By Dr. Linda Acredolo and Dr. Susan Goodwyn
As children go back to school, they become exposed to new viruses and bring them home to share with the family. If you have an infant in the house, there's a good possibility that you'll be caring for a sick baby at least once during the upcoming cold and flu season.
Sometimes it's hard to know when your baby or toddler is sick. Your baby might have a low-grade fever, but when she can't talk, there's no way for her to tell if her throat hurts or her ears ache. With the H1N1 swine flu virus looming on the horizon, it's especially important for parents to know that they CAN communicate with their baby when it comes to health issues. That's why we encourage you to start now to each these simple signs that will help your baby:
- tell you if he's feeling (HOT, COLD, SICK)
- tell you where she's feeling pain (HURT)
- know what to expect during a visit to the doctor (HELP, DOCTOR, MEDICINE)
- understand when the pain will end when getting an immunization (ALL DONE)
- communicate about health-promoting activities (WASH)
(Note: All signs are American Sign Language signs recommended by the ASL Department at Columbia College in Chicago, unless noted with an (*), which indicates an optional baby-friendly version of the sign.)
Click here to see a video demo of each sign below.
Medical and Health Signs
recommended for cold and flu season
All Done
Doctor
Gentle
Help
Hot
Hurt
Medicine
More
Sick
Water
Other Useful Signs
for any time!
Daddy
Dog*
Hat
Ice Cream
Mommy
Outside
Outside*
Play
Please
Thank You
