How to Protect Your Child from the Flu

Audra Lowe: Anything that's healthy is always a concern, especially at this time of the year. So Rhiannon sat down with the Safety Mom for some ways to keep germs from spreading and also, help children recover, if sickness does strike. Rhiannon Ally: With all the talk about H1N1, it's easy to forget that we are now heading into the regular flu season and both can be very dangerous for your kids. Talking with us today is Allison Rhodes telling us how to keep our kids safe during the flu season from both H1N1 and the regular flu. Allison Rhodes: That's right and really is the key is prevention to start off with, it doesn't matter, the minute they start school, within two weeks they are coming home and bringing home those germs and the colds to our little ones. So how do we help prevent it and then, if they do they get it, how do we get them better? Rhiannon Ally: Okay, so how do we really prevent it? I know hand washing is always a big thing. Allison Rhodes: Good hand washing is really important. A lot of times though when they are at school, they don't have time after recess to wash their hands. I really believe in sending them in, with some hand sanitizing gel. But make sure it's non alcoholic. A lot of them have alcohol in them. Let them keep them at the desk and wash down when they come in. That's really important, and it's also important to have it at home; washing their hands when they are home, wiping down things like the TV remote controls, things like that. But really make sure it's non alcoholic. People don't realize, there is alcohol in these, and if the kids start licking them, I just saw one baby do this, it's equivalent to a shot of alcohol. Rhiannon Ally: Oh! That is not good; make sure they are non-alcoholic. And you mentioned wiping down all surfaces, because things are really spread when they touch the faces, kids tend to do. Allison Rhodes: That's right and then, what's really hard, as you know, as working moms it's hard but you have got to keep them out of daycare, if they are sick. Isolate that child, it's really important to keep them home, make sure they are healthy because you don't want to be spreading those germs. Then, the trick is though, if they do get sick. A lot of parents, especially first time moms, worry about fever. Fever isn't necessarily a bad thing. Rhiannon Ally: It's common. Allison Rhodes: Exactly, and also it's helping fight off a virus. So if they are under 3 months of age, absolutely take them into the pediatrician, but up till -- above that if it's under 101.5, just watch them. If they are not lethargic, if they are eating, it's okay. But trying to take a baby's temperature is absolutely impossible. I mean they are constantly running around. So one of the things I love is this ThermoFocus 5-in-1 No-Touch thermometer. What's really cool, you just point it at their head, it's an infrared light, you don't have to touch them and it takes the temperature, plus it takes the temperature of air, food. So it really is a cool thing to do. Rhiannon Ally: Wow! You don't even have to touch the baby, that's amazing. Allison Rhodes: And you can use it on yourself too or your husband. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, that's great. And also, if they are sick it's hard to give babies medicine as well. It's almost impossible. Allison Rhodes: You it really is. And we were talking about the plungers that it comes out of their mouth, and with antibiotics, that's important. A lot of people think when you give your child an antibiotic, if they are feeling well after 2 days, they stop. Give them the entire treatment of the antibiotic, really important. Don't self medicate just because one sibling has something similar, go check it out. But what I like is this medicine dispenser. It's a pacifier, so they can suck on the medicine, but if they don't, there's also a plunger. So you can get it in that way. But under six years old, really the over the counter medicines, don't work. They really are not recommended. So what you really want to do is just keep their nasal passages clean with a saline mist. I love that. So it gets in, make sure you have a cool mist humidifier, you want to keep the room humid and moist, so that they get that, really important. And then infections, you know when we have got our kids on the soccer field, on the football field, they are getting cuts and scrapes and bruises, easy to get infected. Make sure, you have some thing like a Neosporin on hand, they have a great neo-to-go. You throw it in your back pack; you can get that really important. Rhiannon Ally: Okay, all great tips especially as we are heading into this busy season right now. Thank you so much for all of these and for joining us today. Allison Rhodes is the Safety Mom, with these great tips. Allison Rhodes: Thank you.