Strep A – What to look out for?

Children will catch lots of bugs in their early years, it is all part of them developing their immune system.  Most of the time it is not something that we need to do a lot about other than offering calpol where needed, making sure they get enough fluid into them and letting them sleep when they need to.  Most of the time they will bounce back without too much harm.

Occasionally there will be an outbreak of something which causes more concern and this is the case with the current Strep A infection.  It is a bacterial infection which often causes a sore throat and minor discomfort.  It has become apparent on the news that there has been a few deaths since September from Strep A which is not common place and is causing some concern among parents, myself included.

If you can’t see your GP for the symptoms above consider going to urgent care.

If you see the following symptoms it may be time to call an ambulance:

• They are struggling to breathe
• Their lips, tongue or skin look blue
• they are floppy and will not stay awake.

In order to reduce the risks posed by the infection, have good standards of hand hygiene especially when coughing and sneezing.  Don’t share cups etc and use tissues when sneezing / coughing,

Parents know their children better than anyone so if you are concerned about your child, then seek advice from a health professional to avoid the complications that can arise.  It is important to act quickly when your child starts to get worse to prevent life threatening infection.