So how do you keep your child healthy this winter?

First, let’s start with the question “What is the flu?”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the flu is a contagious respiratory ailment caused by a group of viruses known as influenza. It strikes an average of five to 20 percent of the U.S. population each year, causing symptoms that range from fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, and muscle aches to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Complications associated with the illness include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions.

Young children, the elderly, and people with chronic health conditions are at particular risk for serious flu-related complications.

How do I avoid getting the flu?

The CDC recommends getting a flu shot as the number one way to avoid getting the flu. If possible, get a flu shot in October or November, although you can still be vaccinated into December.

Parents, siblings, and caretakers of young children should be vaccinated. The American Academy of Pediatrics revised its recommendation in 2006 to include flu shots for children as young as six months and up to age five years. The CDC also recommends that pregnant women be vaccinated. Studies suggest that maternal immunization may help prevent the flu in young infants.

While your newborn is too young to safely receive the vaccine, and whether you were or weren’t vaccinated while pregnant, he can’t catch the flu, if he does not come into contact with the virus.

Other simple preventatives include covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, washing your hands with soap and water – often, avoiding close contact with those who are sick, and keeping your baby out of crowded public places. The flu is spread through contact with the respiratory droplets of an infect person, primarily from coughing and sneezing, so be alert and act accordingly.

What to do if you or your child gets sick?

If you think you have the flu, minimize contact with your baby as much as possible. Drink plenty of fluids and rest. Take fever-reducing medications, as necessary, and contact your physician if your condition worsens. If your baby becomes ill, ensure that he continues to nurse often to prevent dehydration. Call your pediatrician immediately if your baby has trouble breathing, is not feeding adequately, seems less responsive than usual, or his rectal temperature rises above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Influenza is a serious concern, especially for parents of newborns. But simple, common sense strategies can help you keep your baby healthy throughout the flu season.

Flu is similar to a cold virus in that it is typically spread from one person to another when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can pass through an infected person’s lungs, throat or nose, sending particles into the air that can pass to anyone that person comes in close contact with. Being out in a crowd increases your chances of being infected.

The other main way the virus spreads is from touching surfaces that are contaminated with the virus and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. An individual infected with the virus can start transmitting it up to a day before the symptoms start, and up to a week after the symptoms become noticeable, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is believed the new swine flu spreads in the same way as other types of flu.

It is important to note that, at this time, there is no evidence that Swine flu can be spread by eating pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food.  Swine flu is a respiratory illness in pigs and is caused by infection with swine influenza.  While this virus A(H1N1) can occasionally affect humans,  swine flu has been in the world before.  “Swine” flu is a name given to a number of influenza viruses that pigs can become infected with.

The last known outbreak amongst humans of “swine flu” in recent history, occurred at Fort Dix, N.J. in 1976.  At that time, over 200 people became infected with the disease.  However, only 13 were hospitalized and one person eventually died. As such, this occurance did not cause a world wide concern and the outbreak did not spread beyond the area.

In the 1976 outbreak, the Federal Government’s actions, and those taken by public health agencies both here and around the world, resulted in a swift handling of the outbreak.  An effective vaccine was swiftly developed and quickly placed into the hands of local doctors and clinics. Sadly, thousands of people developed serious side effects to this vaccine.  In this case the cure was worse than the illness, and the use of that vaccine has been discontinued.

At this time there appears to be a fairly small outbreak of swine flu in California and Texas. This particular virus has been given the designation of H1N1, the same designation as the Spanish flu, but its genetic characteristics are primarily from the swine version of the virus and not the human one.

As opposed to the 1976 outbreak, none of the current patients appear to have had any contact with pigs. The family relationships among several of the patients strongly suggests that this strain is the result of human to human transmission of this particular strain of the disease.

Fortunately, the current strain of the virus has shown in testing that it is not resistant to the anti-viral drugs oseltamivir and zanamavir.  As such, it is best to use normal well known precautions as suggested by health care providers. Patients feeling ill are urged to stay home from work or school and follow standard influenza care recommendations.

The most critical difference is that people die from the flu, 36,000 cases in the United States alone in 2008. People do not die from the common cold. The flu can result in pneumonia, respiratory failure and death.

The Swine Flu (H1N1) is a combination of 4 different kinds of flu, a human strain, 2 swine strains and an avian strain. It is a new type of influenza and as of yet there has been no vaccine developed. If you have been vaccinated against the flu it won’t help against the Swine Flu. Each virus strain requires its own vaccine to be developed to be effective. Scientists say they are about 100 days away from developing a vaccine against the Swine Flu ((H1N1).

Colds usually last about a week. A case of the flu can last from 2 days to 10 days depending on the variety of flu. The most dangerous influenza virus is the avian flu as it has a fatality rate of over 50%. The most devastating flu epidemic was in 1917-1920, the Spanish Flu which killed from 20 to 50 million people worldwide.