Babies Worldwide

This time of year sees an increase in the common cold and babies are at a higher risk than the rest of us because their immune system is not yet able to deal with the common cold in the same was as an adult deals with common colds.

A common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Nasal congestion and a runny nose are the primary signs of the common cold.

Babies are especially susceptible to the common cold. In fact, within the first two years of life, most babies have eight to 10 colds. So don’t panic there is nothing abnormal happening here.
To help baby get some ease here are five suggestions for you to try.
1. Make sure the infant gets plenty of fluids. It is important that baby takes regular liquids as this prevents dehydration. If you are breastfeeding don’t stop for breast milk is nature’s way of offering the little one necessary protection.
2. Go and buy a cool mist humidifier and let it run while baby is taking its nap and during the night. By doing this you will help to loosen the cough secretions and help baby breathe more freely.
3. Another popular tip is to run real hot water in the bath room, this will cause the bathroom to steam up. Take baby in set it on your lap and let it breath in the steam this will help unclog the lungs.
4. Ask your local pharmacy about saline nose drops for babies. Often doctors will recommend these to help loosen thick nasal mucus.
5. This is a time when baby will feel under pressure so remember to give it that extra special cuddle.
One word of warning. While babies may get up to 10 common cold bouts in their first 24 months it should get over these bouts in seven to ten days. Remember babies immune system is still developing. However if your baby is less than 3 months contact your health care professional at the first sign of illness (and this applies to all illnesses) as with newborns colds can quickly develop into croup, pneumonia or other serious illnesses. Remember that a blocked nose may make it difficult for your baby to nurse or drink from a bottle and if baby does not get enough fluids dehydration can set in.

Tags: baby illnesses, common cold

This entry was posted on Friday, December 11th, 2009 at 11:33 pm and is filed under Childhood Illnesses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.