Almost every baby has experienced a cold, and it is the most common reason for parents to bring their babies to the clinic. Do I need to see a doctor after a cold? Do I need to take medicine and antibiotics after a cold? How can colds be prevented and treated? What questions do parents have about colds? Welcome to refer to: pediatricians say – write to those parents who are being “baby cold” trouble
I. What is a cold?
A cold is an acute, self-limiting illness caused by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Symptoms include varying degrees of sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, fever, headache and malaise. It is also known as acute upper respiratory tract infection and is the most common illness in children.
What are the causes of colds?
Colds are caused by viral infections, the most common of which is rhinovirus, and babies often get colds because there are too many viruses in the environment. The viruses that cause colds are widespread in nature and even on the skin and mucous membrane surfaces of the human body; various causes that lead to a decrease in the systemic or respiratory tract local defense function, such as cold, sudden climate change, fatigue, etc. can make the viruses that are already present in the upper respiratory tract or invaded from outside multiply rapidly, thus inducing colds.
How do babies get infected?
Colds can be spread through person-to-person contact or caused by the baby’s exposure to viruses in the environment, and colds are most contagious in the second to fourth days of the cold.
1, direct contact – cold patients will have the virus on their hands, if the baby has touched a cold patient, the baby then touch the eyes, nose and mouth;
2, contact with residual virus on the surface of objects – some viruses can survive for 1 day on the surface of tables, doorknobs, toys. When the baby touches these objects;
3.Inhalation of virus – coughing or sneezing of a cold patient will discharge the virus into the air when the baby inhales.
Fourth, why is the baby easy to catch a cold?
Due to the anatomical characteristics of the baby’s upper respiratory tract, the baby’s immunity is also relatively low, the baby’s adaptation to the environment and cold air is also poor, the baby loves to move and is easily exposed to outside sources of infection, and sometimes parents have not paid attention to the baby’s diligent hand washing.
V. What are the symptoms of cold?
1.Sneezing, sniffling, runny nose
2.Cough
3.Fever
4.Sore throat
5.Headache, weakness, low appetite
6.Some babies may have vomiting and abdominal pain.
6.When do I need to see a doctor after catching a cold?
If your baby has the following symptoms, you should consider seeing a doctor
1.Baby less than 3 months old
2.Not eating or drinking for a long time
3.A change in behavior, such as irritability, irritability or low response
4.Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
5.After 3 days, there is still fever, temperature is still above 38.5ºC
6.Symptoms of nasal congestion or runny nose have not been relieved after 14 days
7.Red eyes and discharge
8.Symptoms of ear infection (ear pain, ear scratching, ear watering, etc.)
7.How can parents do after baby’s cold?
1.Maintain the appropriate environmental humidity is very necessary for the baby with respiratory tract infection, the appropriate humidity is 50%~60%;
2, replenish sufficient water, can reduce respiratory discomfort, facilitate the discharge of phlegm.
3.Try “steam bath” (stay with your baby in a bathroom full of water mist for 10-15 minutes), and use a lady’s “face steamer”.
Eight, how to treat after a cold?
Because the cold is a self-limiting disease caused by viral infection, it does not need special treatment itself, but mainly expectant therapy and symptomatic treatment.
Expectant therapy: The symptoms of the cold are serious in the first 3-5 days, and usually get better after 5 days, but the cough or runny nose will last for 10 days or more before it completely gets better.
Symptomatic treatment.
(1) Fever – reduce the fever with Merlin or Tylenol.
(2) Nasal congestion and runny nose – Large babies can have nasal sprays to relieve the symptoms of congestion or runny nose, while small babies can first have saline drops and then use suction balls to suck out the runny nose;
(3) Cough – Most of them don’t need cough suppressants, but they can apply phlegm remedies.
Nine, how to prevent colds?
1. Washing hands frequently is the most effective way to prevent colds, because viruses are everywhere and babies may come into contact with viruses at any time, so teach them how to wash their hands properly;
2.Avoid taking your baby to places where there are too many people;
3, although parents try to avoid their babies contact with cold patients, but to completely avoid the cold is more difficult, because the virus is everywhere.
X. Can colds have complications?
Although colds are not serious, complications can occur.
Otitis media: high fever (more than three days), ear pain, irritability and ear scratching.
Sinusitis: runny nose for more than ten days with no sign of improvement and thick yellow-green nasal discharge accompanied by cough, severe nasal congestion, headache, fever.
Triggered asthma or aggravation of asthma.
Bronchitis and pneumonia: high fever that does not go away and increased cough, shortness of breath, loss of appetite.
Eleven, parents often ask questions about colds.
1.Why do babies always catch colds? Is it because the baby has a poor constitution?
In the clinic, parents often tell me that their babies basically catch a cold once every 2-3 months and ask me if they are poorly and need to be checked.
In fact, it is normal for children from 6 months old to 6 years old to have 6-8 colds in a year, i.e. once every 2-3 months (even once a month during the susceptible season such as winter), because the baby’s environment may be exposed to viruses at any time, and the baby is susceptible. So it is not caused by the baby’s poor health, and generally do not need to do any examination.
2.Why do babies rarely catch a cold at home, but always catch a cold after going to kindergarten?
In the clinic, some parents often tell me that their babies seldom catch a cold when they were brought up at home, but they always catch a cold after going to kindergarten, and they even dare not send their babies to kindergarten.
In fact, from the time your baby goes to kindergarten, your baby enters a collective environment, because babies will come into contact with each other, and any one of them may catch a cold to the other babies. In addition, the baby is not quite adapted to the kindergarten environment at first, nervousness, drink less water and other reasons caused by the baby repeatedly cold.
3.Can I take cold medicine for my baby’s cold?
In the clinic, I will meet parents who tell me that their baby has a cold and ask me if they can give their baby cold medicine?
In fact, colds are caused by viral infections, most of which will heal on their own, so try not to give over-the-counter cold medicines and cough suppressants to babies under 2 years old, because these medicines will have some side effects. In addition, coughing is a self-protection mechanism for babies to clear respiratory secretions, so there is no need to deliberately suppress it. The U.S. FDA has stipulated not to give cold medicine to babies under 6 years old, and even if they are over 6 years old, they should be used sparingly.
4. Do I need to take cough medicine for cough?
In the clinic, I meet parents who tell me that their baby has a severe cough and ask if I can give them cough medicine.
In fact, coughing is a protective mechanism of the body, and coughing can clear the airway of clothes. Infants and children have a weak cough reflex, and if they take cough medicine to inhibit the cough reflex, the phlegm in the respiratory tract will be less likely to be discharged. Therefore, it is generally not recommended to give cough suppressants to babies, especially those under 6 years old. However, you can take some phlegm-relieving medication.
5. Can a cough become pneumonia?
Many babies have coughs, sometimes very badly, and many parents worry that the cough will turn into pneumonia.
In fact, coughing itself will not turn into pneumonia, but pneumonia can cause coughing, and coughing is just a manifestation of pneumonia. Pneumonia is mainly a lung infection caused by viruses or bacteria.
6. Should I take antibiotics for my baby’s cold?
In the clinic, I meet some parents who tell me that their baby has a very serious cold and ask me if they want to give their baby antibiotics?
In fact, the cold is caused by a viral infection, it is not necessary to take antibiotics, and after eating antibiotics will also cause allergies, later baby drug resistance and other adverse reactions.
7.Will the cold cause serious consequences to my baby?
In the clinic, I meet parents who tell me that their baby has a cold and they are very nervous about the adverse effects on their baby.
In fact, most colds can heal on their own and usually do not induce worse diseases, so parents do not need to be too nervous.
However, it should be noted that colds can also have some complications, such as otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc., so it also depends on the specific situation of the baby, and take the baby to the doctor when necessary.
8.How can I prevent my baby from being infected when someone in my family has a cold?
In the clinic, parents often tell me that someone in their family has a cold, how to prevent their baby from being infected?
In fact, one of the most important ways is to wash your hands regularly and stay away from your baby when sneezing or coughing. It is better to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and wipe your nose with a tissue.
9. Is a stuffy nose for babies a cold?
In the clinic, there are often mothers who say that they have not taken their babies out either, but why do they always have a stuffy nose? Is the baby having a cold?
In fact, small babies often have nasal congestion, sometimes the doctor may diagnose the baby is a cold or rhinitis, in fact, small infant nasal congestion is not caused by the cold, the reason is because the mother in the process of pregnancy will take the initiative to give the baby part of the antibodies, known as stored antibodies, the small baby has a protective effect, so small babies are not easy to catch a cold, as for why small babies will be nasal congestion, sometimes nasal congestion The main reason is that the nasal mucosa of small babies is sensitive to cold air and allergic substances from outside, plus the fact that babies under 2 months old are not very coordinated in simply breathing through their mouths, so nasal congestion is more serious. Another baby’s nasal congestion may also be related to genetics, such as the parents when they were small nasal congestion, the baby will be more likely to nasal congestion.
Parents in good weather, try to go out to the baby to make the baby adapt to the outside environment; if the baby’s living environment is dry, it is recommended to use a humidifier at home, such as baby Bao nasal secretions or boogers, available saline drops nose, and then use a nasal aspirator to help the baby suck out. But do not need to stress is that the symptoms of nasal congestion in the baby more in about 1 week on their own relief.
10.Is it pneumonia if the baby coughs up sputum?
Many mothers in the clinic ask why their babies are coughing at 1 to 2 months old and why there is a “sibilant” sound in their throats. Is it because the baby has phlegm? Does the baby have pneumonia?
In fact, sometimes when you hold your baby, you may feel a “sibilant” sound in your baby’s chest, sometimes you may feel a little vibration, and at night or at dawn, some babies may cough, sometimes even cough and spit out all the milk at the same time. When parents encounter such a situation, they are often very nervous about whether their little one has pneumonia. In fact, this kind of phlegm may be caused by the “accumulation of phlegm”, which is a problem of the baby’s constitution, and the baby may belong to an individual with strong airway secretion, similar to some babies who sweat a lot. Sometimes, as the baby breathes, the sound of air flow through the secretions is also the phlegm sound that parents hear. If the baby is in good spirits, eating milk normally, gaining weight regularly, without fever and other discomforts, parents need not be nervous because it is probably a normal “phlegm accumulation” phenomenon.
Parents should not treat “phlegm accumulation” as a baby’s illness and always let the baby stay at home and not let the baby go out. In good weather, when the haze is not serious, try to take the baby out to fresh air as much as possible, which is also a kind of exercise for the baby and can exercise the baby’s airway. Of course, if your baby has a fever, or is not in good spirits, or is not eating milk well, or if you think your baby has an abnormality, you should take your baby to a professional pediatrician.