Respiratory infections in children

Acute respiratory diseases are the most frequent cause of consultation in the early years of childhood. They are of great importance due to their easy transmission and their clinical involvement in infants and young children.

RSV and influenza illness can be severe in children younger than 2 years. The presence of fatigue or whining in children under one year of age should alert them to serious illness.

For the care of Acute Respiratory Infections it is recommended:

• To adopt preventive measures and the control of serious cases (opportune consultation)
• Ensure high vaccination coverage in high-risk groups (vaccination of children between 6 months and 5 years and all those with risk factors)
• Proper clinical management, which is offered at home, at the emergency service and and when the patient is hospitalized

1. HYGIENIC MEASURES

• Wash your hands before having contact with infants and underage children, after coughing or sneezing.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue, or into the crook of your elbow.
• Discard the used tissue in an appropriate place.
• Use hand sanitizer frequently.
• Thoroughly clean commonly used toys, and avoid using those that have been touched by other sick children.
• Wash bottles well.
• Ventilate rooms daily.

 

2. AVOID CONTAGIOUS ENVIRONMENTS

• Avoid contact with people who have respiratory diseases.
• Avoid kindergardens, public crowds, children's parties, closed environments.
• Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.
• Stay away from the baby if the baby has respiratory symptoms such as cold, cough or fever, or wear a face mask.
• It is recommended that children with acute respiratory infections don´t attend kindergardens or schools, as well as prevent them from infecting people at risk of suffering serious illnesses (people over 65 years of age, people with chronic heart, kidney or lung disease, immunosuppressed)
• Avoid preschool siblings attending kindergarden during the period of maximum viral circulation.

 

3. VACCINES AND TREATMENTS

Whooping cough

• To prevent whooping cough there is a vaccine that is administered repeatedly from 2 months of life to 12 years of age.
• Pregnant women after 28 weeks of pregnancy should receive the vaccine that protects against whooping cough (DPaT included in the triple bacterial with acellular pertussis).

 

RESPIRATORY SYNCITIAL VIRUS (RSV)

To protect against RSV (humanized monoclonal antibodies) Medication is available, which is indicated only for high-risk infants (severe premature infants, complex congenital heart disease, pulmonary bronchodysplasia) in order to reduce the possibility of severe illness and manages to increase defenses against the virus.

 

FLU VIRUS

• It is recommended to vaccin children from 6 months of age to 5 years.
• It is recommended to vaccin children, adolescents and adults living with or caring for infants under 6 months of age who, due to their young age, cannot receive the flu vaccin.
• All pregnant women, regardless of their gestational age.
• All puerperal women up to 6 months after delivery.

 

SARS-COV-2 VIRUSES

Vaccination against Covid-19 is recommended both for pregnant women at any time of pregnancy and for lactating mothers. Vaccination is also recommended for those children over 5 years of age and adults who live with young children, as well as their caregivers.