What strep throat is: Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection that causes inflammation in the back of the throat, the tonsils, and sometimes the adenoids (the tissue located behind the nose in the upper throat). It’s more common in school-kids and much less common for babies and toddlers, but it’s good to know what the symptoms are in case someone in your family comes down with it.
What causes strep throat in children: Unlike most sore throats, which are caused by a virus, strep throat in kids and adults is caused by a type of bacteria called group A Streptococcus. Your child can get infected through exposure to someone carrying the bacteria or by handling something an infected person has touched or coughed on. Strep symptoms can last several days to a week (but strep must be treated with antibiotics, which lessens the duration of symptoms).
What the symptoms are: When you think of strep throat in children, you probably think about red and enlarged tonsils, and red and white patches in the throat. But those symptoms are what older kids and adults usually experience. Symptoms in babies and toddlers can be different.
In babies, you may see:
- Sleeplessness and night waking
- Refusal to nurse or drink from a bottle (a sign that it hurts to swallow)
- A thin, red rash on the torso, arms, and legs (occasionally)
In toddlers, you may see:
- General discomfort (complaints of not feeling well)
- Loss of appetite or nausea (complaints of a tummy ache)
- Swollen neck glands
- A thick or bloody nasal discharge
What to do about strep throat in children: Call your doctor as soon as you suspect strep throat. Unlike other sore throats, which tend to go away on their own, if strep throat is left untreated (or isn’t completely treated), it can cause serious complications, including kidney disease.
To check for strep throat in children, your pediatrician will do a physical exam and a throat culture. For the throat culture, the doctor will rub a cotton swab over the back of your child’s throat (it may cause a little gagging, but it shouldn’t hurt) to collect a sample of the fluids there, which will then be tested for the presence of group A Streptococcus bacteria. Most pediatricians order a rapid strep test on the fluid sample because it gives you results right away. But since rapid strep tests don’t catch every case of strep, even if your child tests negative in the office, your pediatrician will still send the sample to a laboratory for a more accurate check for the strep bacteria. Results from the lab will take about two days.
If your little one tests positive for strep, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics, which should lessen his discomfort and decrease the duration of the symptoms. Antibiotics will also prevent your child from spreading strep to other people. (Strep throat in children isn’t contagious once kids have been on antibiotics for 24 hours.) Of course, be sure to finish the entire course of antibiotics even if your child seems to be feeling better the next day because stopping treatment too soon can cause a recurrence of strep and lead to other complications.
What else can you do to soothe your sick sweetie’s throat? Try the following suggestions:
- Give your child a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to ease discomfort and reduce the fever. (But avoid ibuprofen if your baby is younger than six months.)
- Offer plenty of fluids. If your child is 12 months or older, you might want to offer honey and chamomile tea, which can be particularly soothing to a sore throat.
- Try to explain to your toddler that he should rest his voice as much as possible.
- Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom — the moist air will help alleviate his throat pain.
When to call the doctor: Whenever you suspect strep throat, call the doctor. Also, call the doctor if you see any of these symptoms:
- Fever of 100.4°F or higher if your baby is less than three months old or 101.5°F if your baby is between three months and three years old
- A rough, red rash
- Problems breathing or difficulty swallowing anything, including saliva
- Your child’s symptoms don’t improve after taking antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours
- Swelling in the joints or a rash after a strep infection (as long as three weeks after the infection) since these signs could signal rheumatic fever or scarlet fever.
How to prevent strep throat in children: As with any contagious infection, wash your child’s hands regularly to avoid picking it up. Also, take these precautions to prevent strep throat in children:
- Avoid crowded environments as much as you can during the spring and fall, since that’s when strep throat tends to circulate most. If you can’t avoid having your child around a lot of people (your child may need to go to day care, after all), do your best to steer clear of sick kids and try to teach your toddler to avoid touching his eyes, nose, and mouth, since that’s where bacteria can enter his body.
- Replace your child’s toothbrush after the strep throat clears to avoid reinfection.