When your child is sick, it is a dramatic time for you both. If possible, share the task of caring for the baby with someone else. This will give you a chance to relax and get some rest. You don't want to become so rundown that you end up catching your baby's cold.
The best way to treat a baby's cold is simply to make sure they never get one. While that may be impossible, there are a few steps that you can take to help minimize the chances that they will catch one.
Don't let anyone with a cold handle your baby.
Wash your hands.
Keep your baby away from second hand smoke. Babies exposed to tobacco smoke tend to develop more colds.
Second hand smoke may also increase your baby's risk of dying form SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Breastfeed your baby, studies indicate that baby's being breastfeed develop fewer colds.
Symptoms:
When a baby has a cold, their symptoms are the same as adults: cough, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, fever, dull pain, fussiness, and headache.
As with adults, when ill, babies should drink plenty of fluids and gets lots of rest.
Treating a cold
Not all colds require medical treatment. Most will run their course just a quickly without medication as they would with - about 7-10 days.
Every time you give your baby medication, there is the possibility that the baby will have an adverse reaction.
Always ask your pediatrician if the medicine they are prescribing is really necessary and always ask about possible side effects.
Never give a baby an over the counter medication unless directed to do so by your pediatrician.
Humidifiers:
To make your baby more comfortable, put a cool mist vaporizer in their room. In winter, especially, most homes are very dry. By adding moister to the air, you will make it easier for the baby to breathe. Be sure to clean your humidifier everyday, this will help keep molds from developing in it.
Fever:
A mild fever is normal when a baby first gets a cold, but should go away after a couple of days. If it doesn't, or if it continues to go up, call your pediatrician.
Never give a baby any products containing aspirin or salicylates unless directed to do so by your pediatrician.
Studies have indicated a link between the use of aspirin by children with viral illnesses and the development of Reye Syndrome, a potentially deadly disease.
If your baby has a fever, check with your pediatrician and see if it is ok to administer acetaminophen or ibuprofen products to help bring the fever down.
If you are told that it is ok to use these products, make sure you ask what dosage to give to your child.
Most OTC products only list dosages by age. For children under the age of two, proper dosages are calculated based upon the child's weight - not their age.
Cough:
If your pediatrician says that it is ok to use an OTC cough medicine, be sure to ask what product to use. Many cough medicines, even some pediatric ones, contain aspirin and alcohol - two products that should not be given to babies.
Ear Infections:
Occasionally, a baby with a cold will develop an ear infection. Unfortunately, they cannot tell you if this happens, so you need to observe you baby carefully. The following signs may indicate an ear infection.
They may become overly fussy. This may include constant movement of the head or rubbing at the ears.
Any discharge of fluid from the ears.
Continued fever.
If you suspect that your baby has an ear infection, take him in to see the pediatrician. Ear infections needed to be promptly treated to prevent complications, which can include hearing loss.
While most colds are quickly forgotten affairs, there is always the possibility of complications or the possibility that your baby has something more serious than just a cold, such as sinusitis, strep throat, scarlet fever, croup, bronchitis, or pneumonia. If your baby worsens or does not appear to be improving, contact your pediatrician immediately. Prompt treatment can help insure that your baby makes a complete recovery.
