What to Do When Your Baby Has a Cold

When Your Baby Has a Cold

Watching your baby suffer through their first cold can be heartbreaking – no parent ever wants to see their baby battling a fever, struggling to feed and snuffling. Sadly though, it’s something you are likely to experience at least once.

Please note that the following should be seen as general advice about how to deal with infants with colds. For specific advice, please consult your healthcare professional.

What causes colds?

Colds are infections of the mouth, nose and throat – in other words, the upper respiratory tract. They’re caused by one of many different viruses, with the common cold considered to be the result of well over 200 virus strains. Because a baby’s immune system is still developing and gaining strength, and because babies love to explore with their hands and mouth, babies tend to get a lot of colds.

How are colds spread?

Colds are spread when someone with the virus sneezes or coughs, unleashing their germs into the air for someone else to catch. They can also be spread via hand-to-hand contact, and from contaminated surfaces like door handles and bench tops. Because of this, colds can quickly spread within a family, disrupting your household for weeks at a time.

The best way to stop colds from spreading are to wash your hands regularly, cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, disinfect surfaces and limit sharing of cups, towels etc. If you have friends and family coming to visit, ask them to wash their hands before holding your baby, and ask those with colds to stay away until they’ve recovered.

Another way for a mother to protect her baby from a cold is to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible. Breastfeeding passes on antibodies and chemicals in your blood that help to fight infection, and so you should try not to wean your child from breast milk when they are unwell.

What to do if your baby gets a cold

If you notice your baby is running one/some of the following symptoms, it could mean your baby is suffering from a cold:

Fever
Cough
Reddened eyes
Runny nose
Loss of appetite
Stuffy nose
Sore throat
Irritability and restlessness
Swollen lymph nodes (armpits, neck and back of head)
Difficulty eating
Constant waking.

Should this be the case, don’t panic. The cold should go away on its own within 10-14 days and, for the most part, colds are uncomfortable but not a serious health risk.

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Very young babies should see their doctor straight away, as children under 3 months old are at a greater risk of developing croup, pneumonia, or other serious illnesses. Once ruled out, your role as carer is to ease their symptoms as much as possible. You can do this by:

Ensuring your baby gets plenty of rest.
Encouraging an extra feed.
Offering infant paracetamol or infant ibuprofen (5kg+) to relieve fever, but only if recommended by your general practitioner or paediatrician.
Unblocking the nose before feeding with saline drops (do not use for more than 3 days).
Applying a vapour rub to baby’s chest and bottom of feet.
Wiping baby’s nose with soft tissues, such as those infused with aloe vera.
Dabbing petroleum jelly or natural paw paw ointment to the outer nose to relieve irritation.
Setting up a steam vaporiser .
Sitting with your baby in a steamy bathroom for five minutes.
Having a warm bath.
Cleaning ‘sticky eyes’ with a clean, damp cotton wool ball.

The most important thing is to help clear your baby’s nose as much as you can. Babies insist on breathing through the nose, even when it’s blocked, which can make breathing and feeding time difficult. Reduced feeding may dehydrate your baby or cause them to become irritable.

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Are there any cures?

There is no cure for the common cold, and because your baby’s immune system is still developing the use of cold treatments designed to alleviate symptoms can be dangerous.

Cough and cold medicines are not recommended for children under 6 months old, and many believe they aren’t suitable for children at all. Cough and cold medicines contain antihistamines, antitussives, expectorants, mucolytics and decongestants, which can be harmful to young children, causing allergic reactions, increased heart rate, convulsions, nausea and constipation.

When to call the doctor

If your baby is under three months old and is suffering a fever higher than 37.5°C, call the doctor. You should also call the doctor if:

Cold symptoms last longer than one week.
Your baby’s cough turns to wheezing or gasping.
Your baby pulls and tugs at their ears frequently.
Your baby isn’t wetting as many nappies as usual.
Your baby has a high-grade temperature (39°C+).
Your baby’s cough won’t go away.
You notice regular green, yellow or brown mucus.
Giving paracetamol doesn’t relieve fever.

Seek immediate medical attention if:

Your baby is refusing fluids.
Your baby coughs hard enough to vomit or change in skin colour.
Your baby coughs up blood-tinged sputum.
Your baby has difficulty breathing.
You notice a bluish tinge around the lips and mouth.

Please note that the information provided by Bellamy’s Organic is to be seen as general advice only. Any questions you have related to your child’s welfare, please speak with your General Practitioner or paediatrician.

Sources: http://www.babycenter.com.au/a78/common-cold-in-babies

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/colds.html

https://www.huggies.com.au/baby-care/health/cold

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/nasal-congestion-and-colds-in-babies/

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=303&id=1767