It can be deplorable to watch your infant suffer his first cold. He will be upset, snuffling and may have trouble feeding. But there’s a plenty you can do to ease your baby’s distress. How to treat your infant cold
How to treat your infant cold
Rest assured it’s named as the common cold for a reason. In his first year alone your infant may go through eight colds. It’s not a severe illness, but it’s going to be long nights for you and you are surely going to need a lot of tissues.
What causes colds to your infant?
Basically, colds are infections of the nose, mouth, and throat. Experts call these areas the upper respiratory region. Colds are caused by one of the several different viruses. Infants tend to get a lot of colds very easily since their immune systems are still improving and gaining strength. How to treat your infant cold
Colds spread when some person with a cold sneezes or coughs, unleashing a cold virus into the air to be sniffed by someone else. Colds can also be reached through hand-to-hand contact. So always remember to cover your mouth when you cough, and wash your hands after blowing your nostrils. How to treat your infant cold
How do colds affect infants? If your infant has a common cold, you may see some of the following:
- Cough
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Reddened eyes
- Stuffy, runny nose
- Irritability and restlessness
- loss of appetite
- Swollen lymph joints, which are on his neck and the back of his head and under his armpits.
Your infant may be having difficulty breathing from his nose if he’s all stuffed up, so feeding will presumably be difficult. Infants can’t blow their noses, so you’ll have to nurse your infant to clear the mucus.
If your infant has been sleeping for the night, you’ll be recalled of those first few weeks of life. He’ll surely wake up several times as his nose is stuffy. Expect to be up with your newborn, wiping his nose and comforting him.
Your infant’s cold should be completely gone within 10 days to 14 days or so. How to treat your infant cold
How do I treat my infant cold?
Your baby’s cold will pass at its own pace. But there are a few things you can do to lessen his distress:
Try to make sure your baby gets plenty of sleep. How to treat your infant cold
Encourage your infant to take the extra bottle or breast feeds. If your infant is on formula-fed or solid he can have water too. This will help to keep him hydrated and bring down his fever if he has one.
Your infant will be too young to clean his own nostrils. So to help him breathe more easily you have to wipe his nose frequently. You can also dab some petroleum jelly onto the outside of your infant’s nostrils to reduce any sensitivity.
Infant ibuprofen or infant paracetamol can help in reducing fever. You can give him ibuprofen if he is three months or older, and weighs at least 11lb (5kg). You can give your kid paracetamol from two months, but only if he was born after 37 weeks and weighs more than 9lb (4kg). Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re uncertain about the right dose to give your baby.
If your infant is having difficulty feeding because of a stuffy nose, nasal drops may help to clear his nose. You can buy nasal sline drops from your pharmacy. Use the drops for each nostril 15 minutes before a feed.
A vapor rub may assist your infant to breathe more easily. You can buy one from your any pharmacy as they are easily available. Apply vapor rub to his chest and back. Don’t put it on his noses as it could reduce his breathing.
Steam breathing may be also helpful to loosen your baby’s obstructed airways and soothe his cough. Try resting in a steamy bathroom for a few minutes while holding your baby and the shower on. But don’t take your infant too close to hot, steamy water, as it may char him. Change him into dry clothes afterward.
If your baby has a obstructed nose without any other indications, check that he doesn’t have anything stuck in his nostrils. Even infants are capable of inserting things up there.
Don’t give your baby any an over-the-counter cough and cold relive medicines. They should not be given to kids under six as of the risk there is a risk of side-effects.
When do I need to take my baby to the doctor?
If your infant is under three months, take him to the doctor at the first symptom of sickness appears.
For kids over three months, you may want to take him to the doctor to verify that it is a common cold.
Also, you need to take your baby for a doctor’s visit if
- his temperature climbs above 38 degrees C if he is under three months,
- his cold hasn’t improved after five days
- and above 39 degrees C if he is under six months
- he has a cough that won’t go away
- he is having trouble breathing
- he is coughing up yellow, green or brown mucus, or it’s flowing from his nose
- he is rubbing his ears and seems irritated. This could signal an ear infection
Can I help stop my baby from having colds?
Yes, off course and breastfeeding is one of the strong measures to protect your infant’s health. It passes your immunizers, elements in your blood that fight diseases, to your infant. This isn’t a dependable way to shield your infant’s health but breastfed infants are better at repelling off colds and other diseases.
You can also protect your infant by keeping him away from anybody with a cold or a cough. Or at least ask them to wash their hands properly before holding your baby.
If you or your partner smokes you need to give it up, and don’t take your infant to areas where individuals are smoking. Infants who live with smokers usually get cold more easily, and their colds last longer than other infants who aren’t exposed to smoke.
