Baby gets the flu, influenza A then influenza B

So January was a tough month for sickness in our house, as baby got the flu twice and at least one ear infection.  We thought that we would be good for a little while after he got the flu the first time, but almost immediately after he was sick again.

The flu comes in many different varieties, and each year they choose what they think will be the prevalent flu strain and develop the vaccine to fight that flu.  They spend the year incubating their vaccine and producing enough for the population.  If they choose the wrong flu, and another such as bird flu or swine flu hits instead, the vaccine will be ineffective.  The same concept applies to many colds.  Once you've had it your body still has the antibodies to fight that cold for some time after it's gone; you can't get the same cold twice in a row.

Our baby didn't get the same cold twice in a row.  He got influence B, then influenza A.  My wife took him to the doctor on a Friday for his amoxicillin rash, then on Monday she took him again and he was diagnosed with the flu.  His temperature was a little high leading up to his trip to the doctor's, but our pediatrician's office doesn't even want to see him unless his temperature reaches 101°.

It's a bit scary when your infant is diagnosed with the flu, because the reason I always cite for not getting a flu shot is that only the elderly, babies, and people with compromised immune systems really have complications when they get the flu.

We ended up taking him to the hospital when his temperature went up to 104°.  I guess I always thought that was when the temperature begins to effect the brain, and we weren't taking any chances.  We were only giving him acetaminophen (Tylenol) and didn't know that you can use ibuprofen as well.  From hearing my coworkers talk about putting babies in ice baths and other drastic measures to get their temperature down I wasn't sure what to do.  It was cold outside, but we couldn't just take him without a jacket.  I wet a towel and put it on his head, we bundled him up as usual, and were off to the hospital.

By the time we were there his temp was down to 102.5° or so, and after we were seen by the triage doctor it was time to wait.  In the ER they determine how critical your condition is and assign a priority accordingly.  The triage doc told us he can take ibuprofen at the same time as acetaminophen, so they gave him some and his fever went right down to a safe level.  A baby with a slight fever is low priority, and we ended up spending more than three hours there.  When the doctor did come to see us, she asked us why we were really there.  Those were her exact words, "why are you really here?"  We told her we thought 104° was a dangerous temperature, and she told us some higher temp is really okay; she seemed to think we panicked for nothing.  I don't even remember at what temperature she said to bring them in, because I think if his temp gets to 104° again we'll probably take him to the hospital again in spite of what she said.

Baby's first head cold

At the end of our Thanksgiving trip baby began to show symptoms of a head cold.  It's inevitable; eventually was going to get sick.  We visited my wife's family for Thanksgiving and not only was he exposed to lots of people, but lots of people from different areas.  We traveled to New Jersey, people came from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and any time you travel you're exposed to different germs.  A few relatives were in various stages of being sick, so it really was inevitable.

The morning before we left the in-laws he woke up earlier than usual, but during the whole trip his schedule was a little off anyway so we didn't think much of it.  Throughout the day it seemed like he was sniffling a little, but he was enjoying all the attention he got from his grandparents, aunts, and uncles so much that he was in fine humor.  Naps were a bit short, but again, he was in a strange environment so we didn't think much of it.  

The day we drove home probably messed with his schedule and wore him out even more.  Driving for four hours (perhaps more) through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island isn't fun for anyone.  Driving four hours with a baby makes things even more complicated.  We used to stop along the way to give him a bottle and a chance to stretch, but this trip we decided to just push through and be  done with it.  On the way down we left about an hour before his bedtime so he would be awake for a while at least.  I know I get stiff when I'm sitting in the same position for too long so I'm sure the same is true for a baby.

We took his temperature that night, and there was some debate as to where to do it.  He's 8 months old now and can move himself around pretty well, flipping himself over when he's on the changing table, kicking, and pulling away when we're trying to get him dressed.  We've never had any success taking his temperature under his arm, and the pediatrician always does it rectally, so that's how we've done it.  I don't think it would have been possible to do it if my wife and I hadn't done it together.

His temperature was 99.1°, which falls well below the 101° threshold when we would give him tylenol.  A nurse from the pediatrician's office told me several symptoms to watch for in which case we would then need to bring him in.  If he develops any of these symptoms we should call again: a fever, a cough, a wheeze, loss of appetite, or if he is continuously crying and inconsolable.  She advised we use a cold mist humidifier, keep him upright as much as possible, and use the bulb syringe in his nose to remove mucus.

It's been four days now and his mood is greatly improved, although his nose is still running all the time. He had interrupted sleep the first night we were home, and more short than full length naps.  He's required almost all my attention, which was something else the nurse told me.  She said babies need lots of attention when they're sick "just like adults do," or something to that effect.  That made me laugh because it's pretty true.