Children's flu (short for "influenza") is the same virus as the grown-up variety, but the flu doesn't affect babies and toddlers in the same way as it does adults.
This contagious and common viral infection of the throat, nose and lungs usually rears its ugly head between the months of October and April or even as late as May.
The difference is that any child under 5 is considered high risk because young kids are more likely to experience complications from the flu, including pneumonia, than healthy adults.[1]
So if you suspect your little one might have the flu, call your doctor right away to get a firm diagnosis and have your child examined.
Flu symptoms in babies and toddlers
Common symptoms of the flu in babies and toddlers include:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle aches and pains
- Headache
- Exhaustion
- Chills
- Loss of appetite
- Dizziness
- Occasionally nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
Keep in mind that some of these symptoms mirror those of COVID-19. If your child is sick with any flu-like symptoms, your pediatrician will probably ask that she get tested for COVID-19 to rule it out as well as the flu if the COVID test comes back negative.
What causes the flu in kids?
The culprit behind the flu in babies and toddlers is the influenza virus, of which there are multiple strains that circulate around the world every year.
Your child can catch the flu by coming into contact with an infected person, especially if that sick someone sneezes or coughs on her.[2]
It's also possible for your baby or toddler to get sick with the flu by touching something (a toy, a sippy cup) that an infected person has touched and then touching her own mouth, nose or eyes.
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How long does it take for flu symptoms to appear in babies and toddlers?
A child (or an adult) will typically show symptoms of the flu one to four days after being infected with the virus.
How long does the flu last in kids?
If your baby or toddler comes down with the flu, symptoms usually last about a week but can linger for up to two weeks. The associated cough can sometimes last up to four weeks.
What's the difference between the flu and the stomach flu?
Don't confuse influenza with the stomach flu (aka gastroenteritis). That's caused by a variety of other viruses that don't include influenza and leads to severe diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes with fever.
Though influenza can come with vomiting, nausea and diarrhea, there are other symptoms like body aches, fever, chills, sore throat and congestion or cough that don't accompany stomach viruses. Plus gastroenteritis usually goes away much faster.
How long is your baby or toddler contagious with the flu?
If someone has the flu, she can be contagious a day before symptoms appear and can continue to spread the disease five to seven days after the first day of symptoms.
But babies, toddlers and older children can be infectious for even longer, so err on the side of caution when exposing your little one to someone who is getting over the flu.
Treatments for the flu in babies and toddlers
First and foremost, get your child in to see the pediatrician to diagnose and treat the flu. At home, your focus will be making sure your baby or toddler is comfortable and getting her the care needed to recover.
Your doctor will probably suggest the following flu treatments (but again, talk to the pediatrician to get the medical advice you and your child need):
- Rest. Help your little one get plenty of R&R by letting her nap as often as possible and encouraging lots of quiet activities during the day.
- Fluids. Offer lots of fluids to prevent dehydration from fever and loss of appetite. You can continue to nurse and bottle-feed your baby; if she's eating solids, try giving her a bit of applesauce or broth. You can give your toddler popsicles too.
- Pain relievers. Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce the fever (if there is one) and alleviate body aches according to your doctor's recommendation and the label. Don't give acetaminophen to babies under 3 months old or ibuprofen to babies younger than 6 months old, and never give babies or toddlers aspirin. Be sure to ask your pediatrician before giving acetaminophen or any OTC pain reliever to all babies and toddlers under 2 years old.
- Antiviral medications. Your doctor may prescribe a safe influenza antiviral medication for your baby or toddler that can shorten the duration of the virus, make symptoms milder and prevent complications of the flu, but these medications must be given within the first 48 hours of symptoms starting. Some pediatricians advise against antivirals for children because while they can be effective, they can have severe side effects, ranging from mild (nausea or diarrhea) to more severe (vomiting and hallucinations). You and your practitioner should discuss the risks and benefits of these medications for your child.
A few other tips in terms of what to do about the flu in your baby or toddler:
- Use layers. Since the flu often makes you feel alternately hot and then chilled, you might want to dress your child in layers that you can remove — or add — when needed.
- Try a bulb syringe. You might want to use a few saline nose drops followed by a rubber suction bulb (which you find in a pharmacy's baby aisle) to clear clogged mucus, especially if the nasal congestion is preventing your child from resting, eating or staying comfortable.
- Run a cool-mist humidifier. Using one, especially at night, can also help with congestion. (Avoid a hot-water vaporizer, which can potentially burn your little one if she touches it.)
- Take care with meds. Never give babies and young toddlers any over-the-counter children's cold and flu medications, as they don't help and can be harmful. Always check in with your doctor about what you can do to help your child recover from the flu.
How to prevent the flu in babies and toddlers
During pregnancy, shielding a growing baby from flu germs is easy. Snug and safely sealed off in that cozy uterine cocoon, yet-to-be-born babies are protected from coldsand flu, even if you're not. But can you prevent your little one from catching the flu after birth?
Protecting your newborn
Once your baby's outside the womb, she becomes vulnerable to the flu virus. And due to her brand new, still-untested immune system, she's especially vulnerable to serious complications.
Since babies younger than 6 months are not old enough to get the flu vaccine, experts recommend that all other family members, including your baby's caregiver(s), get vaccinated.
Pregnant moms also need the flu shot to protect not only themselves but their unborn babies until they're old enough to be vaccinated themselves. If you opt to breastfeed, your baby may get some of your protective antibodies through your breast milk.
You'll also want to make sure you and everyone your baby comes in contact with washes their hands often. While you're on the go, carry alcohol-based hand-sanitizing gel or wipes for those occasions when you're caught with messy mitts and no sink in sight.
You should also try to do everything you can to keep your own immune system strong by eating a healthy diet (no skipping meals), getting plenty of rest and making sure you fit fitness into your busy life.
Protecting your baby after 6 months
Doctors recommend the flu vaccine for all children ages 6 months old and up as the best defense against catching the virus. If your child has a chronic health condition like asthma or diabetes, it's especially important for her to get vaccinated because the flu is more likely to lead to complications in kids with other health issues.
Get your child vaccinated before or early in flu season, by October, if possible (but it's still not too late to get the vaccine later in the season).
Even if the dominant flu viruses that season turn out to be different from the strains the vaccine protects against, the vaccination can make flu symptoms milder. So no matter what, your child will have some level of protection.
Here are some other good ways to protect your baby or toddler from catching the flu:
- Wash your baby's hands regularly (and teach your toddler hand-washing basics).
- Steer clear of other sick kids and parents if possible to avoid illness. If you or your child do come into contact with people who are sick, a thorough hand-washing (and even a bath) as soon as possible afterwards is a good idea. So is washing all potentially contaminated clothes and wiping down toys, books and other household items with disinfectant.
- Make sure your child is getting plenty of rest and fluids during flu season, even when she's not sick.
- Use baby wipes and/or hand sanitizer in a pinch when washing up with soap and warm water isn't possible right away.
How to stop the flu from spreading
If your child does get sick with the flu, you're not only worried about her, but also everyone else in the house potentially getting sick too. Here's how to keep the rest of your household as healthy as possible if one of your little ones comes down with the flu:
Keep your child away from everyone else as much as you can
One sneeze or cough from someone with the flu can infect others within a six-foot radius, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So try to keep your little one away from everyone else as much as possible — in her own room or a designated "sick" room (and have her use a separate bathroom) if you can spare the space.
Wait until she's fever-free for at least 24 hours without a pain reliever and her coughing and sneezing have eased up before you let her come into closer contact with the rest of the family and go back to day care or school.
Contain the cough
Germs are nothing to sneeze — or cough — at during flu season. Your tiny patient can shower everyone around her with the respiratory droplets that carry the flu virus every time she sneezes or coughs.
To keep flu germs from spreading, remind her to sneeze and cough into a tissue — or if there isn't one close by, the inside of her elbow. Be sure to repeat those reminders as often as necessary.
Keep her clean
If she's able to get up, have her wash her hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (A quick suds-and-rinse won't do the trick; make sure she washes between her fingers.)
Is she stuck in bed or on the sofa? Keep child-safe wipes at her side and have her sanitize his hands with them after every tissue use and before she eats (or do it for her).
Stock up on tissues, and have your child toss each one after use instead of saving it for later — tissues that hang around can end up contaminating surfaces and spreading germs. Keeping a garbage can or bag nearby will help encourage speedy disposal of tissues (and germs). Empty the trash can or toss the bag out frequently too, and wash your hands right after.
Spray, wipe, wash, prevent
As much as you can, disinfect. Wipe down or spray the surfaces your little one touches, including door knobs, toilet flushers, faucets, phones and remote controls, with a disinfectant wipe or cleaning solution designed to kill germs and viruses. Make sure your child isn't sharing towels, toys, blankets, pillows, glasses, dishes, utensils and so on — and make sure everything she does use gets washed thoroughly before it goes back into circulation.
The good news as you go about your germ-fighting mission: It's not necessary to separate your little patient's dishes and glasses from your own when you run them through the dishwasher.
When to call the doctor
Whenever you suspect that your baby or toddler has caught the flu, call your doctor right away. And be sure to contact your pediatrician immediately if you notice the following troubling symptoms:
- If your baby is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, call the doctor immediately.[3] The flu can lead to serious complications, especially in young babies since they haven't had a chance to build up their immune systems yet. If your baby is between 3 months and 3 years old, call your doctor with any fever of more than 100.4 degrees F because your child will need to be tested for COVID-19 to rule that out. If her temperature reaches 101.5 degrees F or higher, you'll want your child to be checked even if she has tested negative for the coronavirus.
- Extreme irritability (e.g. your child doesn't even want to be held)
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Symptoms improve but then return worse than before (this could be a sign of pneumonia or another serious infection)
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color or lips
- Your child seems confused, is not interacting or waking up, or has seizures
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