Reye's syndrome has been documented in children of all ages, soon after a viral infection like chicken pox or the flu. The chance of acquiring Reye's syndrome is reduced if aspirin is avoided in children, especially during a viral infection. Facts from the John Hopkins Handbook of Drugs warn against giving children aspirin for fever, cold or flu symptoms, unless directed by the physician. Reye's syndrome effects the blood, liver, and brain. Signs and symptoms are persistent nausea and vomiting after a viral infection lasting for 1 to 3 days.
More serious signs are lethargy, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, or coma.
Other symptomology includes delirium, seizures, or convulsions. Aspirin warning labels in the U.S. now warn against using this medicine for chicken pox or flu symptoms before consulting a doctor about Reye's syndrome. Since the advent of aspirin warning labels in 1986 indicating the risk of Reye's, the CDC estimates that the incidence has dropped more than ten-fold. In 1986, Morris and Klimberg, conducted a national telephone survey of over 1,100 parents of children 19 years of age and younger regarding aspirin use and Reye's syndrome awareness. The survey was published in the 1986 December edition of the American Journal of Public Health.