Common cold in babies
A common cold is a viral infection of your baby’s nose and throat. Nasal congestion and a runny
nose are the main indicators of a cold.
Babies are especially susceptible to the common cold, in part because they’re often around other
older children. Also, they have yet to develop immunity to many common infections. Within the first
year of life, most babies have up to seven colds; they may have more if they’re in child care
centers.
Treatment for the common cold in babies involves easing their symptoms, such as by providing
fluids, keeping the air moist and helping them keep their nasal passages open. Very young infants
must see a doctor at the first sign of the common cold to make sure croup, pneumonia or other more
serious illnesses aren’t present.
Symptoms of common cold
The first indication of the common cold in a baby is often:
- A congested or runny nose
- Nasal discharge that may be clear at first but might thicken and turn yellow or green
- Fever
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Decreased appetite
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Trouble nursing or taking a bottle due to nasal congestion
When is the right time to see a doctor?
Your baby’s immune system will need time to mature. If your baby has a cold with no complications,
it should resolve within 10 to 14 days.
If your baby is younger than 3 months of age, visit a doctor immediately. In newborns, it’s
especially important to make sure that a more serious illness isn’t present, especially if your
baby has a fever.
Most colds are simply a nuisance. But it’s important to take your baby’s signs and symptoms
seriously.
If your baby is 3 months old or older, call the doctor if your baby:
- Isn’t wetting as many diapers as usual
- Has a temperature higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
- Seems to have ear pain or is unusually irritable
- Has red eyes or develops yellow or greenish eye discharge
- Has trouble breathing
- Has a persistent cough
- Has thick, green nasal discharge for several days
- Has other signs or symptoms that worry you, such as an unusual or alarming cry
Seek medical help immediately if your baby: - Refuses to nurse or accept fluids
- Coughs hard enough to cause vomiting or changes in skin color
- Coughs up blood-tinged sputum
- Has difficulty breathing or is bluish around the lips
Causes of Common cold in babies
The common cold is an infection of the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract infection) that can
be caused by one of more than 100 viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most common.
Once infected by a virus, your baby generally becomes immune to that virus. But because so many
viruses cause colds, your baby may have several colds a year and many throughout his or her
lifetime. Also, some viruses don’t produce lasting immunity.
A common cold virus enters your baby’s mouth, nose or eyes. Your baby can be infected with a virus
by :
Air
When someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks, he or she might directly spread the virus to
your baby.
Direct contact
Someone with a cold who touches your baby’s hand can spread the cold virus to your baby, who can
become infected after touching his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
Contaminated surfaces
Some viruses live on surfaces for two hours or longer. Your baby may catch a virus by touching a
contaminated surface, such as a toy.
Risk factors
A few factors put infants at higher risk of a common cold. Immature immune systems
Infants are, by nature, at risk of common colds because they haven’t yet been exposed to or
developed resistance to most of the viruses that cause them.
Exposure to other children
Infants spend time with other children, who don’t always wash their hands or cover their coughs and
sneezes, which increases your baby’s risk of catching a cold.
Time of year
Both children and adults are more susceptible to colds in winter.
Complications to babies
Acute ear infection (otitis media)
This is the most common complication of the common cold. Ear infections occur when bacteria or
viruses enter the space behind the eardrum.
Wheezing
A cold can trigger wheezing, even if your child doesn’t have asthma. If your child does have
asthma, a cold can make it worse.
Sinusitis
A common cold that doesn’t resolve may lead to a secondary infection within the sinuses
(sinusitis).
Secondary infections
These include pneumonia, bronchiolitis and croup. Such infections require evaluation by a doctor.
Prevention OF Common Cold in babies
- The best defense against the common cold is common sense and frequent hand-washing.
- Keep your baby away from anyone who’s sick. If you have a newborn, don’t allow visits from
anyone who’s sick. If possible, avoid public transportation and public gatherings with your
newborn. - Wash your hands before feeding or touching your baby. When soap and water aren’t available, use
hand wipes or gels that contain alcohol. - Clean your baby’s toys and pacifiers often.
- Teach everyone in the household to cough or sneeze into a tissue, and then toss it. If you can’t
reach a tissue in time, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm. - Simple preventive measures can help keep the common cold at bay.
Treatment of Common cold
There’s no cure for the common cold. Antibiotics don’t work against cold viruses.
Try to make your baby more comfortable with measures such as suctioning nasal mucus and keeping the
air moist.
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications generally should be avoided in babies. You can use
fever-reducing medications, carefully following dosing directions, if a fever is making your child
uncomfortable. Cough and cold medications aren’t safe for infants and young children.
Fever-reducing medications
OTC pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) might relieve discomfort associated with
a fever. However, these medications don’t kill the cold virus. Fever is a part of your child’s
natural response to the virus, so it may help to allow your child to have a low-grade fever.
Don’t give acetaminophen to children under 3 months of age, and be especially careful when giving
acetaminophen to older babies and children because the dosing guidelines can be confusing. Call
your doctor if you have questions about the right dosage for your baby.
For treatment of fever or pain, consider giving your child infants’ or children’s over-the-counter
fever and pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin,
others).
N.B – Don’t give these medications to your baby if he or she is dehydrated or vomiting
continuously.
Children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin.
This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life
-threatening condition, in such children.
Cough and cold medications
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strongly recommends against giving over-the-counter (OTC)
cough and cold medicines to children younger than age 2. OTC cough and cold medicines don’t treat
the underlying cause of a child’s cold and won’t make it go away sooner, and can be dangerous to
your baby.
In June 2008, manufacturers removed infant cough and cold medications from the market. They also
modified product labels on the remaining OTC cough and cold medicines to warn people not to use
them in children under 4 years of age because of safety concerns.
Visit us on : www.healthalert.co.za Calls us on : +27 82 0941 375
Email us on : info@healthalert.co.za