Children's fears are likely to rise along with the confirmed cases of swine flu, but parents can help kids feel safe despite the scary news, mental health experts say.
"A fire or hurricane happens, and it's over. But a biological event like this is hard for kids to understand. It's invisible and can be very frightening," says Harold Koplewicz, a child psychiatrist and director of the New York University Child Study Center.
Parents have to get their own facts straight and calm fears before they approach children, he adds. There are plenty of poorly informed, worried parents. Pediatricians all over the USA have been swamped with calls, "and parents are calling frantically, wanting to know what to do, in states where there have been cases," says Henry Bernstein, a Dartmouth Medical School professor and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Parents in the New York City area are asking whether children can be tested for the flu, says Andrew Racine, director of the general pediatrics division at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Montefiore. Some also wonder whether children should wear masks or take medicine preventively or at the first sign of symptoms.
Because only a couple of U.S. labs can conclusively identify the swine flu virus and its symptoms mimic those of regular flu, routine testing isn't advised, Racine says. Medication is not recommended for mild flu, he says.
Parents are asking about swine flu symptoms and whether it's safe to travel with children, says Lynn Miyamoto, a nurse at the Tenth Street Pediatric Group in Santa Monica, Calif. Several hundred parents have called with swine flu questions this week, she says.
Parents should initiate a conversation about the flu with their children, Koplewicz suggests. Many times, children may be too afraid to say something, "and left to their own devices, they can put a story together that's far more frightening than reality," he says.
First, ask what they know and what they're concerned about. For preschoolers and elementary school children, keep explanations very simple. "You might say 'Some people have gotten sick with a flu you get from contact with someone who has it. Mom and Dad are going to make sure you're safe. We'll take care of you.' " Koplewicz says.
Teenagers often display false bravado, he says, but parents should address basic facts and concerns with them, too.
School staffers have called New York pediatricians to ask what they should tell parents, Racine says. The National Association of School Psychologists sent a mass e-mailing to members Tuesday, giving CDC websites with facts on swine flu and handling outbreaks at school, says Susan Gorin, the group's executive director.
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