Has your baby caught a cold recently? Do not worry, a normal baby gets a cold six times or more in its first year. What matters is to identify the causes and symptoms and to know how to treat it.
Causes:
Children catch colds because their immune systems are not fully developed yet and they are not quite ready to fight the existing viruses. When we cough or sneeze the cold viruses spread with droplets onto surfaces, furniture and your child's toys. A baby gets a cold when it comes in contact with such contaminated surfaces and then puts its fingers in its mouth.
What are Symptoms of a Cold?
The onset of the cold symptoms usually start 1-3 days following the contraction of the virus. They include the following:
• Stuffy nose.
• Runny nose (the nasal mucus is usually colorless. It could turn yellow or green.)
• Sneezing.
• Coughing.
• Fuzziness.
• Fatigue.
• Loss of appetite.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Fever.
• Vomiting and diarrhea.
These symptoms usually improve in 7-10 days.
Treatment:
Normally, you won't need to use cold medications as the symptoms disappear on their own in a few days. Here are some treatment tips for which your child gets a cold:
• No need to use an antibiotic to treat a cold. The antibiotics kill the bacteria, while a cold is caused by a virus, which makes antibiotics useless in this case.
• You can use paracetamol or ibuprofen but you need to determine the appropriate dosage for your baby based on its weight and age. Be careful not to use any medication that contains aspirin.
• Breastfeed your baby more often than usual when it has a cold. If the baby is older than six months old, increase its water and fresh juices intake. This will protect it from dehydration and will keep the nasal and oral mucous membranes moist.
• If your baby has stuffy nose, instill a few saline drops in each nostril then suck out the mucus gently using a nasal aspirator.
• Use a humidifier to keep the air surrounding the baby humid to protect it from dry nose.