Could you tell me the symptoms of flu in babies?

If you or someone you know has a baby that may be sick, it is very important to take the baby for medical assessment.

The symptoms of the flu include:

• fever,
• lethargy (lack of energy),
• lack of appetite, and
• coughing.

Some people with flu from seasons past have also reported:

• runny nose,
• sore throat,
• nausea,
• vomiting, and
• diarrhea.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return with fever and worse cough

The flu can vary in severity from mild to severe. Severe disease with pneumonia (a lung infection), respiratory failure, and even death is possible with flu infection. Certain groups might be more likely to develop a severe illness from flu infection, including children younger than 5 years old. Sometimes bacterial infections may occur at the same time as or after infection with flu viruses and lead to pneumonias, ear infections, or sinus infections.

Also, persons with a flu virus infection should be considered potentially contagious (able to spread disease) for up to 7 days after illness onset. Persons who continue to be ill longer than 7 days should be considered potentially contagious until symptoms have resolved. Children, especially younger children, might be contagious for longer periods. People who are sick should stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®). Read detailed information about how long to stay away from others.

Last Reviewed: 09/01/2011

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  • Children