You were right the first time. To prevent dehydration (or to hydrate).

I'm not going to get into a discussion about when to take your child to the doctor, because that is up to each parent. I don't feel it necessary after even a week unless they show signs of dehydration, lethargy, or difficulty breathing, but I'm more about natural remedies if at all possible and as little medication as possible anyway. And as I said, my kids have been minimally medicated and have been minimally sick (haven't had a flu in a child in this home for seven years, haven't had a hard cold for five, haven't had an ear infection ever...no wait, an ear infection once, got rid of it WITHOUT medication, and it's been about 11 years and they haven't had one since), so my personal experience which determined my decision is different than yours. And it's all fine and good.

In regards to this particular boy, though, we don't know what the situation was. They were visiting from Mexico, that much we do know. Do we know if they were migrant workers? Do we know if they had money? My guess is they are poor and didn't have money or insurance. And those are the people who will probably be hit the hardest...those with no means for medical intervention due to lack of money or insurance.

I think there's more to the story about the toddler. I heard one report say that she was from Mexico originally, and had travelled to the US for medical treatment. Which suggested to me she must have had a pretty serious underlying medical condition (perhaps some sore of heart disorder) to start with. Obviously the people at risk of actually dying from this are the ones with pre-exiting conditions, and the elderly. But the exact same goes for regular flu, which does kill thousands of people every year.

There are two different children, which is what got confusing in this one. There was a toddler girl who was from Texas who got it while in Mexico with her family, and there is a boy who was from Mexico and was visiting Texas with his family.

The toddler girl had RSV.

Yeah, the report I read about the boy said that there were details about his health that they weren't releasing. I think there was something else going on too.

Exactly. People are overreacting about this because we don't hear it in the news about how many people die from regular flu.

The media is hyping it up unneccessarily. Sure, it's a concern, but not near as bad of one as it is being made out to be. And if people would have been eating right and taking care of themselves they wouldn't have to be so worried about it.

Every year, about 36000 people die from (regular) influenza. 36000 people in four months. 9000 people a month for the duration of flu season.

For the Swine Flu, not everyone who has died from flu symptoms has been confirmed to have had swine flu, so for all we know some of those people could have died from simply having the regular yearly influenza. Even IF all of the deaths are confirmed to have had swine flu, it still has not reach the proportions the regular influenza reaches every season. Until then, why be more afraid of it than we are of the typical flu?

Exactly what I was going to say.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Oh well said! *Clappity clap*

I think everyone is going over the top with it. Did you see the place in Mexico where it broke out, it had no proper sanitation so no wonder people died, its a shame that they dont have the right amount of sanitation etc but anyone who is clean and healthy shouldn't worry about this 24/7. At the end of the day if you get it, you get it and if you dont, you dont. There isnt THAT much you can do other than lock yourself away for 6 months.

A 23 week old baby boy died here in Colorado from it.

According to news reports, it has not been confirmed as swine flu just yet.

Not to the media it hasnt but to hospital staff it has.

That's very sad. I'm sorry for that family.

I can't find anything of the 23 week old baby boy in Colorado, but the news says the child in Texas was 23 months.

I agree with Autumn. If your child shows any symptoms of illness, you take them to the doctor, regardless. You can't wait to see if an illness works itself out of a child's body, because their immune system and anti-bodies aren't as developed as ours.

In any event, now that we're all informed (and while it's sad that so many people have died from this) we now know to high-tail it to the doctor at the first sign of illness.

My children have made it to 8 and 11 years without me taking them to the doctor at the slightest sign of a problem. They've been given far fewer drugs than most because of it, and as a result get sick less often and to less of a degree than those who get taken to the doctor at the slightest showing of any symptoms.

And with this "pandemic," going on now, would you take your children to the doctor, or shove Vitamin C down their throats & hope for the best?

AS I SAID, three weeks ago no one knew there was this bug going around. And take a look at the stats I posted below. Swine Flu is hardly a pandemic. And if it is, then your regular yearly influenza is more so, and yet no one is shitting bricks because of IT.

It's not a pandemic. There's the possibility of it becoming a pandemic, but then there's always that possibility with any type of flu.

I agree. The flu doesn't necessarily require a visit to the doctor... in fact it's better to stay at home and not spread the virus around (since even ordinary flu can be deadly in someone who's got other health problems or who is elderly). Obviously if a very young child shows worrying signs like drowsiness or difficulty breathing, they should see a doctor... but flu like symptoms (coughs, sniffles, malaise, aching joints) should not always promt an immediate trip to the doctor.

You also make a good point about getting fewer drugs. My mum is a nurse, so she would only take us to a doctor as children if something was really wrong, and I don't think I ever once had antibiotics as a child. These days GPs are handing antibiotics out left, right and centre! My friend's 8 month old just got given antibiotics by their GP for what very much sounds viral (sniffly nose, cough etc). It's insane, because it just contributes to antibiotic resistance. MRSA isn't a result of 'dirty hospitals'... it's a result of innappropriate use of antibiotics (although poor hygeine within hospitals can spread it between patients).

"It's insane, because it just contributes to antibiotic resistance. MRSA isn't a result of 'dirty hospitals'... it's a result of innappropriate use of antibiotics (although poor hygeine within hospitals can spread it between patients)."

I couldn't agree more! People blame hospitals for MRSA (which obviously CAN be related to poor hygiene within the hospital), but PCP's throwing around antibiotics like it's nothing doesn't help it at all!

I agree too. My mom is a supervisor of cleaners at a hospital and she gets so angry when she sees the news blaming it on the housekeepers!

I never had antibiotics as a child either. I'd get the occasional cold but never went to the doctor for it. My immune system is fairly good nowadays.

I never went either. And , to this day, I never get sick. I've gotten sick twice in the last 6 years, and I am not kidding. And both times, I threw up, went to work and it was over by the end of the work day.