How can you treat an infant for a cold? Signs of a cold in an infant, symptoms and safe treatment

Colds in infants are not uncommon. The body of infants is defenseless against viral infection, which is due to an incompletely formed immune system. Moreover, breastfed children are no less at risk than formula-fed children. Very often a cold in a child manifests itself abruptly. Young mothers should monitor the baby’s condition and, if appropriate symptoms occur, immediately seek help from a specialist. The best option in this case would be to call a doctor at home.

Cold symptoms in children

The first symptoms can manifest themselves in different ways: very often a cold is characterized by a sudden onset and rapid development. The main signs indicating that an infant has an acute respiratory disease are:

• cough;
• nasal congestion;
• sneezing;
• elevated body temperature.

The presence of a cold is also indicated by such manifestations as:

• poor appetite;
• weakness;
• capriciousness.

Symptoms of a cold in infants can be confused with those observed during teething, especially if the illness coincides with this period. Based on the baby’s condition, you can guess what exactly is causing him concern.

In some cases, the symptoms are complemented by a disorder of the digestive system: children experience vomiting and diarrhea. The onset of the disease may be accompanied by irritability. At the same time, the child sleeps poorly at night and is capricious.

Causes

The main cause of colds in infants (under 1 year) is a viral infection. The disease begins to progress only when the immune system is unable to provide adequate resistance.

Babies can catch a cold at any time of the year, but most often this happens in winter. A predisposing factor for the development of the disease may be contact with an infected person. The baby may get sick while walking in strong winds or simply become sweaty and hypothermic during the swaddling process.

Treatment

Before the doctor arrives, the young mother should adhere to certain rules. To avoid suffocation, it is recommended to place a pillow under the head of a child with a cold, and moderate air humidity should be maintained in the room where the newborn is located.

If the baby's body temperature reaches +38 degrees Celsius, it must be brought down without the help of medications. For these purposes, you can use a vinegar solution, which is prepared at the rate of 10 ml of vinegar per 1 liter of water. You can rub your baby’s body with a medicinal balm that contains eucalyptus oil.

The further scheme is determined by the pediatrician depending on the type of disease, the nature of its course and the severity of the manifestations. Colds in infants are not uncommon, and many methods of treating them have been developed. It is very important to provide the infant with proper conditions. During treatment, you can even take your baby for walks in the fresh air and bathe him. But to do this, you need to make sure that he managed to bring down the temperature.

If a child does not want to eat, you should not force him. During this period, the child’s body needs rest and tries to mobilize as much strength as possible to fight the infection. Hunger will only benefit him. It is necessary to ensure plenty of fluids. For these purposes, a medicinal herbal decoction, warm water and compotes with jelly are suitable. Ideally, breastfeeding should not be interrupted.

At high temperatures, the child may be prescribed antipyretic drugs such as Paracetamol, Panadol, Ibuprofen. It is best to use these medicines in the form of syrups.

To treat a runny nose, it is advisable to use vitamin oil drops or solutions such as Humera or Salina. For these purposes, sea buckthorn oil is suitable, with its help it relieves inflammation well. Vasoconstrictor drops can only be used at night or in case of otitis media. You can use sinus rinses. The ideal option in this case would be a saline solution or antiseptic compounds such as Miramistin.

A dry cough due to a viral infection can be relieved by inhalation of saline solution. In this case, homeopathic remedies such as Sponia and Bryonia will also help. If the cough is wet, children are given inhalation with Borjomi, massages and rubbing.

It is not recommended to prescribe expectorants to infants, since the child’s body may not be able to cope with a large amount of sputum, which can lead to the development of serious complications.

Traditional methods

Colds respond well to treatment using traditional methods. Most methods are safe for the health of children, even if they are only a few months old.

You can relieve your baby of nasal congestion by inhaling with soda or medicinal herbs, which quickly relieve inflammation. For these purposes, chamomile, sage, calendula, and eucalyptus are used. It is recommended to breathe over the steam with your child, especially if he is very small (3-4 months).

You can give your baby warm tea with raspberries and honey, milk with a small amount of butter, slightly concentrated apple juice or freshly squeezed juice.

Infants are allowed to apply compresses and steam their legs. The main condition for this is the absence of temperature. If it rises, it must be knocked down. To carry out the procedure, it is recommended to ensure an optimal water temperature of +37 to +40 degrees Celsius.

The therapeutic effect can be achieved through foods such as onions and garlic. You can’t add them to infants’ food, but you can hang a few above the crib. The impact will be achieved through the proliferation of phytocytes.

To make breathing easier, prevent the formation of crusts in the nose and reduce inflammation, it is important to ensure a sufficient degree of humidity in the room where the child is.

Prevention of colds in children

You can try to prevent the development of a cold using preventative measures. According to Dr. Komarovsky, for this you need to harden the child, not miss walks in the fresh air and feed him properly, including vitamin juices in the diet.

At the moment, there are a lot of multivitamin complexes designed specifically to strengthen the immune system of children. They can be used as a disease prevention, but only a doctor should prescribe them.

It is imperative to treat colds in infants. It is best if measures are taken at the initial stage of the disease. This way you can prevent the development of complications.

Illness in an infant always causes stress for its parents. A banal acute respiratory infection or acute respiratory viral infection (a cold in an infant) can lead to panic even for experienced married couples. Before the age of one year, the baby is not able to cough, blow his nose or gargle on his own. In addition, most cold medications are contraindicated for a one-month-old baby. As soon as parents detect the first signs of a cold in their baby, they should urgently show him to a specialist.

A respiratory infection in a newborn occurs when harmful bacteria or viruses enter the body. Also, a baby can become infected during hypothermia, when the immune system weakens. If a newborn is properly cared for, the risk of infection is not great, but this does not mean that infants cannot catch a cold. This happens because the baby’s immunity is very immature and vulnerable. This is why adults must be very attentive and observant.

If an infant shows the first signs of pathology, for example, loss of appetite, lethargy, moodiness, cough or runny nose, you should urgently show him to the doctor.

Only a pediatrician can determine how to treat colds in infants. Emergency help is necessary if the child has a temperature above 38 degrees. Emergency ambulance is necessary because the child’s body can react to the temperature unpredictably. In rare cases, high fever in children under one year of age can cause seizures and can also lead to death. In this case, a cold in newborns requires immediate treatment with antipyretics that correspond to the baby’s age category.

A respiratory virus, like many other pathologies, can cause fever in a child. The infection affects the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, causing an inflammatory process. If the baby has a runny nose, fever and cough, it means that the baby has a cold, which should be treated immediately.

How to protect your baby from contracting viral infections

The respiratory disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. This suggests that the baby must be isolated from the carrier of the virus. If this is not possible, then the patient should wear a mask and change it every hour. In addition, such an infection can be contracted through personal belongings and other household items. Therefore, dishes, the baby’s things and his toys should be constantly treated with soapy water. To reduce the risk of infection of the baby, it is recommended to regularly ventilate the room and carry out wet cleaning.

The most effective prevention of colds for an infant is feeding with mother's milk. Since breast milk contains antibodies, which, when they penetrate the baby’s bloodstream, prevent the development of pathologies.

It is necessary to take into account that even during the period of breastfeeding, it is important to follow the basic rules of caring for the baby: avoid malnutrition, violations of the daily routine, hygiene, and hypothermia. Since many factors can cause an acute pathological process, which is quite difficult to cure. The risk of severe disease and complications is associated with an underdeveloped immune system. Therefore, it is important to recognize in time that a baby has a cold, the symptoms of which must be eliminated at an early stage.

The main signs of a cold in an infant

Doctors have identified the following leading symptoms of respiratory disease in infants of the first year of life:

• nasal symptoms (heavy discharge, congestion);
• elevated temperature;
• cough and difficulty breathing;
• worsening sleep and mood.

Symptoms are expressed to varying degrees depending on the stage of development of the pathology. How to treat a cold in an infant, basic recommendations for drug treatment will be given by a pediatrician. But every mother should know some points about caring for a baby. A child should never be force-fed. It is better to offer those dishes that are easily digestible. An increased drinking regime is necessary, as dehydration is dangerous. It is better to give a sick baby water without additives to maintain fluid balance in the body.

Caring for your baby during a cold

If your baby has a high temperature, there is no need to wrap him up. The baby's thermoregulation is not yet perfect, so the child will not sweat, and overheating may cause convulsions and temperature shock. In an infant, treatment for a cold should begin only after examination by a pediatrician. It is unacceptable to wipe a month-old baby with water and alcohol or vinegar in order to bring down the temperature. Sudden changes in body temperature are very dangerous for children in the first year of life. Any composition rubbed into the skin will enter the newborn’s circulatory system, causing damage to the body. It is permissible to wipe the limbs, abdomen and neck with warm water. As the body temperature rises, the baby's face becomes crimson and the skin becomes hot. At temperatures up to 38 degrees, there is no need to use any antipyretics during a cold.

If at this time the baby’s skin turns pale and the limbs become cold, then these are the first signs of white fever. This condition is very dangerous for a small person, but no measures can be taken on your own. It is urgent to call a specialist.

If cold symptoms are pronounced, you should stop walking and bathing your baby. Fresh air is beneficial for nasal breathing, as it reduces shortness of breath and clears the sinuses. Therefore, if a child does not have a high temperature during a cold, then short regular walks will contribute to recovery.

Therapeutic measures during colds in children

Treatment of infection depends on the course of the disease and the manifestation of symptoms. If the pathology is not complicated, then on the fourth day all symptoms subside. If this does not happen, it means that secondary infections of a bacterial nature have joined the main illness. In this case, the doctor will be forced to prescribe antibiotics.

During a cold, the baby’s nasopharynx needs to be given special attention. Sinus congestion can be relieved with a mild saline solution. In order to eliminate mucus, it is better to use a pear or cotton pads. Any drops should not be used for more than five days, so as not to provoke addiction. The doctor may prescribe vasoconstrictor medications, which can be used up to three times a day. Children are also allowed some antihistamines. If, in addition to a cold, another bacterial disease has been diagnosed, then antibiotics are added to the treatment, and in difficult cases, corticosteroids.

Do not drip breast milk into the nasal cavity. Despite the fact that its composition has a bactericidal property, when it is in the nasal passages, milk will become an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms.

If the infection gets into the throat, then there is a risk of developing pharyngitis. In this case, mucus begins to form in the throat, which provokes a cough. This symptom is a protective reaction of the body. When you cough, phlegm and toxins are released from the body. Since the baby’s cough reflex is not sufficiently developed, it is impossible to determine the degree of development of the pathology from this symptom. It is best if a specialist treats the baby.

Use of medications for newborns during colds

Almost any drug can cause an unpredictable reaction in a newborn's body. Therefore, it is unacceptable to independently treat an infant. If the temperature is above thirty-eight degrees, you must call an ambulance. While waiting for the doctor, the child should be unswaddled and constantly given warm water. If your baby has a runny nose, you can use drops after getting the doctor's permission. Remaining mucus must be removed with a pear-shaped balloon. All medications and decoctions are given to the baby only in agreement with the pediatrician. Since using an unapproved drug can lead to serious complications. Traditional medicine should not be used to treat children under one year of age.

If your baby has a cold, you need to follow some rules.

1. It is necessary to consult a doctor, as consultation with him is mandatory for the use of any medications.
2. It is better to place a pillow under the baby's head so as not to provoke suffocation.
3. Provide a flow of moist warm air into the room.
4. At high temperatures, an enema is useful.
5. During a cough and runny nose, you can use rubbing your back, neck, and chest with a solution of eucalyptus oil.
6. Therapeutic baths with herbal components have an anti-inflammatory effect. After taking water procedures, the baby is wrapped up and put to bed. But swimming at high body temperature is unacceptable.
7. Several times a day you can make a compress with heated oil.
8. Cough syrup is allowed for children from six months. (“Doctor Theiss”, “Bronchicum”, “Tassama”).
9. Steam inhalation helps cope with cold symptoms.
10. Drinking plenty of fluids is good for your baby. It is better to use water without additives. But with the doctor’s permission, your baby can be given tea with lemon and rose hips.

A sick infant must be carefully cared for. But any treatment can be started only after consulting a doctor. In addition, the child must be examined in person by a pediatrician to establish the correct diagnosis.

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Classmates

A cold in a child usually occurs when the seasons change - during the transition from rainy autumn weather to cold winter weather. And vice versa - when frost changes to spring slush. In this article we will tell you how to recognize that your baby has a cold and what to do to help the little ones.

During the off-season, the child the risk of hypothermia increases: the parents didn’t choose the right clothes for the walk, opened the balcony for ventilation longer than expected, and created a draft in the apartment, which exposed the infant.

It is for these reasons that a newborn may catch a cold.

A cold in a baby has the following symptoms of the disease:

• general lethargy of the child or increased excitability;
• frequent whims;
• significant increase in sleep duration;
• mucus discharge from the nose, coughing, sneezing;
• changes in the child’s voice, the appearance of hoarseness;
• increased body temperature;
• refusal to eat.

First aid

During illness the child’s health condition deteriorates significantly. And in order not to aggravate it, it is better not to irritate the baby again - you should not shout at him, just as you should not force him to eat. The child will eat as much as he can. It makes sense to reduce the amount of food, but increase the number of feedings.

Harmful for babies and overheating. It's better for colds dress according to temperature conditions. But if the child is hot, you should choose lighter clothes.

Signs of fever are:

• redness of the skin;
• hot body;
• the desire to constantly throw off the blanket in a dream.

It is better to reduce the temperature with the help of medications.

Carefully! Using traditional methods - rubbing with vodka or vinegar - is strictly not recommended. These liquids will enter the baby’s body through the pores on the skin and cause poisoning.

Rubbing is only possible ordinary water heated to 35 degrees. First, the abdomen is blotted with a dampened towel, then the neck, groin and armpit areas.

Is it possible to do a massage if the baby has a cold? Massage for colds is contraindicated, as it will make it difficult for the child to breathe.

Since the impact will be on the chest, then the available lung capacity will decrease. And with a cold, the baby’s breathing can be difficult due to the large amount of mucus secreted from the nose and mouth, so massage will become even more difficult.

On a note! It is even recommended to bathe a baby if he has a cold - water will remove harmful substances from the child’s skin, which are removed from the body along with sweat.

You can walk with your baby, but only if the weather is favorable - without piercing wind, rain and sleet.

Can a baby get infected from his mother?

Hypothermia is not a contagious disease. Another thing is that against the background of a weakening of the body various viruses and bacteria can become attached, who can “run” to the child from the mother or other close relatives.

When feeding

Is it possible to breastfeed a child if he or his mother has a cold? When mom has a cold It is strictly not recommended to wean a child from the breast. Breast milk contains fragments of inactive bacteria and antibodies, helping the child strengthen his own immunity to the disease.

Important! If during a period of illness you try to reorient your baby to formula feeding, then he will have to independently develop protection against infectious processes, without the help of antibodies.

The only time you should stop breastfeeding is if the mother switched to treatment with strong antibiotics. Then, even after the end of treatment, you will have to not give the baby mother’s milk for some time - until the bactericidal drugs leave the body. However It is possible and necessary for a mother to maintain lactation, even during your own treatment.

How not to infect

If your mother has a cold, what can you do? some simple steps to protect your child from accidental illness:

• ask relatives to stay with the baby while the mother receives medical procedures or rests a little;
• wash nipples with soap before feeding, change underwear more often - this will remove accumulated bacteria;
• wash floors daily and wipe door handles, telephones, television remotes - objects that “collect” bacteria;
• get yourself separate dishes for eating so as not to spread bacteria among your family;
• wear a medical mask and change it after 3 hours;
• use disposable tissues when sneezing and blowing your nose;
• transfer the child to a freshly ventilated room while sleeping, and the mother can rest in her own.

It is important not to limit the baby’s communication with his mother so that he does not feel abandoned - stroke him more often, talk, sing, read.

How to treat

There is no point in dealing with the symptoms of the disease on your own - Without the advice of a pediatrician, medications can harm the baby. His condition will worsen or a complication will appear in the form of an allergy, which will have to be eliminated additionally. Medicine for cold symptoms should only be recommended by a pediatrician.

Carefully! The first step you need to take is to visit your doctor and get professional advice on how to treat your cold.

Treatment of a baby begins with regulating the conditions in which the baby lives. The room where the child spends more time it is necessary to ventilate. In winter three times a day is enough, and in summer it is necessary provide a constant flow of fresh air.

It is not recommended to lower the temperature if the child is feeling well, so as not to overload the body with medications.

If there is no temperature - you can go for a walk with your baby. Fresh air will “drive” harmful bacteria out of the body, and, accordingly, speed up recovery.

Carefully! If the temperature rises significantly - up to 38.5 degrees - it is recommended to give an antipyretic, for example, Ibuprofen in the form of syrup.

Antibiotics for the treatment of colds in infants contraindicated. If they are taken uncontrolled, the child’s body may react unpredictably to them.

On a note! Usually a cold in a baby is treated at home. The hospital is resorted to only in case of complications - pneumonia, meningitis or osteomyelitis.

It is also unacceptable to use vasoconstrictor drugs to eliminate a runny nose in a newborn. Nasal discharge it is better to remove it using a mechanical aspirator. This procedure can be preceded by instilling a few drops of boiled water into each nostril.

How can I help you

List of approved drugs for the treatment of infants is limited. What medications can be given to a newborn for a cold? The main remedies that a doctor can recommend are: belong to the following groups:

• Immunostimulating. These are synthetic substances that are used to weaken the immune system. Interferon and its derivatives are most in demand. Suppositories are optimal for infants - they do not cause complications in the body.
• For sore throat. The cause of the symptom is damage to the mucous membrane. Drugs in this group have a complex effect. They restore the mucous membrane, rid the mouth of germs and soften the throat.
• Antipyretics. These drugs, as a rule, only bring down the temperature without affecting the inflammatory process itself. Therefore, you should not get carried away with them.
• For a runny nose. Such remedies can also be prescribed to a baby. Usually the most gentle drugs are offered - Aquamaris, Miramistin in sprays.

Children under one year old drugs are selected individually. As a rule, these are herbal medicines, sprays and drops with sea water, antipyretics based on paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Therapy at 1 month

Newborns with a cold can only be given medications on doctor's recommendation. Immunostimulants - Viferon or Ruferon - can be used in treatment. There are no universal remedies for sore throat and cough - everything is prescribed individually.

Procedures to reduce fever you can start only when it reaches a value of 38 degrees or higher. In this case, rub the tummy, neck, and limbs with warm water every 3 hours.

Used for runny nose weak saline solutions with a frequency of no more than 5 times a day. Mucus is removed using cotton swabs, mechanical aspirators or a medical syringe.

At 2 months

Babies of this age are treated similarly to 1-month-old infants with a slight expansion of the list of drugs. The appointment is made by the attending pediatrician. Immunostimulants - Viferon or analogues - are used in the form of rectal suppositories.

It is best to eliminate fever rubbing with warm water. You can use children's Paracetamol, Ibuprofen in the form of syrup, as well as rectal suppositories (Efferalgan and analogues), observing the dosage according to age.

To cleanse the nasal passages you can apply saline solution, which is instilled with an aspirator or syringe. Vasoconstrictor drugs are not used.

At 3 months

At this age, cold treatment follows a scenario similar to 1 and 2 months. At first - calling the attending physician, who will prescribe the necessary medications.

Immunostimulants are still indicated for use. To reduce the temperature, rubbing with cool water, rectal suppositories (with Paracetamol), and Ibuprofen in the form of syrup are suitable.

To eliminate a runny nose you can use saline or Aquamaris.

At 6-10 months

The start of treatment is standard - calling a pediatrician at home or visiting him at the clinic. Standard immunostimulating agents are used - interferon rectal suppositories.

A temperature above 38 degrees is an additional reason to see a doctor. Ibuprofen syrups and Paracetamol-based suppositories are used as antipyretics.

Important! Cough treatment is possible with special syrups and inhalation solutions, but only as prescribed by a doctor. To ensure that your doctor can recommend the right remedy, carefully monitor the nature and intensity of your cough.

Mucus from nasal passages removed with special saline solutions– Aquamaris, Miramistin. Mechanical means are also used - aspirators, medical syringes.

If a runny nose does not go away but leads to complications, then the doctor may prescribe vasoconstrictor medications. They are used limited period of time– 3-4 days.

Redness of the throat also treated with herbal decoctions and antiseptic drugs. There are no universal remedies - everything is prescribed taking into account the individual characteristics of the course of the disease.

Useful video

The experience of one mother whose newborn caught a cold:

Conclusion

1. The most important recommendation for parents is not to miss the onset of illness and react promptly to it. Measuring the temperature every three hours, as well as observing the child’s behavior, will help you quickly seek help for treatment.
2. Treatment of colds in very young children limited by age. If possible, it is better to use “light” medications, and also create conditions for the baby to recover quickly.
3. Symptoms of the disease She will tell you which manifestations of a cold need to be “blocked” first. If the baby has symptoms of hypothermia, but changes in behavior are insignificant, you can limit yourself to dynamic observation of the baby on the first day. Further, if the condition worsens, a visit to the doctor is required.

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Colds are those types of diseases that develop when the body is severely overcooled or its protective functions are reduced. Experts say that the course of colds in infants has its own nuances and this is associated with some characteristics of age.

When treating infants, the use of many medications is not allowed, and at this age, children do not yet have the skills to gargle. It is important for a young mother to know the signs in her baby in order to consult a specialist in time and prevent the progression of the disease.

It is probably unlikely to meet a child who has never had a cold. It is this disease that raises the most questions among mothers, especially the signs of this pathology and methods of treating it in infancy.

Many parents associate the appearance with teething in their child, and do not take any measures to eliminate it. This situation can be quite dangerous, since most often the cause of a cold is the penetration of a certain infection into the child’s body and the absence of an effective one can result in the development of severe complications.

It is for this reason that you should refrain from making independent diagnoses for an infant and, at the first signs of illness, seek help from specialists.

It is important for a young mother to know the signs by which a cold can be distinguished from normal teething:

• the child has increased salivation
• the baby tries to put any object into his mouth
• a careful examination of the gums reveals their soreness and swelling
• baby sleeps restlessly at night

Most often, the development of a cold in a child’s body occurs very quickly and unexpectedly. This manifests itself in the fact that in the evening the child can feel great and not cause any concern to the parents, but in the morning he can wake up sneezing.

Often the virus penetrates simultaneously into the ears, throat and nose, which is the reason for the simultaneous development of such symptoms. In addition, with some colds, characteristic symptoms are accompanied by vomiting and stool disorders.

At the initial stage of development of a cold, an infant may experience increased irritability and a slight runny nose. As the disease progresses, the nasal cavity gradually darkens and becomes thicker. In addition, a cold is often accompanied by the appearance of a cold, the duration of which may vary.

Symptoms of the disease

A cold in a child is accompanied by the appearance of certain symptoms, among which the most common are:

• the infant becomes too lethargic or, conversely, very excitable
• Mom notices frequent whims on the part of the child
• There may be problems with sleep, and the baby begins to sleep much more than usual
• there is the appearance of mucous discharge from the nose, frequent sneezing and
• may change and his hoarseness appears
• body lifting occurs frequently
• possible refusal to eat, which is accompanied by severe crying

If such signs appear, you should definitely show the child to a specialist who will conduct an examination and make a final diagnosis.

Cold treatment

An increase in temperature in an infant is a peculiar reaction of the body to a decrease in immunity.

Experts say that the higher the baby’s body temperature rises, the more actively the body produces such a special substance as interferon. This substance is the main weapon in the fight against viruses that infect the child’s body.

If the temperature rises above 38 degrees in a child under three months old, this is a dangerous signal and you should seek help from a pediatrician as soon as possible. This is due to the fact that any medications intended for reduction at this age can provoke the development of an unpredictable reaction. In such a situation, a specialist can provide assistance to the baby if necessary and prevent the development of severe complications.

After the age of three months, it is recommended to take antipyretic drugs when the temperature rises above 38.5 degrees, and be sure to call a pediatrician.

1. If the child's head is tilted too far, the risk of suffocation increases, so it is recommended to place a pillow under his head. In addition, it is important to monitor the condition of the air in the room, that is, it should be moderately humid.
2. When the body temperature rises above 38 degrees, you can rub the child’s body with a light vinegar solution, which is prepared as follows: add 10 ml of vinegar to one liter of warm water. In addition, some experts recommend in this case to cleanse the child’s intestines, that is, give an enema.
3. Often, colds in infants are accompanied by the appearance of and, which cause a lot of anxiety for both the child and his mother. In such a situation, it is recommended to rub the baby’s body with special balms that contain eucalyptus oil.
4. When a child has a cold, you can take medicinal baths with the addition of herbal preparations. After such a bath, the baby should be well wrapped and put to rest.
5. If your child has a severe cold, you can apply special ones with vegetable oil. First, slightly warm it up, saturate the fabric with it and apply it to the body. The top of the compress is covered with polyethylene and wrapped in a warm scarf or towel. You can apply such warming compresses to your child several times during the day.
6. Treatment of cough, which often occurs with a cold, at this age can be done with the help of various. However, it is important to know that cough can be both dry and wet, so it is necessary to select a drug taking into account this feature.

Treatment of colds, which is accompanied by taking medications, should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Video about how to treat ARVI in infants and children over 1 year old.

• Breast milk is considered the best immunostimulant in childhood, as it can improve the baby’s immunity.
• During an epidemic of respiratory diseases, it is recommended to avoid places with large crowds of people
• Be sure to ventilate the room in which the child is located
• If a close family member is sick, be sure to wear a gauze bandage and not get close to the child
• Be sure to walk with your child every day in the fresh air
• carry out various hardening procedures
• You should dress your child only according to the weather
• A good prevention against this is to rinse the child’s nose with a solution of sea salt or Salin

Of course, it is best to prevent any disease than to waste time and money on it later. A cold in infants can have various symptoms, however, its treatment should only be carried out by a specialist.

Cold in an infant

Infants are especially susceptible to various diseases. But most of all, infants suffer from colds. There are even unofficial statistics that in the first two years of life a child catches colds 8-10 times. However, this does not mean at all that you should not pay attention to colds in children. Therefore, young parents should be aware of the characteristics of this disease specifically in an infant.

The common cold is caused by one of many viruses. Signs of the disease include: fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough. Doctors recommend: For a common cold, you can rely on home remedies approved by your pediatrician.

However, not all so simple. It should be remembered that even the most common cold can lead to complications. Very often, parents cannot recognize other, more complex diseases behind the symptoms of this disease.

You should immediately consult a doctor if your baby has a severe headache (of course, this symptom is almost impossible to notice in an infant), if the baby has difficulty breathing, or if the temperature is higher or lower than normal. You should be especially concerned when the baby's body temperature rises to 40°C.

During an illness in a baby, parents should do everything possible to ensure that the child recovers quickly. It is important to remember that children, like other patients, need a constant supply of fresh air. If it is warm outside, then you need to take your baby outside. When this is not possible and it is cold outside, the room must be ventilated frequently.

In addition, we must not forget about constant cleaning of dust, which irritates the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

The greatest concern for young mothers is what to do if their infant has a runny nose. After all, in this case it is very difficult for the baby to breathe, because they do not yet know how to inhale through the mouth, as adults can. In addition, even the process of eating causes difficulties: it is difficult for the child to suck without inhaling through the nose.

It is important to free the baby's nose from discharge as quickly as possible. To do this, you can buy special suction cups - they are designed specifically for cleaning the nose of an infant. You can also use a regular small rubber bulb.

After the nose is cleansed, drops can be applied. Pediatricians recommend that children under one year of age use breast milk and warm saline in a 1:1 ratio. You should not drip liquid into your nose, but actively rinse it. You can also do this with chamomile decoction.

The structure of the nasopharynx of an infant is slightly different from the nasopharynx of an adult, and if an infection gets there, it immediately goes lower, to the pharynx. Thus, if a baby has nasal discharge, then most likely his throat also hurts. It’s also unpleasant that the infection can just as quickly get into the auditory tubes, and this can lead to ear inflammation.

When a runny nose begins to go away, then all the dangers are not far behind. A large number of crusts appear in the nose, and this leads to unpleasant sensations in the child. To remove these crusts, you need to gently clean the baby's nose with a cotton swab. Before doing this, it is advisable to lubricate the lining of the nose with baby oil.

To summarize, the following symptoms are typical for a cold in an infant: elevated body temperature, refusal to eat, tearfulness, cough, runny nose, and diarrhea is also possible.

We must remember that infants under three months of age need to be examined by a doctor at the slightest deviation in health. So it’s not worth self-medicating at all, especially since prescribing medications for children against colds is the competence of a pediatrician.

Colds in a child under one year old

Of course, any parent does everything in his power to protect his child from various types of diseases. For parents, a child’s illness always becomes a cause for concern, brings a lot of grief and requires effort to eliminate it. But, unfortunately, many viruses do not spare even very young children - this will be confirmed by many mothers and fathers who have encountered colds in children under one year old. This problem becomes especially relevant in the autumn and spring, when many viruses circulate in the air that can even infect infants.

If a cold essentially does not pose any obvious threats to an adult and can be cured in a matter of days, then a cold in children under one year of age requires a special approach. It is well known that it is under no circumstances possible to treat children according to the standard regimen that is acceptable for treating adults. This means that it is necessary to eliminate colds in children under one year old using methods suitable specifically for this age.

Colds in children of the first year of life are usually accompanied by symptoms common to this disease. Deterioration in the baby’s well-being is expressed in anxiety, increased tearfulness, and frequent sneezing; then nasal congestion, cough, rapid breathing, a slight and sometimes significant increase in temperature, and watery eyes appear. Doctors strongly recommend that after the manifestation of characteristic cold symptoms in a child under one year old, seek qualified advice: the pediatrician will be able to timely determine the severity of the disease, determine a number of methods that will help cope with the virus and avoid severe cold consequences.

Colds in children under one year of age are very inconvenient for both the child and the parents. A child at this age cannot yet explain what is bothering him, and parents, in turn, cannot use treatment approved for use at an older age. Thus, the treatment of colds in infants is a very responsible task, requiring a special approach and thoroughness.

One of the most effective methods of fighting colds in children under one year of age is rubbing, therapeutic massage and a healing bath using herbal preparations adapted for children. It should be noted that such steps can only be taken if the baby’s temperature does not exceed 38 degrees; otherwise, treatment methods will have to be adjusted. Both for rubbing and for medicinal baths, you can use herbal preparations, which include the herbs of thermopsis, thyme, coltsfoot, eucalyptus leaves, and plantain. The massage is carried out by rubbing the skin of the chest, back, neck, legs for 5-7 minutes. For this, products such as bronchicum balm, Doctor MOM ointment, and Doctor Theiss eucalyptus balm are used. Therapeutic baths can be another effective way to fight colds in children under one year old. To prepare a healing bath, herbal preparations bronchicum-bath, eucabal-balsam are used, and the temperature of the water in the bath should not exceed 38 degrees and it must be maintained constantly - adding hot water as necessary.

Since colds in children under one year of age are often accompanied by a runny nose, this problem will have to be solved among all others. Children at this age cannot yet blow their nose on their own, and ordinary nasal drops against a runny nose are contraindicated for them. The task of parents is to make it easier for the baby to breathe and activate the release of mucus from the nose. To do this, the mattress under the child’s head should be raised slightly so that the baby’s head rises slightly: this facilitates the flow of mucus from the nasopharynx, the child can breathe easier, and the risk that he will inhale snot is significantly reduced. In the room where there is a baby with a cold, it is necessary to maintain sufficiently warm and humid air. You can also resort to clearing mucus from the baby’s nose with a cotton swab, and instead of drops, drop a few drops of breast milk into the nose.

If all efforts fail to prevent a cough in time, herbal teas - from nettle leaves, linden or chamomile flowers, ready-made Hipp pharmacy tea consisting of thyme, anise and mint - will help relieve this cold symptom. In addition to using teas, again, you should not neglect rubbing - using special herbal preparations for rubbing makes breathing easier, relieves inflammation, thins mucus, thereby promoting its elimination, and generally reduces coughing. It is also possible to use cough syrups for children in the first year of life - in strict accordance with the instructions and preferably after consulting a doctor. To reduce cough during colds in children under one year old, Doctor Theiss syrup, Doctor MOM herbal cough syrup are allowed to be used, for older children 8-12 months old - Bronchicum or Tussamag cough syrups.

Regarding the temperature, which also often accompanies colds in the youngest: until the temperature rises above 38-38.5 degrees, it is not recommended to bring it down. An increase in temperature is evidence of the baby’s body fighting the virus, during which the necessary immunity is developed. And it is quite possible that the child will be able to cope with the pathogen on his own, thereby further strengthening the immune system. But if the temperature nevertheless rises beyond the limit of 38.-38.5 degrees, measures should be taken to reduce the fever. To reduce the temperature, you should initially use available methods: wiping with warm water (with the addition of a small amount of vinegar), be sure to drink plenty of fluids and the indicated temperature in the room. It is necessary to do everything to make the child sweat: heat will go away along with sweat, which means the temperature will drop. So, the temperature in the room should be no lower than 18 and no higher than 22 degrees; it is not recommended to wrap the baby tightly - this can provoke an even greater rise in temperature. As an antipyretic drug, it is better to use drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen, preferably in the form of rectal suppositories. But it should be borne in mind that it is necessary to bring down the temperature gradually - a sharp decrease in it can lead to the occurrence of febrile convulsions. In addition, sudden changes in temperature increase the load on the cardiovascular system.

If a cold in children under one year of age is accompanied by a temperature rise above 38 degrees, it is advisable to immediately call a doctor. The same as in the case if, despite all the measures taken after his visit, the temperature did not drop. Reasons to seek urgent medical help should include difficulty or rapid breathing in a baby with a cold, the appearance of a rash of any form, wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, watery eyes (may be a sign of conjunctivitis or an ear infection).