Symptoms and treatment of colds in babies, prevention: how not to infect a baby

Unfortunately, colds in very young children are quite common. Their danger is that, if diagnosed late, they can be quite difficult and be accompanied by dangerous complications. This article will tell you about the main symptoms of a cold and its treatment in infants, and you will also learn about the prevention of colds in childhood.

First signs

Babies are prone to colds quite strongly. This is largely due to the fact that thermoregulation still does not work well in newborns and infants. A change in temperature can contribute to the rapid hypothermia of the child's body, which, as a rule, leads to the development of diseases.

Cold symptoms can vary. Their severity depends on various factors:

the age of the child;
the presence of concomitant diseases;
prematurity at birth;
baseline immunity indicators.

Usually, the first adverse symptoms of a cold appear several days after hypothermia. However, weakened children can get sick quickly enough. Such a rapid development of adverse symptoms in them is affected by reduced immunity.

A cold manifests itself in infants in different ways. The most common symptoms are as follows:

Runny nose. It is usually slimy. In some babies, a runny nose can be quite severe and even debilitating.
Nasal congestion... The accumulation of mucus in the nasal passages contributes to the fact that the baby's nasal breathing is disturbed. As a rule, this symptom can be easily noticed from the outside - the child begins to actively breathe through his mouth.

Redness in the throat... Usually the entire wall of the pharynx turns bright red. Against the background of such inflammation, it becomes difficult for a baby to swallow. Usually, the redness in the baby's throat persists throughout the acute period of the cold.
Cough. In most cases, it appears simultaneously with a runny nose, but it may be 1-2 days late. As a rule, a cough with a cold is dry. In some cases, especially when a bacterial infection joins, the nature of the cough changes - it becomes wet with phlegm.

Increased body temperature. The inflammatory process, which provokes hypothermia, is quickly manifested by an increased temperature. Its numbers determine the severity of the disease. At the height of the disease, the baby's body temperature can reach 37-38.5 degrees.
Stool disorder... In some cases, with a cold, the baby may have diarrhea. This symptom appears, as a rule, if ARVI or other viral infection occurs against the background of a cold.

Change in behavior and appearance

A sick toddler also changes behavior. Parents can also suspect that the baby has caught a cold by the characteristic signs of a change in his usual mood. So, a sick baby usually has a decrease in appetite. The baby begins to abandon the mother's breast.

The kid is easily aroused or, on the contrary, becomes too lethargic. With a cold, sleep is also disturbed. The child begins to sleep restlessly, often wakes up.

The appearance of the child also changes. The skin is usually pale. Against the background of a high body temperature, the crumbs may have a strong reddening of the cheeks. At the same time, the eyes become somewhat cloudy.

The fever may be accompanied by profuse sweating. Your baby's skin becomes sticky to the touch. This is especially noticeable in the hair area and on the neck. A severe runny nose makes the child's breathing become more frequent.

Parents can notice this symptom quite simply by turning their attention to the movements of the baby's chest. It will rise and fall at a fairly high frequency. Usually, this symptom manifests itself in very young children, as well as with an increase in shortness of breath.

It is sometimes difficult for young and inexperienced parents of babies who have not yet turned 2 months to distinguish a cold from other diseases. Dads and mothers of older children may "write off" the symptoms of a cold on teething.

It often happens that they independently begin to treat the crumbs, without even calling a doctor at home. It is absolutely impossible to do this. The symptoms of a cold in babies are really quite easy to confuse with other dangerous infections. The treatment algorithm is not the same for all diseases.

In order not to delay the treatment and make the correct diagnosis, it is very important that the parents always consult a pediatrician. Only after eliminating a number of serious childhood infections can a cold be treated at home.

In case of any deterioration in the condition of the child, it is very important to immediately contact the pediatrician.

How to treat a baby?

The doctor should draw up a treatment regimen for the baby. Before the arrival of a specialist, parents must first of all calm down. It is important to remember that overly anxious parenting behavior can quickly spread to the baby. He will become more anxious and tense.

During the acute period of the disease, you should not force-feed the baby. Such feeding can provoke the child to vomit, and in some cases even contribute to an even greater rise in body temperature. Dr. Komarovsky believes that a sick baby should be given a sufficient amount of liquid. You can give your child a little water - on average, ½ teaspoon every 20-30 minutes. In the future, the drinking regimen will be determined by the pediatrician, who will examine the sick baby.

Watch how your child is dressed. If your baby's skin is too hot and bright red, then you should not swaddle him too much. In such a situation, doctors usually recommend choosing a less warm undershirt. Wrapping the child too much will only aggravate his condition.

If it is cool in the children's room, and the baby's skin is cold to the touch, then cover the baby with a blanket. During a chill, the child tends to become pale and lethargic.

It so happens that many mothers at a high body temperature begin to rub their babies with a solution of vinegar or alcohol. This is not worth doing. Acetic acid can be damaging to the skin. Ordinary warm water (28-35 degrees) is suitable for rubbing the skin.

To calm your baby, take him in your arms. Try to keep the baby's head slightly higher than his body. In this position, it becomes somewhat easier for the baby to breathe.

If the child's body temperature rises, do not bathe him. All water procedures must be discussed with a doctor. At the very first time, when the body temperature of the crumbs remains quite high, long-term baths are excluded. They can contribute to the violation of thermoregulation in the baby, which can aggravate his condition.

Improving nasal breathing

To improve nasal breathing, it is necessary to cleanse the child's nose from mucus accumulated there. For this, you can use special devices or small cotton cords - turundas. They are sold now in almost any pharmacy. You should also clear your nose before all feedings.

In order to clean the baby's nose, you should moisten a cotton swab and insert it into the nostril about 7 mm of crumbs. Next, with light but confident movements, you should scroll it several times, and then pull it out. Similar actions are carried out with the other nostril.

If the mucus is dense and leaves rather poorly, then you can drip 2 drops of boiled water or saline into the nose. After that, you should repeat the procedure with cleansing the nostrils with cotton turundas.

Massaging the wings of the nose can also improve nasal breathing. It is carried out with stroking movements from the bridge of the nose to the base of the nose. It is very important to consult a pediatrician before performing any massage.

You can also improve nasal breathing with drugs. One of these drugs is Interferon. It is successfully used by doctors to treat the common cold even in the smallest patients. For colds, this drug is usually used up to 5 times a day. The average duration of treatment is usually 3 days.

What to do with ear inflammation?

If the baby often rubs the ear, and also cries a lot, then this may be a signal for parents that, against the background of a cold, he has otitis media. It's pretty easy to check. To do this, the parents should push or pull slightly on the ear tragus. If the child has inflammation in the ear, then he will react to this action very violently.

It is important to note that it is impossible to treat otitis media on its own in an infant. The instillation of various alcohol solutions, juices and other folk remedies can contribute to the progression of the disease, as well as the development of dangerous complications.

At the first signs of pain in the ear, you should immediately show the child to a doctor. After examining the baby, the doctor will determine the presence or absence of signs of otitis media and, if necessary, prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs.

Such agents are usually instilled with a pipette or administered by means of a turunda soaked in a medicinal solution. As a rule, medicines for the treatment of otitis media in babies are administered 3-4 times a day. The total duration of treatment is determined individually, based on the child's age and the severity of the disease.

Folk remedies

Note that you should be very careful when choosing this method of treatment. One should not mindlessly trust folk methods. Before choosing this or that remedy, you should definitely consult your doctor. A number of folk recipes can cause an allergic reaction in a baby.

Among a large number of different methods, you can find very useful ones. One of them is a decoction made from chamomile. It can be used if the conjunctiva of the eyes is inflamed against the background of a cold in the baby. In this case, the eyes of the child become red, with a well-distinguishable superficial network of blood vessels.

To prepare the solution, you will need 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers. This amount of plant materials must be poured with a glass of boiling water. It should be infused for 45-60 minutes, then strain. Then the resulting infusion is cooled to a comfortable temperature.

To wipe the inflamed eyes of the baby, cotton pads dipped in chamomile broth are used. You can do this procedure 3-4 times a day. If the inflammation persists, then in this case, special medicinal ointments may be required. They are already prescribed strictly by a doctor, since they have a number of contraindications for use.

Can I breastfeed?

In case of a cold, you should not deprive the crumbs of natural breastfeeding. If the baby's mother is not sick, then breastfeeding can be done. It is only important not to be overly zealous with this, and also not to force the baby. When breastfeeding, the child's body receives all the nutrients necessary for its development, as well as protective antibodies - immunoglobulins.

Children who are already receiving complementary foods have a slightly different situation. As a rule, in the midst of a cold, the baby simply refuses even his favorite food. It really becomes quite difficult to feed the baby, but you still need to do it.

For the fastest recovery, a sick baby simply needs proteins. They are the structural components of immunoglobulins. It is important to be sure to monitor the amount of protein products included in the children's diet.

Drinking regimen is an essential component of treatment. In order for the child's body to quickly get rid of toxins that arise in the body during the period of acute inflammation, it needs water. You can supplement the baby with ordinary boiled water. Children who have already drunk fruit drinks and juices before the onset of a cold can continue to be given these drinks. Parents need to monitor the temperature of the water or compote they give their baby.

The drink should be warm, and in no case cold. Juices and fruit drinks should be chosen not sour. The best drink for supplementing a child is still considered to be ordinary boiled water.

Prevention

In the season of colds and respiratory diseases, it is very important for parents of babies to follow preventive measures. Simple rules will help them protect their baby from colds. Most viral respiratory diseases are airborne. The smallest viruses survive well enough in adverse conditions and are transmitted through respiration from parents to the baby.

In order to protect the child from colds, parents should adhere to the following recommendations:

Maintain cleanliness in the house and especially in the children's room. To do this, wet cleaning should be carried out regularly in the nursery. During the period of seasonal viral infections and colds, you can use special products containing antimicrobial components. When choosing such products, pay attention that they are safe for use in children's rooms.
Monitor your baby's hygiene... Healthy baby skin helps protect against many diseases. Bathe your baby as recommended by your pediatrician.

Watch out for the processing of children's dishes... All dishes that are intended for the baby must always be clean and well dried. In poorly processed utensils, germs can easily settle, which can cause a child's illness.
Follow the rules of personal hygiene. Parents should also remember to wash their hands with soap and water. It is especially important not to forget about this point during flu and seasonal colds. Compliance with this simple rule will help not to infect an infant with infections that are dangerous for him.

Don't forget about the ventilation schedule... The required microclimate must be maintained in the room where the baby is. Try to carry your child out of the room when ventilating. Do not leave a newborn baby in a room with an open window. This can provoke hypothermia and colds.
Monitor the temperature in the nursery. Optimally, it is 24 degrees. Make sure that the temperature in the room does not drop below 20 degrees.

Remember humidity... Too dry air in the room is dangerous for the baby, as it can provoke dryness of the delicate mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. To create optimal humidity in the children's room, you can use special devices - humidifiers.
Keep breastfeeding. Scientists believe that babies who receive breast milk have better immunity indicators than their peers who eat ready-made formula. Breast milk is an excellent source of immunoglobulins that protect the child's body from various infections.

Follow the pediatrician's recommended daily routine. Regular adherence to the routine is necessary for the child's body for its optimal performance and growth.
Don't forget to take walks. They are necessary for the child's body to harden it. For walks with your baby, choose comfortable warm clothes, in which the baby will not be too hot. Try to cover your baby's neck and face from strong winds.

How to protect a child from illness if mom is sick?

This question is quite complex, but it is very common in practice. In order to reduce the likelihood of infection of the baby, a sick mother should adhere to the following recommendations:

In the acute period of the disease, it is worthwhile, if possible, to reduce contact with the child.
Before picking up a child in her arms, a woman should definitely wash her hands with soap and water.
If the cause of the disease is a viral infection, then you should not neglect wearing a regular gauze mask. It should be changed every 2 hours.

It is necessary to start treatment in a timely manner. A woman should also not delay seeking medical attention. At a high temperature, you should not go to the clinic. In such a situation, it would be more rational to call a doctor at home.
Do not forget about airing the room. A sick mother can cause viruses to spread throughout the apartment. In order to reduce the number of microbes in the living area, it must be ventilated.
Strengthening the immune system is not only worth the baby, but also his mother. It is extremely important for a woman with an infant to get enough sleep, eat well and quality, and, if necessary, get the vitamins prescribed by her doctor.