Beware Of These Five Signs, Children Need To Go To A Doctor Immediately When Affected By Influencenza

JAKARTA - Flu or influenza in children is often considered light and can recover by rest and adequate nutritional intake. However, there are times when this disease can develop more seriously and requires immediate medical treatment.

Parents need to be aware of a number of danger signs that indicate that their child should be taken to a doctor or hospital so that there are no complications.

Pediatrician who graduated from the University of Indonesia, dr. Mesty Ariotedjo, Sp.A, MPH, explained that there are five important signs that parents must pay attention to when their children are infected with influenza.

"First, when you need to eat, you don't get enough sleep, and drink it is also far from daily necessities. It already needs to be taken to a doctor," said Messty in a webinar that was followed in Jakarta, Tuesday (...).

He added, as long as the child is treated at home, it is important for parents to ensure adequate rest and balanced nutritional intake, accompanied by a fever reduction drug as recommended by the doctor. If basic things such as sleep, eating, and drinking are not fulfilled, the child's condition can decrease and require medical intervention so that it does not get worse.

The second danger sign, continued Mesty, is difficulty breathing, which can be recognized from the nasal movement that appears to develop when the child is breathing.

From his nose, it usually looks like limpness, then checked against his neck and chest. If we see that there is a pull in the convex part of the neck, usually there is difficulty breathing. Don't wait until there is a drag on the chest. Usually with that, you can be immediately taken to the hospital," he explained.

The third danger sign is oxygen saturation below 95 percent. According to Mesty, parents can check it using an oximeter, a simple tool that is now easy to find in health stores.

Furthermore, the fourth sign is high fever reaching 3940 degrees Celsius which has not improved even though the child has been given a hot reduction drug. This condition can indicate a more serious infection and requires a doctor's evaluation.

Finally, Mesty emphasized that parental instincts also have an important role. If there is concern about the condition of the child, you should immediately take him to a health facility to determine the cause.

"Because there are no more precise instincts than parental instincts," said Messty.

He also reminded influenza often increases at the turn of the season from dry to rainy, especially during extreme weather. Children are a vulnerable group because their immune system is not as strong as adults.

Some of the common symptoms of flu in children include high fever, dry cough, runny nose, muscle aches, and excessive fatigue. Mesty appealed to parents not to underestimate the symptoms of the flu that looked mild, especially if it was accompanied by one of the above signs of danger. Handling quickly can prevent complications and help children recover better.