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 are rhinoviruses, and babies often get colds because there are so 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 local defense function of the whole body or respiratory tract, such as cold, sudden climatic changes, fatigue, etc. can cause the viruses that are already present in the upper respiratory tract or invaded from outside to multiply rapidly, thus inducing colds. Question 1: Why do babies always catch colds? Is it because my 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 have poor health and need some checkups. In fact, it is normal for children from 6 months old to 6 years old to have 6-8 colds in a year, that is, 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. Question 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 are afraid to send their babies to kindergarten. In fact, from the time the baby goes to kindergarten, the baby enters a collective environment, because the 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 the beginning, nervousness, drink less water and other reasons caused by the baby repeatedly cold. Question 3: Can I take cold medicine for my baby’s cold? In the clinic, I meet parents who tell me that their babies have a cold and ask me if they can take cold medicine for their babies. In fact, colds are caused by viral infections and most of them will heal on their own, so try not to give over-the-counter cold medicine and cough suppressants to babies under 2 years old, as they 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 requires that no cold medicine be given to babies under 6 years of age, and even if they are over 6 years old, they should be used sparingly. Question 4: Do I need to take cough medicine for cough? In the clinic, I encounter parents who tell me that their baby has a severe cough and ask me if they can give them cough medicine. In fact, coughing is a protective mechanism of the organism, 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 medicine. Question 5: Can a cough become pneumonia? Many babies have a cough, sometimes a very bad cough, and many parents worry that it 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 an infection of the lungs caused by viruses or bacteria. Question 6: Should I take antibiotics for my baby’s cold? In the clinic, I will meet some parents who tell me that their baby has a very serious cold and ask me if they should give antibiotics to their baby. In fact, the cold is caused by a viral infection, there is no need to take antibiotics, and besides, taking antibiotics can cause allergies and later adverse reactions such as drug resistance in babies. Question 7: Can a 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. Question 8: How can I prevent my baby from being infected when someone in my family has a cold? In the clinic, there are often parents who tell me that someone in their family has a cold and 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. Question 9: Is a stuffy nose for babies a cold? In the clinic, there are often mothers who say that they do not take 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 stuffy nose, sometimes the doctor may diagnose the baby with cold or rhinitis, in fact, small babies with stuffy nose are not caused by cold, the reason is because the mother in the process of pregnancy will take the initiative to give the baby part of the antibodies, called stored antibodies, which have a protective effect on small babies, so small babies are not easy to catch a cold, as for why small babies have stuffy nose, sometimes The reason is that the nasal mucosa of small babies is sensitive to cold air and outside allergic substances, 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, and then use a nasal aspirator to help the baby suck out. However, there is no need to be nervous that the symptoms of nasal congestion in babies are mostly relieved by themselves in about 1 week. Question 10: Is it pneumonia if the baby coughs up sputum? Many mothers in the clinic ask why their babies make a “sibilant” sound in their throats when they are 1 to 2 months old. Is it because the baby has phlegm? Does the baby have pneumonia? In fact, sometimes when you hold your baby, you will feel a “sibilant” sound in your baby’s chest, sometimes you will feel a little vibration, and at night or at dawn, some babies will cough a little, sometimes even cough and spit out all the milk. 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 mostly 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.