#deadly-virus

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/this-mom-didnt-realize-how-necessary-flu-shots-really-were-until-her-daughter-died/

This Mom Didn't Realize How Necessary Flu Shots Really Were Until Her Daughter Died

googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.defineSlot(‘/37886402/VN_PG_DTBT_ATF’, [728, 90], ‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF_5816ae828411b’).addService(googletag.pubads()) googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_MB”, “VN_”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_SC”, “VN_ORGN”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_TS”, “TS_D”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_AT”, “VN_ORGN_PG_D_REV_1.0_ASYNC_DEFAULT”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_CC”, “VN_ORGN_D_UNK_118287_A”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_PG”, “1”); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF_5816ae828411b’); );

Pegy Lowery had a lot of trouble getting her daughter, Piper, anywhere near needles.

The 12-year-old was terrified of them and cried if she felt them touch her skin at all, so she didn’t think it would be a big problem for her daughter to go without a yearly flu shot.

But when Piper did actually get the flu, her symptoms quickly became severe. In addition to her fever reaching 105 degrees, she had trouble breathing, bled from her nose, and vomited blood. On January 16, only four days after getting sick, she was taken to a children’s hospital in Tacoma, Washington. However, she collapsed before even entering the building and died that day from complications of the H1N1 flu.

Unfortunately, there are a number of other parents who have suffered a loss because they were under the impression that flu shots weren’t necessary for their children.

iStock

Rebecca Hendricks also didn’t realize how dangerous the flu could be and didn’t take her five-year-old daughter, Scarlet, to get the vaccine. But just 48 hours after Scarlet began showing symptoms, she died from influenza in December 2014.

iStock

In 2004, four-year-old Amanda Kanowitz also succumbed to the illness and passed away two days after her parents noticed that she had a fever and was coughing. She hadn’t gotten a flu shot either.

iStock

googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.defineSlot(‘/37886402/VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’, [300, 250], ‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF_5816ae8281460’).addService(googletag.pubads()) googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_MB”, “VN_”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_SC”, “VN_ORGN”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_TS”, “TS_D”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_AT”, “VN_ORGN_PG_D_REV_1.0_ASYNC_DEFAULT”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_CC”, “VN_ORGN_D_UNK_118287_A”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_PG”, “1”); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF_5816ae8281460’); );

According the the CDC, more than 100 children died from the flu between 2012 and 2013, and 90 percent of them had not received a vaccination. As of September, 85 children died from the illness between 2015 and 2016. That number could rise before year’s end.

iStock

The flu virus is very contagious, and can be spread through a cough, sneeze, or just coming in contact with a surface that an infected person has touched. Even if your child is healthy, that doesn’t keep them safe from catching it, and the complications can become deadly in only a few days.

iStock

Symptoms to watch out for include high-grade fever, body aches and chills, sore throat, lethargy, headache, and a runny or stuffy nose. The flu can also lead to issues like sinus congestion, ear infection, and even pneumonia.

iStock

Read More: Family Reels From The Loss Of Their Little Boy Because Of One Pharmacy’s Mistake

One of the best ways to prevent your children from catching the flu is to get them vaccinated with the appropriate flu shot. It can mean the difference between life and death.

(via The Washington Post)

For more information about what to do if you think your child has the flu, including the measures you should take if they are showing serious and severe symptoms, click here.

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/kissing-a-baby-may-seem-innocent-but-one-mom-discovered-it-can-have-consequences/

Kissing A Baby May Seem Innocent, But One Mom Discovered It Can Have Consequences

When an acquaintance kissed her baby on the mouth, Claire Henderson had no idea that it could ever be harmful to little Brooke.

However, when the English mom noticed sores forming around her daughter’s mouth, she became very concerned. It wasn’t until she talked to a friend that she realized the seemingly innocent kiss could have transmitted herpes, which can be deadly for babies.

When she took Brooke to the hospital, she found out that this was exactly what happened, and now she’s on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of letting people kiss newborns on the mouth.

“I noticed the signs early and got her to A&E, we have now been in hospital on a drip for 3 days and have got another 2 to go. She was VERY lucky, all her tests came back clear,” she said in a Facebook post.

Facebook / Claire Henderson

Though Brooke is okay now, other babies may not be so lucky. Newborns who contract the herpes simplex virus need to be hospitalized and put on antiviral medication for up to 21 days. Even then, some can get brain damage as a result.

iStock

The virus is transmitted through saliva, and about 67 percent of the global population is infected with it. While it isn’t much to worry about in adults, the symptoms can become severe for newborns and even lead to death.

iStock

Read More: Doctors In Bangladesh Were Puzzled By This Baby’s Elderly Appearance

“The moral of the story is DO NOT let anyone kiss your newborns mouth, even if they don’t look like they have a cold sore,” said Henderson. “And if someone had a cold sore ask them to stay away until it has gone.”

iStock

While it’s doubtful that this person meant to do any harm to Brooke, it just goes to show how important it is for parents to be aware of the dangers that their children may face in normal interactions.

(via LittleThings)

Fortunately, this situation ended well, but the same may not be true for others who don’t know how deadly cold sores can really be.

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/this-rare-polio-like-virus-is-sweeping-the-united-states-and-killing-children/

This Rare, Polio-Like Virus Is Sweeping The United States And Killing Children

When six-year-old Daniel Ramirez’s family recently brought him to Seattle Children’s Hospital on October 15, he showcased bizarre symptoms like slurred speech, drooling, incontinence, and pain in his leg. At first, they thought he just had a stomach ache, but his symptoms quickly got worse.

Facebook / Praying for Daniel Ramirez

There, Ramirez’s family learned he had contracted acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a virus that targets the brain and spinal cord.

AFM causes a fever which often leads to paralysis in children, and over 100 children were infected in 2014.

The Daily Mail quotes Dr. Avindra Nath, chief in charge of studying infections affecting the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, as saying, “You hate to be an alarmist, but there’s reason to have some concern. What we don’t know is where are these cases. Are they clustered? Do they all look alike? Getting more information on these cases would be helpful.”

Read More: This Mom Didn’t Realize How Necessary Flu Shots Really Were Until Her Daughter Died

With the love and support of family and help from a dedicated team of physicians, the little boy fought for his life.

Facebook / Praying for Daniel Ramirez

Despite everyone’s best efforts, the Daily Mail reports, “the disease was too advanced for doctors to control” and Daniel passed away on October 30.

Facebook / Praying for Daniel Ramirez

On the Praying for Daniel Ramirez Facebook page, his loved ones write, “Daniel was an amazingly sweet little boy who could put a smile on anyone’s face. He had a personality that made him loved by everyone who ever met him. Daniel was taken from us too soon, but his memory will live on, and he will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, sweet Daniel!”

If you’d like to help the family “give him the celebration of life he deserves,” they’ve set up a GoFundMe page.

AFM is stumping experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) because the cause of this specific illness is still unknown. Treatment is also a mystery to doctors who have seen hundreds of children suffer in the past few years.

Daniel was one of eight children recently admitted to Seattle Children’s Hospital with AFM, according to the Kansas City Star.

The CDC issued a report in September warning that there had been a recent surge in the number of children contracting AFM, according to the Daily Mail. Doctors fear the outbreak could be even worse this year. For your reference, AFM patients are often limp, but children with general transverse myelitis tend to be stiff. Kids with AFM symptoms also tend to lose control of body parts, including facial muscles and limbs.

Read More: Do Your Kids Wear Their Seat Belts Incorrectly? If So, They’re In Serious Danger!

What can you do to keep your child safe? If they are exhibiting any of the symptoms of AFM, immediately go to the hospital. Though causes are unknown, if caught early enough, children’s lives can be saved.

(via Daily Mail)