Newborn and Worried About the Risk of Swine Flu for the Baby

First, don't panic. My kids have been made scared by the media and their classmates. I just remind them that the best way to protect themselves is to continuously wash their hands and use a tissue for coughing or sneezing. Just be diligent as you should be anyway. If someone is coughing or sneezing, even with a regular cold, you wouldn't take the baby by them. We go to the park, they play with their friends and I watch and listen. Have fun but be cautious as you would be for the baby even without any flu going around.

If you are breastfeeding, then you should have nothing to worry about. The antibodies and good bacteria aka probiotics in the breastmilk will keep the baby protected from most illnesses (including the swine flu). There is a big push from the public health departments to encourage all moms to breastfeed for at least the first three months during the swine flu outbreak.

If you are not, then you can add some probiotics to the formula. Florababy by Renew Life and can be purchased at www.smartbomb.com I b-fed and added the probiotics to her pumped milk during flu season last year. The same probiotics can be given to any child under the age of 4. Also, if you are breastfeeding, make sure you are getting enough Vitmamin D3, you can purchase drops from Whole Foods. I give them to my entire family to boost their immune systems.

And I wrote a little something on my family health column about the swine flu.

http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...

It is a two part article, you can go back and read the first part and the article about probiotics.

Happy Mother's Day.
J. W. MPH
Chicago Examiner Family Health Expert
Maternal and Child Wellness Educator

Hi A.!

I understand your concern especially after seeing all the scary things the media has been feeding us for a few weeks now! I will say it is normal to be worried like you are but do not obsess over this. Like others have posted... the regular flu is probably just as dangerous if not more so!

I was just at the Dr the other day with the flu. I have had my symptoms for about a week now and when it ended up in my chest I just could not take it anymore... I had a fever of 103, sore throat, aches like I have never had before etc... typical flu symptoms. The cough and pressure in my chest were the final straw.

The Dr asked me if I had any concern over having the Swine Flu... I said no more than the rest of the world and laughed. He then asked me, shocked me I had an option, if I would like to be tested for it. I said no. I am sure I would not have had the option of making the choice though if I would have waited this out to turn to pneumonia or have been around others or had a high chance of for sure having it though. I have not been to Mexico, I have not been knowingly exposed to anyone who has it etc... We both agreed that it would make no difference in the treatment of what I had by defining it with a name. Just like the regular flu your body needs to learn to fight it on its own.

I believe Illinois is also now doing thier own testing and that is why our results are higher than most states. I am not 100% sure on that but I do recall reading it somewhere! By testing it ourselves we get the results faster than having the CDC test them and confirm.

Also, the treatment of it... the Tamiflu and I forget the name of the other which are most common is only being given to those who have the most severe cases of the flu- just like regular flu. It is not a cure for it but takes off about 1 day of the effects of the flu and that is only if you catch it within the first day or so. Your more common treatments are to treat the symptoms you have.

I am now on an antibiotic since it turned into a respiratory infection. I am also taking Delsym and Codiene at night to stop the cough so I can sleep. Tylenol and Motrin for the fever. A light/bland diet for the nausea. Treating all the symptoms seperately is what we are doing since there is no cure.

Make sure you and your family are being careful about washing your hands, not touching your face.... all the things the other Mamas have said. I use Wet Ones to wipe down the cart if she is going to be sitting in it and I use a diaper wipe then a non- alcohol sanitizer (she is allergic to alcohol) on my daughters hands when we get done with shopping, play groups, reading time, etc (she is a thumb sucker).

I also give her Zinc and Echinacea since I am sick to help boost her immune system and anytime we are exposed to illness or in the hospital etc... she has never had a cold or the flu yet and she is almost 3. I allow all her friends and her therapists to come over while they are sick, she plays in playlands and is exposed to lots of snotty nosed kids. She has run around the hospital too many times to count while having an allergic reaction or her big brother being there a couple of times and in ICU with extremely sick patients. The biggest thing is to build up an immunity to whatever you can.

Her Dr pointed out to me when I had her that by not exposing her to germs and other yuckies that I am setting her up to be more sick when she starts school. I do have a problem with shopping carts so I still clean those- I can be obsessive! lol Everything else though- I would love to protect her from it all but her body needs to do the job it is made to do... I just allow it to do so with caution!

So, with all that being said.... be cautious and concerned but do not obsess! It will not get you anywhere! I hope hearing from everyone has helped you and put some of your fears to rest!

Blessings to you and yours!

The regular flu is a far greater risk and concern than Swine flu. They hype over swine flu is due to the theoretical effects it could have that have not been realized.

If you are breastfeeding your baby should be pretty well protected. This is a fact, not pro-breastfeeding propaganda as some would want you to believe. If you are exposed to the swine flu or become ill with it your body will begin to mount an immune system response. Those cells will be passed on to your baby, preventing the baby from getting sick or preventing a more serious illness if your baby does get sick. That said, my kids were all three formula fed and have never had the flu.

I am very leery of han sanitizers as I believe they are probably creating resistant bacteria and viruses that will begin to cause problems (like MRSA). Handwashing is actually superior to hand sanitizers in getting the hands clean anyway.

Try carrying the baby in a sling when you are out- this prevents people from touching as they won't invade your personal space to get to the baby (most of the time). For those who try to touch just say you are worried about the swine flu- at least it's an excellent excuse for those who don't have enough sense not to touch a stranger's baby.

Take a deep breath and hang in there. Swine flu isn't as bad as they thought it would be. You're far more likely to catch the regular flu. With a little one, I'd definitely always avoid anyone who appears to be sick and make sure everyone washes their hands before holding her. Bring some antibacterial wipes to use on shopping carts if you want and keep some sanitizer for yourself if you're concerned you'll touch something and pass it onto your kids. Your three year-old should be washing her hands regularly; try to teach her not touch her face.

The media has turned this into more then it ever should be. Nobody needs to be hiding in their home over this. Wash your hands often. Use common sense when you are out. 36,000 people die in this country every single year from the regular flu. You never hear about each one of those cases like the stupid media did with this Swine Flu. Turn off the news - it may make you feel better if you don't have to constantly listen to the media tell you how this is going to be the end of the world.
I also had to make a comment about another post. I don't mean to offend, but if you are not breastfeeding, you have no bigger risk of your baby catching something (swine flu, a cold, whatever) then if you are using formula. I am so sick of hearing that your baby builds up this fantastic immune system when you breast feed. I formula fed both of my kids and they have been sick A LOT LESS then my friends children who breast fed. My son never even had a doctor sick visit until he was almost 3 years old. My 1 year old has had ONE cold. So, if you are formula feeding, take that kind of advice with a grain of salt (as they say).

Wash your and your children's hands consistently. When there's no sink around, make sure you have a stash of hand sanitizer. My one-and-a-half-year old already knows what to do with hand sanitizer (I'm not a germaphobe, I swear!). Keep those little mittens on your newborn. Everyone, including strangers, always seem to grab babies' hands, so keep your little one's hands covered. You should be fine going about your regular routine :D

Hi A.. I know the Swine Flu can be a scary thing, but I do think you are being a bit paranoid. I have a 3 year old and 4 week old myself, and we are continuing to live our normal lives. Now, that doesn't mean I will be taking my kids on the L anytime soon or bringing them on a plane, but I feel like that is standard protocol for a newborn anyway.

IL may have the most confirmed cases, but keep a few things in mind. #1, the media loves to overblow this stuff. It is the same concept as "sex sells". These types of stories get people's attention. #2, far more people die each year from the regular flu, approximately 36,000. #3, the key word is "confirmed". Keep in mind, this is a statistic, and statistics can be manipulated. Most likely, border states will have the most number of actual cases.

My advice to you is to go about your daily life and don't let the media work you into a frenzy. Be cautious, of course...as you would for your newborn anyway. Wash your hands a lot, don't let strangers get too close to your baby, and keep your kids out of confined spaces. And if either of your children get a fever, have them checked out right away to rule out the Swine Flu. The key with this disease is early diagnosis. But enjoy activities and by all means, get out of the house! Staying cooped up after a long winter isn't healthy for anybody.

Best of luck! And enjoy the spring : )

Don't panic, it's an over-rated disease and not any more deadly/catching than the regular flu.
We have immune systems for this. Wash your hands, definitely KEEP EXPOSING your children to other children and people to help build their "learning" immune systems, and do NOT use a bunch of hand cleanser (Purell, lysol, etc).
Staying in general strong health, going to the doctor/calling when you seem ill, and getting enough sleep are the best ways to take care of yourself and your family.
And yup, breastfeeding is a great buffer system for the youngest one.