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More Than a Quarter of U.S. Adults and Children Have at Least One Allergy
| by ChildCareOwner
Contact: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, Office of Communication (301) 458-4800
E-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults and more than 1 in 4 U.S. children reported having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy in 2021, according to new data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Almost 6% of U.S. adults and children have a food allergy, with Black, Non-Hispanic adults, and children one of the most likely to report this type of allergy.
The data are captured in two new reports from the National Health Interview Survey: “Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Adults, United States, 2021” and “Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, 2021.”
Findings from the adults’ report include:
- About one quarter (25.7%) of adults have a seasonal allergy, 7.3% have eczema, and 6.2% have a food allergy.
- White, Non-Hispanic adults are more likely to have a seasonal allergy (28.4%) compared to Black, non-Hispanic (24%); Hispanic (18.8%) and Asian, non-Hispanic (17.0%) adults.
- The percentage of adults with eczema is higher among women (8.9%) compared to men (5.7%).
- Black, Non-Hispanic adults are more likely to have a food allergy (8.5%) compared to Hispanic (4.4%); White, non-Hispanic (6.2%), and Asian, non-Hispanic (4.5%) adults.
Highlights from the children’s report include:
- Nearly 1 in 5 children (18.9%) have a seasonal allergy, 10.8% have eczema, and 5.8% have a food allergy.
- Boys (20%) are more likely to have a seasonal allergy than girls (17.7%).
- Children 6-11 years are most likely to have eczema (12.1%), followed by children 0-5 years (10.4%), and children 12-17 years (9.8%).
- Black, non-Hispanic children are more likely to have a food allergy (7.6%) compared to Hispanic (5%) and White, non-Hispanic (5.3%) children.
The reports are available on the NCHS web site at www.cdc.gov/nchs.
Ear Infection
| by ChildCareOwner
Is your child’s ear hurting? It could be an ear infection. Children are more likely than adults to get ear infections. Talk to your child’s doctor about the best treatment.
Some ear infections, such as middle ear infections, need antibiotic treatment, but many can get better without antibiotics.
What is an ear infection?
There are different types of ear infections. Middle ear infection (acute otitis media) is an infection in the middle ear.
Another condition that affects the middle ear is called otitis media with effusion. This condition occurs when fluid builds up in the middle ear without causing an infection. Otitis media with effusion does not cause fever, ear pain, or pus build-up in the middle ear.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection in the outer ear canal. Swimmer’s Ear is different from a middle ear infection. For more information, visit “Swimmer’s Ear” (Otitis Externa).
Causes
Bacteria or viruses can cause a middle ear infection:
- Bacteria, like Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae (nontypeable) are the two most common bacteria causing middle ear infection
- Viruses, like those that cause colds can cause middle ear infection
Symptoms
Common symptoms of middle ear infection in children can include:
- Ear pain
- Fever
- Fussiness or irritability
- Rubbing or tugging at an ear
- Difficulty sleeping
When to Seek Medical Care
See a doctor if your child has:
- A fever of 102.2°F (39°C) or higher
- Pus, discharge, or fluid coming from the ear
- Worsening symptoms
- Symptoms of a middle ear infection that last for more than 2–3 days
- Hearing loss
This list is not all-inclusive. Please see a doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.
Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.
Treatment
A doctor can diagnose a middle ear infection by asking about symptoms and examining your child. The doctor will look inside your child’s ear to examine the eardrum and look for pus in the middle ear.
The body’s immune system can often fight off middle ear infection on its own. Antibiotics are sometimes not needed for middle ear infections. However, severe middle ear infections or infections that last longer than 2–3 days need antibiotics right away.
For mild middle ear infection, your doctor might recommend watchful waiting or delayed antibiotic prescribing.
- Watchful waiting: Your child’s doctor may suggest watching and waiting for 2-3 days to see if your child needs antibiotics. This gives the immune system time to fight off the infection. If your child’s symptoms don’t improve, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.
- Delayed prescribing: Your child’s doctor may prescribe an antibiotic but suggest that you wait 2–3 days before filling the prescription. Your child may recover on their own and may not need the antibiotic.
How to Feel Better
Below are some ways to feel better, even if antibiotics are needed for an ear infection:
- Rest.
- Extra water or other fluids.
- Over-the-Counter Medicines to relieve pain or fever.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed.
Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children
Carefully read and follow instructions on over-the-counter medicine product labels before giving medicines to children. Some over-the-counter medicines are not recommended for children of certain ages.
- Pain relievers:
- Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen.
- Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a very serious, but rare illness that can harm the liver and brain.
- Cough and cold medicines:
- Children younger than 4 years old: do not use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Cough and cold medicines can result in serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in young children.
- Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.
Prevention
You can help prevent ear infections by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:
- Receive recommended vaccines, such as flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine. Pneumococcal vaccine protects against a common cause of middle ear infections, Streptococcus pneumonia.
- Clean your hands.
- Breastfeed exclusively until your baby is 6 months old and continue to breastfeed for at least 12 months.
- Don’t smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming.
Vaccine for Flu (Influenza)
| by ChildCareOwner
Why should my child get a flu vaccine?
- Reduces the risk of flu illness and hospitalization among children.
- Shown to be life-saving for children.
- Can make illness less severe among people who get vaccinated but still get sick with flu.
- Reduces the risk of illness, which can keep your child from missing school or childcare and you from having to miss work.
- Reduces the high risk of developing serious flu complication especially if your child is younger than 5 years, or of any age with certain chronic conditions.
- Helps prevent spreading flu to family and friends, including babies younger than 6 months who are too young to get a flu vaccine.
When should my child get a flu vaccine?
Doctors recommend that your child get a flu vaccine every year in the fall, starting when he or she is 6 months old. Some children 6 months through 8 years of age may need 2 doses for best protection.
- CDC recommends a flu vaccine by the end of October, before flu begins spreading in your community. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later.
- Children 6 months through 8 years getting a flu vaccine for the first time, and those who have only previously gotten one dose of flu vaccine, should get two doses of vaccine. The first dose should be given as soon as vaccine becomes available.
- If your child previously got two doses of flu vaccine (at any time), he only needs one dose of flu vaccine this season.
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone ages six months and older. Pregnant women should get a flu vaccine during each pregnancy. Flu vaccines given during pregnancy help protect both the mother and her baby from flu.
What vaccines protect against flu?
For the 2020-2021 flu season, CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.
- Flu shots can be given to your child 6 months and older.
- The nasal spray vaccine can be given to people 2 through 49 years of age. However, certain people with underlying medical conditions should not get the nasal spray vaccine.
Your child’s doctor will know which vaccines are right for your child.
Should I get vaccinated if I’m pregnant?
Yes. Changes in your immune, heart, and lung functions during pregnancy make you more likely to get seriously ill from flu. CDC recommends pregnant women get a yearly seasonal flu shot by the end of October, if possible, to ensure best protection against flu. You can be vaccinated during any trimester of your pregnancy. Getting vaccinated can also help protect your baby after birth from flu. (Mom passes antibodies onto the developing baby during her pregnancy.)
Flu vaccines are very safe.
Flu vaccines have a good safety record. Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines for more than 50 years, and there has been extensive research supporting the safety of flu vaccines.
Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. When they occur, flu vaccine side effects are generally mild and go away on their own within a few days.
What are the side effects?
Common side effects from the flu shot may include:
- Soreness, redness, and/or swelling where shot was given
- Headache
- Fever
- Nausea
- Muscle aches
Side effects from the nasal spray flu vaccine may include:
- Runny nose
- Wheezing
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Muscle aches
If these problems occur, they usually begin soon after vaccination and are mild and short-lived.
To prevent fainting and injuries related to fainting, adolescents should be seated or lying down during vaccination and remain in that position for 15 minutes after the vaccine is given.
Prepare for your child’s vaccine visit and learn about how you can:
- Research vaccines and ready your child before the visit
- Comfort your child during the appointment
- Care for your child after the shot
Why does my child need a flu vaccine every year?
Flu viruses are constantly changing, so new vaccines are made each year to protect against the flu viruses that are likely to cause the most illness. Also, protection provided by flu vaccination wears off over time. Your child’s flu vaccine will protect against flu all season, but they will need a vaccine again next flu season for best protection against flu.
What is flu?
Flu—short for influenza—is an illness caused by influenza viruses. Flu viruses infect the nose, upper airways, throat, and lungs. Flu spreads easily and can cause serious illness, especially for young children, older people, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes.
What are the symptoms of flu?
Flu symptoms can include:
- Fever (not everyone with flu will have a fever) or feeling feverish/chills
- Chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Headache
- Muscle or body aches
- Tiredness
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea (this is more common in children than adults)
Most people who get sick with flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks.
Is flu illness serious?
Millions of children get sick with flu each year and thousands are hospitalized. CDC estimates that since 2010, between 7,000 and 28,000 children younger than 5 years old have been hospitalized for flu each year in the United States. Children with chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, and disorders of the brain or nervous system, and children younger than 5 years old (and especially children younger than 2 years old) are more likely to end up in the hospital from flu.
Some people at high risk can develop complications (such as pneumonia) that can result in hospitalization and even death.
Flu seasons vary in how serious they are from one season to another. Since 2010, CDC estimates that between 130 and 1,200 children (younger than 18 years) have died from flu each year.
How does flu spread?
Flu spreads mainly by droplets when people who have flu talk, cough, or sneeze, and these droplets land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or are inhaled. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.
People can spread flu to others from one day before they have symptoms to 5-7 days after they get sick. This can be longer in children and people who are very sick.
Can my child get flu from a flu vaccine?
No, flu vaccines do not cause flu. Flu vaccines (given as a shot) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with
- flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and are therefore not infectious, or
- using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection.
Flu vaccine protects your child from flu illness. However, flu shots can sometimes cause mild side effects that may be mistaken for flu. Keep in mind that it will take about 2 weeks after getting a vaccine for your child to build protection against flu.
After the Baby Comes
| by ChildCareOwner
After your baby arrives, there’s a lot to think about. Click on the following links to learn more about how to help keep you and your baby healthy and safe, as well as learn about certain birth defects and medical conditions.
Health
Breastfeeding: You and your baby gain many benefits from breastfeeding. Breast milk is easy to digest and has antibodies that can protect your baby from bacterial and viral infections.
Proper Handling and Storage of Breast Milk: Safely prepare and store your expressed breast milk to maintain its high quality and keep your baby healthy. Make sure your baby’s caregivers know how to safely prepare and store the breast milk, too.
Breastfeeding and Travel: Travel need not be a reason to stop breastfeeding. A mother traveling with a nursing infant may find breastfeeding makes travel easier than it would be if traveling with a bottle-fed infant. Find helpful tips for traveling while breastfeeding, and learn about vaccinations for international travel.
Postpartum Depression: Postpartum depression is depression that occurs after having a baby. If you think you have postpartum depression, seek treatment from your health care provider as soon as possible.
Jaundice and Kernicterus: Jaundice can sometimes lead to brain damage in newborns. Before leaving the hospital, ask your doctor or nurse about a jaundice bilirubin test. If you think your baby has jaundice, call and visit your baby’s doctor right away.
Vaccinations: Vaccines are very important to your baby’s health. When you get vaccinated against whooping cough and the flu during your pregnancy, you will pass some immunity (protection) to your baby. However, that protection will begin to decrease over time, leaving your infant vulnerable to disease. Make sure he or she gets vaccinated according to CDC’s childhood immunization schedule for safe, proven disease protection.
Immunization Schedules: Follow the schedule found at this link to be sure your baby gets his or her shots on time. If you miss any, check with your doctor about getting back on track.
Vaccination After Pregnancy: It is safe for a woman to receive vaccines right after giving birth, even while she is breastfeeding. Vaccination after pregnancy is especially important if you did not receive certain vaccines before or during your pregnancy.
Newborn Screening: Within 48 hours of your baby’s birth, a sample of blood is taken from a “heel stick,” and the blood is tested for treatable diseases. More than 98% of all children born in the United States are tested for these disorders.
Some babies with a critical congenital heart defect (CHD) appear healthy at first and may be sent home before their critical CHD is detected. Newborn screening for critical CHDs is a tool that works with prenatal diagnosis and physical exams after birth to improve detection of critical CHDs.
Your baby should be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age, preferably before leaving the birth hospital. Learn more about newborn hearing screening and what happens if your baby doesn’t pass the screening test.
Once your baby is born, you can learn more about ATSDR’s Choose Safe Places for Early Care and Education program, which protects the health of children where they learn and play to reduce your child’s risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals during their care.
Visit CDC’s Hear Her campaign website to learn the warning signs to watch for during pregnancy.
Safety
Child Medication Safety: Every year, one out of every 150 two-year-olds is treated in an emergency department for an accidental medication overdose. Find tips for keeping all medications up and away and out of sight of young children.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS): Learn what parents and caregivers can do to help babies sleep safely and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including SIDS.
Child Safety Seats: Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States. But many of these deaths can be prevented. Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious and fatal injuries by up to 80%.
Travel: An estimated 2.4 million children from the United States travel internationally each year. Learn how to travel safely with your baby within the country and internationally.
Fire Safety: Find tips to help prevent injury or death from a fire in your home.
Child Maltreatment: Maltreatment is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on a child’s life. Find some strategies to help prevent child maltreatment.
Disaster Safety for Expecting and New Parents Learn general tips to get prepared before a disaster and what to do in case of a disaster to help keep you and your family safe and healthy.
Development
Child Development: The early years of a child’s life are crucial for learning, social, and emotional development. Learn what you can do to ensure that your child grows up in an environment that meets his or her needs.
Positive Parenting Tips for Babies: Learn how to give your baby a healthy and safe start in the first year of life.
Learn the Signs. Act Early. Measuring your baby’s growth involves more than tracking height and weight. Learn about milestones to watch for in how your baby plays, learns, speaks, and acts.
Medical Conditions
Birth Defects: Birth defects are structural changes present at birth that can affect almost any part or parts of the body (e.g., heart, brain, foot). They may affect how the body looks, works, or both. About one in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect.
Developmental Disabilities: Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. About one in six children in the U.S. have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays.
Genetics: If your baby was born with a genetic condition, you may want to work with a genetic counselor in your area to help with information, resources, and support.
Blood Disorders: CDC works to prevent and reduce complications among people with certain blood disorders (bleeding disorders, hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, thrombophilia, and thalassemia).
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