Baby
Cold Symptoms and How to Give Care
by: Leroy Chan
Remember how miserable you
felt when you last had a cold? Can you imagine what your baby must feel
when he experiences a cold for the first time?
Viruses are responsible for
causing colds. Infected people spread the viruses when they sneeze or
cough nearby healthy people. The virus gets into the nose and throat
where it multiplies.
What Are The Symptoms?
When your baby has a cold,
there will be a number of symptoms. He will be sneezing and have a runny
nose. He may have a sore throat and it may be difficult for him to swallow.
His glands may become swollen.
He may not feel like eating
much and he could become irritable. A cough may develop. He may get
a slight fever or have a body temperature of 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
When to Seek Medical Advice
If your baby is three months
old or less and has cold like symptoms, you should contact a pediatrician
immediately. Cold like symptoms in a baby three months old or less are
misleading and could lead to a serious ailment.
On the other hand, if your
child is more than three months old you should contact a doctor if you
notice that he is breathing loudly and his nostrils expand out with
each breath. His nails or lips are becoming blue. His mucus is thick,
runny and green. He has a cough that hasn't gone a way for more than
a week. His ears ache. His temperature is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
He has become more drowsy or grouchy.
How to Care For Your Baby
Medical experts tell us there
is no cure for the common cold. However, there are ways to alleviate
the miserable symptoms your baby undergoes.
Make sure he gets plenty
of rest and extra fluids. If he has a fever, give him acetaminophen
or if he's older that six months he may take ibuprofen (but don't give
it to your baby if he is dehydrated or continuously vomiting).
If your child has a cough
and is under three years old, don't give him a cough suppressing medicine
unless it was prescribed by a pediatrician. Coughing rids the lower
respiratory tract of mucus.
If your baby has nasal congestion,
you can use a rubber suction bulb to draw out the mucus from his nostrils.
If the mucus is too thick, you can apply saline nose drops to soften
the mucus before extracting with the bulb. A humidifier can also be
used in the baby's room to help liquefy the nasal secretions.
Concluding Thoughts
The best way for your baby
to avoid a cold is to not have him near people who are infected. But
if your baby gets a cold, the best thing you can do is make it comfortable
for him. Soon his cold symptoms will disappear and he'll be back to
health, that is, until the next episode. But by now you'll be ready
for that, won't you?
To learn more about newborns
and what you can expect during your baby's first year visit:
http://www.firstyearbabyadvice.com
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