Infant influenza.
Reports on the symptoms of infant influenza (less than 1 year of age) are very few. From 1989 to 1996, 105 infants with influenza were examined. The symptoms, nutrition and source of infection of the 105 patients were investigated in Sakuma Pediatric Clinic and viral studies were performed at the Kitakyushu City Institute of Environmental Sciences. The symptoms of patients under 6 months old are very mild, with a low maximum body temperature and a short duration of fever. Other complications are few. The symptoms gradually become more severe with each month of age. The ratio of patients displaying a diphasic fever with two peak temperatures increases with each month of age. Over 50% of patients over 9 months old have this diphasic fever with two peak temperatures. It is inconclusive whether an anti-infective factor in human milk exists or not. Of the 105 patients in this study, 28 were under 4 months of age: of these 28, all but 3 were infected by family members.
Sakuma
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Sakuma Pediatric Clinic, Isikai, Japan.
D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status
D000914:Antibodies, Viral