.

If you or your child has the flu, you can spread it to others. Here’s how to help prevent the flu from spreading:

• Keep your child home from day care, school or camp for at least 24 hours after her fever (100 F or higher) is gone. The fever should be gone without using a medicine that lowers fever.
• Avoid contact with other people.
• Don’t kiss your baby and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Teach your child to cough or sneeze into a tissue or his arm. Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after caring for your baby. You also can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Use enough hand sanitizer so that it takes at least 15 seconds for your hands to dry.
• Clean surfaces and toys that may have the flu virus on them.
• Use hot, soapy water or a dishwasher to clean your baby’s dishes and utensils.
• Don’t share any of your baby’s dishes, glasses, utensils or his toothbrush.

More information

Flu.gov

Last reviewed: September, 2019

See also: Flu and pregnancy, Your baby’s vaccinations

Your baby and the flu: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

The flu is an easily-spread disease. Children under age 2 have a higher risk of developing complications if they get the flu.

The information in this article has been put together to help you protect children under age 2 from the flu. This is not a substitute for medical advice from your health care provider. If you think your baby may have the flu, you should contact a provider right away.

FLU SYMPTOMS IN INFANTS AND TODDLERS

The flu is an infection of the nose, throat, and (sometimes) lungs. Call your baby's provider if you notice any of the following signs:

• Acting tired and cranky much of the time and not feeding well
• Cough
• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Has a fever or feels feverish (if no thermometer available)
• Runny nose
• Body aches and general ill feeling

HOW IS THE FLU TREATED IN BABIES?

Children younger than 2 years old will often need to be treated with medicine that fights off the flu virus. This is called antiviral medicine. The medicine works best if started within 48 hours after symptoms begin, if possible.

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in liquid form will likely be used. After talking about the risk of side effects against the possible complications of the flu in your baby, you and your provider may decide to use this medicine to treat the flu.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) help lower fever in children. Sometimes, your provider will tell you to use both types of medicine.

Always check with your provider before giving any cold medicines to your infant or toddler.

SHOULD MY BABY GET THE FLU VACCINE?

All infants 6 months or older should get the flu vaccine, even if they have had a flu-like illness. The flu vaccine is not approved for children under 6 months old.

• Your child will need a second flu vaccine around 4 weeks after receiving the vaccine for the first time.
• There are two types of flu vaccine. One is given as a shot, and the other is sprayed into your child's nose.

The flu shot contains killed (inactive) viruses. It is not possible to get the flu from this type of vaccine. The flu shot is approved for people age 6 months and older.

A nasal spray-type flu vaccine uses a live, weakened virus instead of a dead one like the flu shot. It is approved for healthy children over 2 years.

Anyone who lives with or has close contact with a child younger than 6 months old should also have a flu shot.

WILL THE VACCINE HARM MY BABY?

You or your baby cannot get the flu from either vaccine. Some children may get a low-grade fever for a day or two after the shot. If more severe symptoms develop or they last for more than 2 days, you should call your provider.

Some parents are afraid the vaccine could hurt their baby. But children under 2 years of age are more likely to get a severe case of the flu. It is hard to predict how ill your child may get from flu because children often have a mild illness at first. They may become sick very fast.

A small amount of mercury (called thimerosal) is a common preservative in multidose vaccines. Despite concerns, thimerosal-containing vaccines have not been shown to cause autism, ADHD, or any other medical problems.

However, all of the routine vaccines are also available without added thimerosal. Ask your provider if they offer this type of vaccine.

HOW CAN I PREVENT MY BABY FROM GETTING THE FLU?

Anyone who has flu symptoms should not care for a newborn or infant, including feeding. If a person with symptoms must care for the child, the caretaker should use a face mask and wash their hands well. Everyone who comes in close contact with your baby should do the following:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue away after using it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds, especially after you cough or sneeze. You may also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.

If your baby is younger than 6 months old and has close contact with someone with the flu, inform your provider.

IF I HAVE FLU SYMPTOMS, CAN I BREASTFEED MY BABY?

If a mother is not ill with the flu, breastfeeding is encouraged.

If you are sick, you may need to express your milk for use in bottle feedings given by a healthy person. It is unlikely a newborn can catch flu from drinking your breast milk when you are sick. Breast milk is considered safe if you are taking antivirals.

WHEN SHOULD I CALL THE DOCTOR?

Talk to your child's provider or go to the emergency room if:

• Your child does not act alert or more comfortable when the fever goes down.
• Fever and flu symptoms come back after they have gone away.
• The child does not have tears when crying.
• The child's diapers are not wet, or the child has not urinated for the last 8 hours.
• Your child is having trouble breathing.

Influenza in babies

Published: May 13, 2020

Children's illnesses always cause concern among parents. And seasonal flu in infants, despite its apparent simplicity, can provoke serious consequences. In order for the situation to end favorably, it is important to seek medical help in time, follow the doctor's recommendations and take preventive measures in the future to help avoid health troubles.

Contents of the article

What is the danger of influenza in young children?

Influenza is viral in nature. Once in the body, pathogens actively multiply, causing discomfort in the form of inflammation. If treatment is not started on time, influenza in infants can provoke otitis media. This disease manifests itself in the form of loss or hearing loss. With an untimely reaction, the complication can become irreversible, depriving the child of a full life.

Influenza is also characterized by less serious problems in the form of weight loss. Since the child refuses to eat, he begins to lose body weight, which in infancy negatively affects the growth and development of the body.

Signs of influenza in newborns

Influenza, unlike SARS, begins with a significant increase in temperature, which usually immediately exceeds 38 °C. At the same time, the child is naughty, refuses to eat, he has difficulty breathing, but there is no runny nose. By the end of the first day, a number of symptoms are added:

• Headache. A newborn cannot, due to age characteristics, report that he is in pain. But by crying, which does not stop, you can determine that he feels bad.
• Wheezing. There is no cough, but shortness of breath with a wheeze and a hoarse voice suggest a viral infection.

On the second day cough, runny nose, sore throat are added. It may seem that this is a typical SARS, but the difference in the sequence of symptoms may indicate the opposite. With the flu, a temperature usually appears first, and then these signs. In a normal viral infection, temperature usually occurs after the onset of local inflammatory reactions.

How to treat?

To determine how to treat the flu in a baby, it is necessary to call a doctor at the first symptoms. After the examination, it is important to clearly follow the recommendations of a specialist so that the disease recedes without complications. At the same time, it is important to follow some rules that will help to overcome the disease faster and easier:

• It is necessary to dress the baby warmly. Since the disease is accompanied by chills, to create maximum comfort for the newborn, it is necessary to dress him so that he is not cold. At the same time, it is important to change his clothes after they get wet from profuse sweating.
• Ensure the use of juice, warm boiled water. Children are reluctant to eat when they are sick, but it is not recommended to stop breastfeeding, as this is a natural remedy that helps to defeat the virus. At the same time, to replenish lost water as a result of sweating, it is worth giving the baby juices, warm boiled water and herbal decoctions recommended by the pediatrician.
• Body temperature control. Anything below 38 ° C is not recommended to shoot down. The body produces antibodies that can defeat the virus. If you give an antipyretic, then the activity of the immune system decreases, which leads to its suppression.
• Air baths at temperature. At a low temperature, you can alleviate the condition of the child by wiping him with warm water.
• Nasal irrigation with saline solutions. To bring the mucous membrane to a normal state, it is necessary to rinse it with saline solutions before using drops in the nose. This approach increases the effectiveness of local drugs and returns the mucous membranes to their natural state.

In case of severe inflammation and bacterial infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics, accompanying them with drugs to restore the digestive system.

What not to do?

Do not self-medicate using drugs without the knowledge of a doctor. Many drugs are contraindicated at this age and can harm the baby.

It is not recommended to use aromatic oils for treatment, as they can provoke an allergy, fraught with anaphylactic shock.

Warming up and other physiotherapy are done only after agreement with the pediatrician.

Prevention of influenza in newborns

General immunity is responsible for the severity of a viral infection. The stronger it is, the easier and faster the disease is tolerated. And the frequency of infections depends on local immunity. It is the condition of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx that determines how often the child will get sick.

To strengthen the strength of the body, it is necessary to use preventive measures:

• Influenza vaccination. If during pregnancy in the second or third trimesters a woman was vaccinated, then the administered drug is able to protect the child for some time after his birth. As for vaccinations for a baby, it can be done from 6 months of age. But only after consultation with a specialist.
• Maintaining optimal humidity in the apartment. Dry air adversely affects the mucous membranes, which leads to a deterioration in its barrier properties, so it is necessary to humidify the air. This rule is especially true with the onset of the heating season. To maintain the microclimate, you can use a humidifier. The device is inexpensive, besides, it cleans and refreshes the air.
• Getting rid of dust accumulators. An abundance of soft toys, figurines and other items that can collect dust is not the best way to decorate a nursery. Dust disrupts the natural microclimate and provokes a deterioration in the condition of the mucous membranes.
• Regular ventilation. During air exchange with the environment with the passage of fresh air flows in the atmosphere of the room and the apartment as a whole, pathogenic viruses and bacteria do not linger.
• Hardening. As soon as the child begins to take the first steps, it is important to allow him to stand on the floor with bare feet. At first, it is worth giving the procedure a small amount of time, gradually increasing it.
• Nasal wash. During seasonal viral infections, it is important to rinse the nose with saline or sea water. Such a procedure will improve the state of local immunity, wash away the viruses that have got inside, and facilitate hygiene.
• Walks. It is recommended to avoid visiting public places, but you still need to walk on the street regularly.

There are drugs to strengthen your own defenses and protect against influenza viruses. As such a remedy, many experts prescribe Derinat drops to newborns. They are approved for use from the first day of life and act on several levels at once: they counteract viruses and strengthen mucous membranes, improving their protective properties. Derinat drops are suitable for both the treatment of influenza and its prevention. Read more about the drug and its properties on our website.

Derinat products

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Useful articles:

symptoms, signs and treatment. How not to infect and how to protect a newborn baby from a cold?

Colds in babies under one year of age worry parents for a reason. At such an early age, when the work of natural defense mechanisms is still imperfect, even simple acute respiratory viral infections are difficult, and their consequences can be dangerous. In this article, we will tell you how to recognize a cold in time and how to treat it in order to help your baby recover faster and protect him from complications.

Causes of colds in infants

What we used to call a cold is actually an infectious disease - SARS. Its cause is viruses that infect the respiratory mucosa and cause inflammation, which is manifested by characteristic symptoms. ARVI is called a cold due to the fact that most often the disease develops against the background of hypothermia. It weakens local and general immunity, and viruses freely attack the respiratory tract.

Note

There are more than 300 types of ARVI pathogens[1]. Among them are adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, influenza and parainfluenza viruses and others. It is usually impossible to determine exactly which of them caused the cold, so it is preferable to take drugs with a wide spectrum of antiviral action.

The disease is actively spread by airborne droplets: viruses enter the body by inhaling particles of infected saliva, which the patient releases into the environment when coughing and sneezing. You can also get infected by contact - through objects or a handshake (which is why doctors recommend washing your hands as often as possible during the epidemic season).

Everyone can get SARS, but a cold in a newborn is very rare. In the first three to six months, the baby's body is protected by antibodies received from the mother during fetal development. In addition, breastfeeding plays an important role in protecting the child from infections. Mother's milk contains protective factors that increase the resistance of the child's body. Formula-fed babies have a higher risk of getting sick.

Be that as it may, within six months there is a decrease in the stock of maternal antibodies, and its own immunity has not yet been formed during this time, so a cold in the baby is quite likely. Another thing is that infants, unlike preschool children, are less likely to encounter sources of infection. Thinking about how to protect the baby from a cold, responsible parents try to minimize his contacts with others, avoid traveling with the baby in public transport, visiting shops and other places with a large crowd of people with him.

However, the risk cannot be completely eliminated, even if all precautions are taken. A baby can get SARS from relatives. The most common situation is when the father or older children "bring" a cold home. Weak immunity of the baby poorly resists the attack of viruses, and the disease develops rapidly.

Everyone knows how a cold behaves. Fever, weakness, sore throat, cough and runny nose are familiar to everyone. The problem is that by external signs, parents are not always able to determine that the baby has a cold. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the baby is not yet able to talk about his well-being. Meanwhile, it is necessary to identify a cold as early as possible: delay or improper treatment threatens the development of complications, which at this age pose a great danger to a fragile body. What are the symptoms of a cold?

Some reflexes in children of the first year of life are not yet formed. So, babies do not know how to blow their nose and cough. Because of this, mucus is not removed on time, but accumulates in the respiratory tract and serves as a breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, against the background of a cold, a baby can also get otitis media, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

Nasal congestion can manifest itself as follows: the child breathes with an open mouth and has difficulty in taking milk. He throws the breast (or bottle) even when he is hungry, refuses the pacifier.

Fever is another characteristic symptom of ARVI, which is also not always the case in infants. Most often, the temperature in infants with a cold still rises, but only slightly.

Attentive parents notice changes in the general condition and behavior of the baby. The child becomes lethargic or, on the contrary, restless, often cries for a long time, while it is difficult to calm him down. Day and night sleep is disturbed: the baby constantly wakes up or sleeps too much, while before this was uncharacteristic for him.

When a baby has a cold, appetite worsens. This is due to difficulty breathing through the nose and general intoxication. Abundant regurgitation and vomiting are possible. Malnutrition and dehydration (fluid loss due to fever) exacerbate the severity of the child's condition.

A few days after the onset of the disease, the clinical picture is no longer in doubt. But during this period, if the treatment was not started in a timely manner, bacterial complications may also join the indicated symptoms. Therefore, parents should carefully monitor the condition of the child and pay attention to any, even minor, deviations from the norm.

Rare in infants during the first year of life

Runny nose

May have nasal discharge, repeated sneezing; The child tries to breathe with the mouth of

Violation of appetite

Infant refuses the chest or nipples

Sleep disorder

The child is more difficult to fall asleep, and it is often raised or the other than usual

Changes in the behavior

The baby looks apathetic and sluggish or seems excessively capricious and restless - any uncharacteristic behavior should alert

PIEDARY PROMENTION OF THE CONCLUM care.

Dress your baby in a comfortable way. Hypothermia should be avoided, but overheating is unacceptable, especially at high temperatures.

Pediatricians have specific recommendations regarding feeding. Mother's milk is the best cold medicine for babies: it contains immunoglobulins and has protective properties. But the appetite of a sick baby is often reduced, and in no case should you force feed him. It is better to put the baby to the breast more often, but not for long.

Please note

When a baby has a cold, it is very important that he drink enough fluids. Between feedings, offer your baby water, rosehip broth or dried fruit compote without sugar.

If you have a runny nose, doctors advise you to wash your child's nose with saline solutions. In any pharmacy you can buy preparations based on sea water. They gently cleanse and moisturize the nasal mucosa.

All of the above measures help the baby's body fight the disease, but to eliminate the main cause of a cold, it is recommended to resort to specific antiviral therapy. It is effective at the very beginning - preferably on the first day of the disease.

The difficulty is that there are very few antiviral drugs that can be given to children from birth. In fact, all possible approaches to the treatment of colds in infants come down to the appointment of two groups of drugs. These are ready-made interferon preparations or homeopathic remedies. The latter are also adjacent to the so-called release-active drugs. The rest of the cold remedies for infants are contraindicated: they are prescribed for older children (at least from a year old).

Interferon is a protein produced by body cells in response to the penetration of foreign agents. It has a wide spectrum of action against various types of pathogens of SARS (and not only). Interferon inhibits the growth and reproduction of viruses, and also activates other immune factors.

Taking these properties of a protective protein as a basis, scientists created ready-made interferon preparations and agents that stimulate its production by body cells. Both those and others are widely used today in the treatment of influenza and SARS. But the so-called interferon inducers are not prescribed for infants. First, they are immunostimulants and can unpredictably affect the functioning of the immune system. Secondly, in babies under one year old, the process of producing their own interferon (including under the influence of stimulants) has not yet been established, and the protective protein is not produced in the right amount. Therefore, pediatricians prescribe ready-made interferon preparations for infants with a cold. They begin to fight viruses immediately after application. Such funds are produced in different dosage forms.

Nasal drops, ointments and sprays fight viruses in the lesion - in the nasal mucosa. The degree of their overall impact on the baby's body is minimal.

• "Genferon® light" (LP-002309) [2]. in the form of drops contains recombinant interferon alpha-2b and taurine. It can be used for children from 28 days. "Genferon® light" (LSR-009046/10)[3]. in the form of a spray contains 50,000 IU of interferon alfa-2b in one dose, approved for use from 14 years of age.
• Grippferon® (P N000089/01)[4]. in the form of drops contains recombinant (artificial) interferon alpha-2b. It can be used for children from birth. The recommended dosage is one drop in each nasal passage five times a day for five days.
• Viferon® (P N001142/02) [5]. in the form of a gel is also a preparation of interferon alfa-2b. Its use is permissible from the first days of life. The agent is applied to the nasal mucosa from three to five times a day for five days.

Preparations of finished interferon for children are also available in the form of suppositories. This form has many advantages. Firstly, the drops are effective at the earliest stage of a cold, while the viruses are on the nasal mucosa, and the disease manifests itself only through a runny nose. When the symptoms are more pronounced (which means that the viruses have penetrated deeper), a rapid entry of interferon into the blood is required, which becomes possible with rectal administration of the drug. Secondly, nasal remedies require too frequent use. Candles are administered rectally twice a day. The active substance has a systemic antiviral effect, without affecting the gastrointestinal tract. And finally, suppositories are easy to use in infants: there is always a risk that the baby will spit out or burp the medicine in the form of a tablet, pill, syrup, and so on.

In Russia, three preparations of interferon in the form of suppositories are registered, approved for use in children from the first day of life:

• Genferon® light "(LSR-005614/09) [6] - 125,000 IU;
• Viferon® (P N000017/01) [7] - 150,000 IU;
• Kipferon® (P N000126/01)[8] - 500,000 IU.

As you can see, the drugs differ in the dosage of interferon alfa-2b. This is an important criterion: there is the concept of drug load, and it is the higher, the greater the amount of the active substance. On the other hand, do not forget about efficiency. Why are the dosages so different?

It's all about the formulation. In the focus of inflammation, interferon is destroyed, and antioxidants are needed to preserve it. They are not present in Kipferon®. Perhaps that is why the dosage is the highest among analogues. Manufacturers of Viferon® added vitamins C and E to the composition, which protect interferon molecules from destruction. Due to this, the content of the active substance was reduced to 150,000 IU. As for candles "Genferon® light" (125,000 IU), they contain taurine, which is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also has antiviral activity [9]. This made it possible to further reduce the dosage (and hence the drug load) without sacrificing efficacy.

Note

To protect your baby from infections, family members must also carefully monitor their health. So, for the purpose of prevention, you can use the spray "Genferon® light" (the product is approved for use from the age of 14). It is also extremely important to take precautions after contact with sick people.

Alternative medicine, based on the principle of treating "like with like", has partially penetrated into official science. Popular homeopathic remedies - Oscillococcinum® (P N014236/01)[10], "Naturcoxinum" (LSR-007708/09)[11], Aflubin® (P N013116/01)[12] - are sold in pharmacies and can be prescribed for colds . According to the manufacturers, these drugs smoothly adjust the work of the immune system and "tune" the body to recovery. At the same time, information about their pharmacokinetics (absorption and excretion from the body) is not provided, and many doctors even consider homeopathy as a pseudoscience[13].

In terms of the concentration of active substances, they are close to homeopathic preparations, since they are also the result of repeated dilution of the original substance (in this case, these are antibodies to interferon). In fact, these products do not contain active ingredients at all, and their effectiveness is also disputed. An example of a drug from this group is drops "Anaferon for children" (LP-N (000019) - (RG-RU) [14], they can be used in children from one month old.

The baby's body is still too weak and therefore unable to cope with viral infections on its own. To minimize the risk of a complicated course of the disease, antiviral agents should be resorted to at the first signs of a cold. But before starting treatment for a baby, you need to consult a doctor.

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