How to Treat Flu in Babies At Home
Sometimes over-the-counter baby flu medicine is used as a practical solution to stop the baby's flu. But the fact is that giving flu medicine to babies under the age of 2 years is not recommended because it can cause serious side effects. Then how to treat it? Well, in this discussion we will share about how to treat flu in babies at home.
A baby can catch the flu if he is close to someone who is infected with the virus that causes the flu or touches objects that are contaminated with the virus that causes the flu. In the first year of life, babies can experience the flu 6-8 times. This can happen because the immune system has not been formed properly so that babies are easily exposed to the influenza virus that causes flu.
Influenza virus infection that causes the baby to catch the flu can actually get better on its own within 5-7 days. So baby flu medicine is not always needed if it is not recommended by a doctor.
How to Treat Flu in Babies At Home
For parents whose babies catch the flu, the following are some actions that need to be taken.
1. Give drinks to prevent dehydration
Regardless of the age of your baby, it is important to maintain the baby's body fluids. If your baby is less than 4 months old, then only breast milk or formula is given, not other fluids.
If your baby is 4 months old or more, then in addition to breast milk you can give a little water. Then if your baby is more than 6 months old, it is okay to give juice diluted with water.
2. Make your baby feel comfortable
So that the baby's breathing can be better during the flu, try to make your baby sleep with his head slightly elevated. However, do not position the baby's head too high because it will risk disturbing the baby's breathing.
In addition, so that your baby can sleep and rest more comfortably, you can give a gentle massage or play slow music.
3. Make warm steam in the room
To relieve flu in babies, you can make warm steam in the room. This is done so that the baby with the flu can breathe in the warm vapors that fill the room and make it easier for him to breathe. How to make the steam is to place warm water into a basin. But you need to be careful not to put the basin of warm water too close to the baby, because it is dangerous if it hits the baby.
4. Maintain cleanliness and air quality
To maintain humidity and air quality in the room, you can use a humidifier. That way, your baby can rest comfortably while preventing the symptoms from getting worse. In addition, do not smoke and do not use air freshener in the house.
The method above is not only for babies, but also how to treat flu in toddlers at home. Also read articles about: How to Protect Baby from Cold and Flu.
Although flu medicine for babies is not recommended for consumption, you can still give flu medicine for babies. However, give medicine only according to the doctor's prescription. In addition, you should also contact the doctor if your baby has a fever with a temperature above 30 degrees Celsius.
Thus an explanation of how to treat flu in babies at home, hopefully what I share in this article can be useful for you.
