Cold and Flu Prevention for Children

As a parent, it is important that you talk to your child about the importance of personal hygiene. It matters all year round ... but especially during cold and flu season.

Personal Hygiene + Surface Disinfection = Prevention

You may need to continually remind your child to:

• Cover his or her mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
• Dispose of used tissues in the trash
• Practice frequent hand washing.

As a parent, you can role model good personal hygiene for your children on an ongoing basis. In addition, remember to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as faucets, doorknobs, and kitchen appliance handles on a regular basis. This is another important step in helping to prevent the spread of cold and flu germs in your home.

Special Tips to Protect Your Children

Noted pediatrician Dr. Laura Jana recommends the following key behaviors for protecting your children from cold and flu germs.

• Give Kids The Flu Vaccine. Start flu season off by helping kids avoid getting the flu. Contact your pediatrician for more information
• Cover Noses and Mouths Show children how to do the "elbow" cough and sneeze (using their elbows to cover their mouths instead of their hands). Or, show them how to cover their mouths and noses with a tissue, and then immediately throw it away.
• Drink Fluids. Water flushes toxins from your system, so be sure to keep kids hydrated.
• Wash Those Hands. Teach your children about the importance of hand washing before every meal, after using the bathroom and after playing outside.
• Regularly Disinfect Surfaces. Minimize the likelihood of spreading illnesses through contaminated surfaces by disinfecting commonly touched surfaces at the beginning and end of the day with LYSOL®.
• Well-Balanced Diet. Give kids plenty of high protein foods, fruits, vegetables and vitamins to give their bodies the defenses they need.

When Someone at Home is Sick

Call your healthcare provider right away if your child gets sick. If he/she is diagnosed with H1N1, you're your provider may prescribe an antiviral medication, as they often work best when started within the first 2 days (48 hours) of getting sick.

• Check with your healthcare provider about:
  
  • Recommended over-the-counter medications to help relieve symptoms.
  • Suggested fever-reducing medicine if your child has a fever (100° F or higher).
  • Any special treatment requirements for children at higher risk, such as those with asthma.
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, (or electrolyte beverages for infants) to prevent dehydration.
• If possible, keep your child separated from the rest of the family.
• Keep your child home from school or daycare until at least 24 hours after his/her fever is gone (without the help of fever-reducing medication)

When To Contact Your Healthcare Provider

Get medical attention right away if your child:

• Has difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Has flu symptoms return after having improved
• Has purple or blue discoloration of your lips or skin
• Is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
• Is not drinking fluids
• Shows signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when standing or being unable to urinate or shed tears
• Is not waking up, interacting, or not wanting to be held

If you are caring for someone with the flu, check out the helpful caregiver information available at flu.gov.

Following Good Health Habits

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, the following general habits can help protect you from getting sick ... and infecting others if you are ill.

• Avoid close contact.
  Stay away from someone who is sick ... and stay home when YOU are sick.
• Follow a strict handwashing routine.
  Proper handwashing is important for so many health reasons, protecting you and those around you on a daily bases. But it's particularly critical in the prevention of cold and flu, since these viruses are spread through hand-to-hand contact or by touching a surface that has been contaminated.
  
  See when to wash and review step-by-step handwashing instructions
• Avoid Spreading or Getting Germs
  
  • Cover Your Cough.
    Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and then throw it in the trash. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve. Then be sure to wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren't available.
  • Don't touch your mouth, nose and eyes
    This is how you transfer the germs that can make you sick.

  Learn more about CDC's Cover Your Cough campaign.

• Take care of yourself to stay healthy and help fight off germs.
  CDC recommends that you:
  
  
  • Get rest
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Be physically active
  • Manage your stress
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Eat nutritious food
  • Don't smoke/quit smoking

Cold and Flu Prevention On-The-Go

Being away from home shouldn't mean forgetting your hygiene habits. In fact, practices like handwashing might be even more important, given the millions of germs that can be left on surfaces by others every day.

Tips for Public Places

• Wash your hands frequently, especially when you are doing "surface touching" things like shopping.
• If your supermarket offers disinfectant wipes where you pick up your shopping cart, use it to wipe down the cart handle.
• Try to prevent your child from touching surfaces when you are out-and-about together.
• In restrooms, try to avoid touching surfaces like faucets, doorknobs and flush handles. Flush with your foot, and use your paper town to turn water off and open the door to leave; then throw the towel away.
• Always carry hand sanitizer in case soap and water are available. Use it after touching surfaces and before eating.