Medically Fragile Children and the Flu Season

It’s Never “Just a Cold” for Us

It’s December, and we are in the midst of cold and flu season. Technically, colds can appear any time during the year, but in the United States, flu season begins around October and can last until late spring. For those families that have medically fragile children, this can be an extremely stressful time.

Our youngest son, Chance, has chronic lung disease. He has been hospitalized several times for respiratory issues that have started with a simple cold. Most people don’t think colds are a big deal, but in our house, it means we go on high alert watching for fevers, monitoring oxygen levels at night, and staying alert for any signs of respiratory distress.

We take all the precautions: handwashing, having our kids change their clothes when they get home from school and running air purifiers. We also take more holistic approaches, such as cutting back on sugar and diffusing essential oils. Although prevention is typically the key to keeping colds and flu at bay, no amount of handwashing will change the fact that Chance’s compromised lungs can’t handle illness well. He will always be more susceptible to respiratory illnesses; this is our reality.

While we can’t keep Chance in a bubble, we can spread awareness on how to support those of us who have medically fragile kids during the peak of the cold and flu season. The most important thing you can do is to keep your child home when they are sick. A fever of 100.4, vomiting, diarrhea, or non-stop coughing are the usual protocol for staying home. Sometimes it’s a tough call for parents on whether or not to keep their child home. If you are unsure whether or not to send your child to school or daycare, it’s best to call your doctor. Most practices have a triage nurse who can help.

Another danger of cold and flu season is the Respiratory Syncytial Virus. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious for babies, especially preemies. The risk is also high for medically fragile children because they are prone to the virus well beyond infancy. Chance spent over a week at the UC Davis Medical Center on a ventilator when he was two and a half years old after he contracted RSV. For more information on RSV, please visit the CDC’s website.

We wish all our readers a happy and healthy holiday season!

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