COVID in Babies and Kids: Symptoms and Prevention

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Updated on February 17, 2022

It is important for parents and kids to have every possible safety precaution and understand all risks and symptoms related to COVID-19.

Aaron Milstone, M.D., M.H.S., a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children'due south Center and an infectious disease skillful at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, talks about COVID-xix symptoms in children, how to keep babies and kids safe, the risk infected children may pose to others, and an overview of MIS-C, an uncommon merely serious condition that may be related to exposure to the virus.

What should parents know about coronavirus variants in babies and children?

Coronavirus variants, including the very contagious omicron variant, continue to spread, especially in areas with low rates of community COVID-19 vaccination and among populations such as children under five who cannot yet be vaccinated.

For children likewise immature to be vaccinated (and adults who have non received coronavirus vaccines) it is important to follow proven COVID-19 precautions such as mask wearing when in public, indoor places to reduce the chance of becoming infected with the coronavirus.

"Indoor activities are riskier than outdoor activities, but risk tin exist reduced by masking, distancing, paw washing, and improved ventilation," Milstone says.
Parents and caregivers should sympathise that children infected with the coronavirus can develop complications requiring hospitalization, and can transmit the virus to others.

In rare cases, children infected with the coronavirus tin can develop a serious lung infection and get very ill with COVID-19, and deaths have occurred. That'south why it is important to use precautions and preclude infection in children also as adults.

Can newborns and babies get COVID-19?

It appears that women infected with the coronavirus can, in very rare cases, pass the disease to her baby. Infants tin can as well go infected shortly after being built-in. According to the U.Southward. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most newborns who test positive for the coronavirus take mild symptoms or none at all, and recover, but serious cases have occurred. Significant women should take extra precautions, including talking to your doctor about getting a COVID-19 vaccine, to avoid the coronavirus.

At that place is no evidence that the virus causing COVID-19 is nowadays in breast milk but because there is a possibility of spreading COVID-nineteen during breastfeeding through respiratory droplets, information technology is very important to follow safety guidelines. Acquire more about COVID and breastfeeding.

COVID symptoms in babies, toddlers and children?

Generally, COVID-19 symptoms in kids and babies are milder than those in adults, and some infected children may non take any signs of being ill at all.

COVID-nineteen symptoms for children and adults include:

  • Cough
  • Fever or chills
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste or odour
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • New fatigue
  • Nausea or airsickness
  • Congestion or runny nose

Some symptoms of COVID-19 and the influenza are shared and it may be difficult to determine which of either might be present.

"People with flu-similar symptoms should be careful nearly exposing other people and should get tested to encounter if they accept COVID," says Milstone. "Testing for influenza virus tin also be important, as bachelor medicines can help reduce symptoms in those with influenza."

Fever and cough are common COVID-xix symptoms in both adults and children; shortness of jiff is more probable to exist seen in adults. Children can have pneumonia, with or without obvious symptoms. They can also experience sore pharynx, excessive fatigue or diarrhea.

Nevertheless, serious illness in children with COVID-xix is possible, and parents should stay alarm if their child is diagnosed with, or shows signs of, the disease.

Children with COVID-19: When to Call 911

Parents or guardians should immediately seek urgent or emergency medical intendance if they notice these warning signs in a kid:

  • Difficulty breathing or catching his or her jiff
  • Disability to keep down whatsoever liquids
  • New confusion or inability to awaken
  • Blueish lips
illustration of a superhero punching a germ

Manus-washing and Coronavirus Prevention for Children

Mitt-washing — along with limiting exposure to people who are (or might be) sick with COVID-xix — is key to keeping your children healthy. Our practiced shares how to properly wash hands and brand it fun for the whole family unit.

Adventure Factors for Serious COVID-nineteen in Children

Data from the CDC report indicate that some children may exist at a higher hazard for a serious instance of COVID-19, needing medical intendance in a hospital:

  • Those nether historic period ii
  • Black and Latino children, who can be affected by health disparities, leaving them disproportionately vulnerable to astringent COVID-nineteen complications
  • Children who were born prematurely
  • Those living with obesity or chronic lung disease

If you think your child is sick with COVID-19, trust your instinct, especially if the kid has a cough or fever. Contact your pediatrician, family intendance practitioner or urgent care clinic if you don't have a doctor, and follow their instructions carefully regarding isolation and testing.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

Doctors have noted that some children may experience a condition chosen multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C after an infection with the coronavirus.

Call your family dr. or pediatrician correct away if your child experiences a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or more than that lasts more than than 24 hours and at least one of these symptoms:

  • Unusual weakness or fatigue
  • A red rash
  • Abdominal (belly) hurting
  • Airsickness and diarrhea
  • Red, croaky lips
  • Red eyes
  • Bloated hands or feet

Learn more well-nigh MIS-C.

Children with Medical Conditions

How tin can immunocompromised kids get the care they need?

Lexie DeLone, a child life specialist at Johns Hopkins Children'southward Centre, says, "Your child'south care team is your go-to resources. Information technology's OK to ask your child's doctor about what specific steps they are taking to provide treatment for your child while preventing COVID-19 and if getting your kid vaccinated is advisable," she says.

Some part visits and follow-ups may exist able to shift to telemedicine, but other treatments crave your child's concrete presence. "Parents can remind children that their handling is of import to keep them healthy, DeLone says. "Older children and teens might be aware of the fact that their bodies could take a harder time fighting the virus if they run across it.

Parents can reassure them that hospitals are aware of patients' vulnerabilities, and are prepared and using precautions."

Asthma: Children with asthma may take more severe symptoms from COVID-19 or any other respiratory disease, including the flu. At that place are no indications that most children with asthma experience severe symptoms due to the coronavirus, only observe them carefully and, if symptoms develop, call the child's doctor to talk over next steps and to arrange appropriate evaluation as needed. Continue your child'south medications refilled and take actress intendance to avert things that set off asthma attacks in your child.

Diabetes: Command of blood sugar is fundamental. Children with well-managed diabetes are non expected to be more than susceptible to COVID-19. Simply poorly controlled diabetes tin can weaken the immune system, so parents and doctors should picket these children advisedly for signs and symptoms that may require evaluation.

How to Protect Your Kids from the Coronavirus and COVID-19

Have your child vaccinated for COVID

Experts, including those at Johns Hopkins, believe that there are many benefits to vaccinating children for COVID-19. The CDC recommends vaccines for children five and older.

"The omicron variant is very contagious leaving unimmunized people at high risk of infection," says Milstone. "Vaccination reduces risk of infection, only almost chiefly, significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization and decease from this and other variants."

Children historic period 12 or older who have received both required doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least v months agone can receive a booster shot. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only vaccine and booster authorized for individuals ages 12–17.

Children age five and older who have certain medical conditions associated with immunosuppression can receive an boosted dose 28 days after their 2nd dose.

Larn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and what parents need to know.

Permit's Talk Health (Hablemos de Sauld) | The New Normal for Kids: During COVID-xix - Role I

Protecting Younger Kids from COVID-19

While a vaccine may exist authorized for children under 5 in the next few months, until that happens, Milstone says that the best way to keep them safer is to avoid exposing them to people who are (or who might be) sick with the coronavirus, including family members. Here are three of the all-time ways to protect your kids from infection.

Maintain physical distancing. The more people your kids come in contact with, and the longer the duration of that contact, the college the risk of infection with the coronavirus.

  • Children should stay at to the lowest degree 6 feet from others outside of their household.
  • Check your kids' 24-hour interval care and schools (if they are open) to ensure physical distancing measures are in place.
  • Limit in-person play with other children, and exist sure the children wear masks properly.
  • Ensure that children limit close contact with children and adults who are vulnerable, such equally those with health atmospheric condition.

Wear a mask. Very contagious coronavirus variants are circulating. Mask wearing prevents virus spread and outbreaks. This is one reason why the Centers for Disease Command and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend masking for children in grades K-12, fifty-fifty for those who are fully vaccinated. Information continue to back up the value of masking in schools to prevent infections. Milstone suggests that parents help younger children do wearing masks before returning to school and so kids are comfortable wearing them in course.

Manus hygiene. Kids should launder their easily later using the bathroom, sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose, before eating (even snacks) and immediately later on coming within from playing outdoors.

Milstone advises parents to teach kids to wash their hands regularly, with soap and warm water, for at least xx seconds. "They tin can assistance keep runway of fourth dimension by singing the ABCs, which takes about 20 seconds to finish," he says. If soap and water are not available, Milstone says the next best option is hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

Kids who balk. Milstone says, "If your child is refusing to wash their easily or becoming very upset when asked to practise so, information technology might help to give them a small-scale reward, such as a sticker, to celebrate each fourth dimension they wash their hands. Compliment them for doing a really practiced job while washing their hands." It also helps when parents set an case past washing their own hands frequently.

5 Tips Kids Demand to Know about Covid-xix

Kids and families tin reduce coronavirus run a risk together

Though in most cases COVID-19 seems to have less serious health consequences for children than for adults, it is of import to avoid infection amid children. Here's how parents and guardians can help:

Become all your shots. Ensure that all family members receive COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as they are eligible, and the aforementioned goes for flu shots and other vaccinations.

Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and be on the lookout for serious disease in kids.

Cough and sneeze with care. "Encourage everyone in the family to coughing and sneeze into their elbow, instead of their easily, and to wash their hands after each time this occurs," Milstone says. "Throw away tissues after they are used," he adds.

Continue hands off faces. Parents should remind children to avoid touching their confront as much as possible. Milstone says it tin assist if kids carry a toy that will keep their hands decorated, simply he notes that parents should wash those toys regularly.

Keep things clean. Wipe down toys and surfaces your child touches regularly, particularly when traveling or when near a person who is ill. Clean surfaces at home and shop cleaners in cabinets that are either likewise high for your kid to reach or are secured with childproof cabinet locks.

Accost anxiety and stress. Talking things over as a family unit can help identify specific fears and analyze the facts. It also helps for families to discuss a plan in instance someone gets ill or something else happens that interrupts the normal routine.

"Children volition look to you lot when deciding how to feel most COVID-19. If yous feel at-home and prepared, they are likely to feel similarly," Milstone notes.

Scientist carefully insets a pipette into a test tube.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

What yous demand to know from Johns Hopkins Medicine.