overview
A cold is a viral infection of your baby’s nose and throat. A stuffy nose and a runny nose are the main indicators of a cold.
Babies are particularly prone to colds, partly because they are often surrounded by other older children. In addition, they have not yet developed immunity to many common infections. In the first year of life, most babies have up to seven colds; They can have more when they are in daycare.
Treating a cold in babies involves relieving their symptoms, such as: B. providing fluids, moisturizing the air and helping to keep the nasal passages open. Very young infants should see a doctor at the first sign of a cold to make sure they don’t have croup, pneumonia, or other more serious illnesses.
symptom
Often the first clue about a cold in a baby is:
A stuffy or runny nose
Runny nose that may be clear at first but thicken and turn yellow or green
Other signs and symptoms of a cold in a baby might include:
fever
Sneeze
to cough
Decreased appetite
irritability
Difficult sleep
Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle feeding due to a blocked nose
The reasons
The common cold is an infection of the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract infection) that can be caused by more than 100 viruses. Rhinoviruses are the most common.
Once your baby is infected with a virus, they usually become immune to that virus. But because many viruses cause colds, your baby can have several colds each year and several throughout their life. In addition, some viruses do not produce lasting immunity.
A cold virus gets into your baby’s mouth, nose, or eyes. Your baby can become infected with a virus by:
Air: When a sick person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, they can transmit the virus directly to your baby.
Direct contact. A person with a cold that touches your baby’s hand can pass the cold virus on to your baby, which can become infected by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
Contaminated surfaces. Some viruses live on surfaces for two hours or more. Touching a contaminated surface, e.g. B. a toy, get a virus.
Risk factors
There are several factors that put infants at greater risk of colds.
Immature immune system. Infants are naturally at risk for the common cold because they have not been exposed or have not developed resistance to most of the viruses that cause them.
Contact with other children. Infants spend time with other children who don’t always wash their hands or cover up coughs and sneezes, which increases the risk of catching a cold.
Period of the year. Children and adults are more prone to colds from autumn to late spring.
prevention
The best defense against colds is common sense and frequent hand washing.
Keep your baby away from anyone who is sick. If you have a newborn baby, do not allow sick people to visit you. Whenever possible, avoid public transportation and public gatherings with your newborn.
Wash your hands before feeding or touching your baby. If soap and water are not available, use hand towels or gels that contain alcohol.
Clean your baby’s toys and pacifiers frequently.
Teach everyone in the house to cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw it away. If you cannot reach for a tissue in time, you will cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm.