Why does my baby get so many colds?
One reason that babies get a lot of colds is that their immune systems are immature, making them more vulnerable to illness. In addition, more than 200 different viruses cause the common cold and your child is developing immunity to them one at a time. Think of all the colds you've had in your lifetime. Your baby would have to get all of those – and more – to be immune to all cold viruses.
As your baby grows, he's
likely to be exploring a lot and touching (and licking!) everything, so
it's easy for him to pick up a cold virus on his hands. Then all he has
to do is put his fingers in his mouth or nose or rub his eyes, and the
virus will get a chance to set up shop.
Your baby may get sick more often during the fall and winter months because cold air and indoor heating dry out his nasal membranes, making it easier for a cold virus to get a foothold there. He also spends more time during cold weather cooped up indoors, where viruses can spread more easily from one person to another.
Most children average between six and ten colds per year. In families with children in daycare or school, the number of colds can reach 12 per year! (The average adult gets two to four colds annually.)
If your baby is running a fever, watch her when her fever comes down. If she plays and eats normally (or almost normally – she might eat a bit less and drag a little), then it's probably a cold. If she acts ill even when her temperature drops, though, she may have something more serious than a cold.
Also, a flu or other illness is more likely to have an abrupt onset, and is more likely to be accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting. On the other hand, if congestion or coughing shows up before any fever, it's more likely that your child has a cold.
Itchy, watery eyes and nose are hallmarks of an allergy, as are repeated sneezing attacks and itchy skin that lasts for weeks or months. Also, the mucus coming out of your baby's nose will continue to run clear, rather than thickening and turning yellow or green as it tends to in children with colds. Allergies won't cause your child to run a fever.
Since most children can't master nose blowing until about age 4, here are a few ways to help ease your baby's congestion.
Never use a pillow or a sleep positioner to prop up your baby since they could cause your baby to suffocate. And don't put anything under the legs of the crib because that could make it unstable.
Keep in mind that cough and cold medications won't shorten the course of your child's cold or prevent further complications such as ear infections or sinus infections.
If your baby is feverish, ask your doctor about giving her infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Never give your baby aspirin as it makes her more susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.
For more safe ways to soothe your baby's symptoms, see our article on home remedies that really help.
A word of warning: Never use the Chinese herb ma huang, also known as ephedra or ephedrine, an herbal decongestant. Its potency can vary widely, and the Food and Drug Administration has linked it to bad reactions in adults, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, heart attack, and stroke. Always talk to your doctor before giving your baby any kind of medicine, conventional or otherwise.
If your baby is between 3 and 6 months, the doctor may want you to call if her temperature reaches 101 degrees F, and if she's over 6 months, 103 degrees F. (Ask your baby's doctor for her guidelines.)
No matter what your baby's age, call if you notice any of the following:
To the extent you can, keep your baby away from sick children or adults. They'll understand if you ask them to postpone a visit until they're not contagious.
Keep in mind that babies in daycare get more colds than those kept at home simply because they're exposed to more kids and, hence, more germs. Make sure your childcare provider is conscientious about washing her hands. And make sure you wash up, too – especially after changing diapers and before preparing food.
Keep your baby well hydrated. Again, for babies under 4 months this means making sure they continue their normal breast- or formula-feeding routine. After that age, you can give your baby a little water as well, and at 6 months you can introduce your baby to juice. If your baby is hydrated, he should be wetting at least five or six diapers a day.
Secondhand smoke can put your baby at higher risk for upper respiratory problems, so stay clear of cigarette smokers and keep your baby away from areas where someone has been smoking. Children who live with cigarette smokers have more colds and their colds last longer than those of children who aren't exposed to smoke.
Finally, breastfeed for as long as you can. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a year to reap the health benefits of breast milk.) Although it's not a fail-safe guard against infection, studies have shown that breastfed babies get sick less often than their formula-fed peers because the antibodies in breast milk protect against a host of germs.
Your baby may get sick more often during the fall and winter months because cold air and indoor heating dry out his nasal membranes, making it easier for a cold virus to get a foothold there. He also spends more time during cold weather cooped up indoors, where viruses can spread more easily from one person to another.
Most children average between six and ten colds per year. In families with children in daycare or school, the number of colds can reach 12 per year! (The average adult gets two to four colds annually.)
How can I tell if he has a cold and not the flu or some other illness, or even allergies?
It can be tricky. If your baby has a cold, she might have a runny nose with clear mucus that may thicken and turn gray or yellow or green over the next week or so. She might have a cough or a low-grade fever.If your baby is running a fever, watch her when her fever comes down. If she plays and eats normally (or almost normally – she might eat a bit less and drag a little), then it's probably a cold. If she acts ill even when her temperature drops, though, she may have something more serious than a cold.
Also, a flu or other illness is more likely to have an abrupt onset, and is more likely to be accompanied by diarrhea or vomiting. On the other hand, if congestion or coughing shows up before any fever, it's more likely that your child has a cold.
Itchy, watery eyes and nose are hallmarks of an allergy, as are repeated sneezing attacks and itchy skin that lasts for weeks or months. Also, the mucus coming out of your baby's nose will continue to run clear, rather than thickening and turning yellow or green as it tends to in children with colds. Allergies won't cause your child to run a fever.
How should I treat my baby's cold?
No medicine will make a virus go away faster, but you can help your baby feel better and prevent the infection from getting worse by making sure he gets plenty of rest and liquids. For babies under 4 months, that means breast milk or formula. At 4 months your baby can also have a little water, and at 6 months he can start drinking juices.Since most children can't master nose blowing until about age 4, here are a few ways to help ease your baby's congestion.
- Use saline and suction.
Tip your baby's head back and squeeze over-the-counter saline (salt
water) drops into his nostrils to loosen up the mucus. Then suction out
the liquid and mucus a few minutes later with a rubber bulb syringe or nasal aspirator.
If your baby is having trouble nursing with a stuffy nose, try this tactic about 15 minutes before a feeding. He'll then be able to breathe and suck at the same time. - Apply petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils to reduce irritation. (Don't use nasal sprays on your baby unless his doctor says it's okay. They may work temporarily but can cause a rebound effect, making the congestion worse with continued use.)
- Moisten the air. Use a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer to moisten the air in your baby's room. Or take your baby into the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water, close the door, and sit in the steamy room for about 15 minutes. A warm bath can accomplish the same thing.
Never use a pillow or a sleep positioner to prop up your baby since they could cause your baby to suffocate. And don't put anything under the legs of the crib because that could make it unstable.
Is it okay to give my baby over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicine?
Most experts say no. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises doctors to tell their patients that OTC cough and cold medicines aren't effective in children younger than 6 and can sometimes have dangerous side effects. You may want to ask your child's doctor what he suggests.Keep in mind that cough and cold medications won't shorten the course of your child's cold or prevent further complications such as ear infections or sinus infections.
If your baby is feverish, ask your doctor about giving her infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Never give your baby aspirin as it makes her more susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.
What natural or alternative treatments can help relieve my baby's cold symptoms?
Adding a few drops of menthol, eucalyptus, or pine oil to a vaporizer or bath may help your baby feel less congested, says Kathi Kemper, professor of pediatrics, public health sciences, and family medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and author of The Holistic Pediatrician. (You can get these oils at most natural food stores.) If your baby is at least 6 months old, a weak, lukewarm solution of chamomile tea can also be soothing.For more safe ways to soothe your baby's symptoms, see our article on home remedies that really help.
A word of warning: Never use the Chinese herb ma huang, also known as ephedra or ephedrine, an herbal decongestant. Its potency can vary widely, and the Food and Drug Administration has linked it to bad reactions in adults, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, heart attack, and stroke. Always talk to your doctor before giving your baby any kind of medicine, conventional or otherwise.
When should I call the doctor?
If your child is younger than 3 months, you should call the doctor at the first sign of illness, particularly if your baby has a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (taken rectally) or a cough.If your baby is between 3 and 6 months, the doctor may want you to call if her temperature reaches 101 degrees F, and if she's over 6 months, 103 degrees F. (Ask your baby's doctor for her guidelines.)
No matter what your baby's age, call if you notice any of the following:
- Any fever that lasts more than two days.
- A worsening cough, rapid breathing (more than 60 breaths a minute), wheezing, or gasping. These symptoms could be a sign of pneumonia or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a relatively common but potentially serious respiratory illness in babies under age 1.
- Pulling or rubbing her ear, crying when sucking during a feeding, or crying uncharacteristically when being put to bed, all of which suggest an ear infection.
- Goopy or tearing eyes, which may be a sign of pinkeye.
- Extreme fussiness, unusual sleepiness, or a significant change in feeding or sleeping habits.
- Your baby takes a turn for the worse instead of starting to improve after five to seven days, or her cold symptoms last for more than 14 days.
Is there anything I can do to cut down on the number of colds my baby gets?
You can't prevent every cold, but there are things you can do to minimize your baby's exposure and boost his defenses. For starters, make sure family members and friends wash their hands before picking up your baby (this is particularly important around newborns, who are even more susceptible to illness than 1- or 2-month-old babies).To the extent you can, keep your baby away from sick children or adults. They'll understand if you ask them to postpone a visit until they're not contagious.
Keep in mind that babies in daycare get more colds than those kept at home simply because they're exposed to more kids and, hence, more germs. Make sure your childcare provider is conscientious about washing her hands. And make sure you wash up, too – especially after changing diapers and before preparing food.
Keep your baby well hydrated. Again, for babies under 4 months this means making sure they continue their normal breast- or formula-feeding routine. After that age, you can give your baby a little water as well, and at 6 months you can introduce your baby to juice. If your baby is hydrated, he should be wetting at least five or six diapers a day.
Secondhand smoke can put your baby at higher risk for upper respiratory problems, so stay clear of cigarette smokers and keep your baby away from areas where someone has been smoking. Children who live with cigarette smokers have more colds and their colds last longer than those of children who aren't exposed to smoke.
Finally, breastfeed for as long as you can. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a year to reap the health benefits of breast milk.) Although it's not a fail-safe guard against infection, studies have shown that breastfed babies get sick less often than their formula-fed peers because the antibodies in breast milk protect against a host of germs.
