How can a mother of a baby determine that her baby has a cold? Main signs of the disease. Methods of treatment. Rules for caring for a sick child up to one year old. Colds in newborns How to treat a cold in a newborn

21.03.2024

The first illnesses of a newborn child are always accompanied by stress for young parents; even a common cold can become a cause for panic. Most medications are contraindicated for an infant; he is unable to blow his nose, cough up sputum, and does not know how to gargle. Today we will talk about how to protect your baby from a cold and what to do if he does get infected.

Causes of colds in newborns

The colloquial version of “cold” hides the medical term “acute respiratory disease.” Many people think that the culprits for sore throats and runny noses in children are the autumn wind and wet feet, but this is not entirely true. Colds are caused by viruses, which, under favorable but undesirable conditions for us (hypothermia, weakened immunity), begin to multiply rapidly, provoking the disease.

It is believed that colds in newborns are quite rare. This is actually true if parents follow the necessary rules for caring for the child. The youngest inhabitants of our planet are protected from many diseases by maternal antibodies - powerful anti-infective factors that are transmitted to the baby in the last weeks of gestation, and after birth enter his body along with breast milk. But if the mother refuses to breastfeed, allows the newborn to interact with people with acute respiratory infections, and does not dress the baby warm enough for walks, he can easily catch a cold.

Signs of a cold in newborns

Most often, the first signs of a cold in newborns are nasal congestion, runny nose and increased body temperature. Since infants cannot breathe through their mouths, difficulty in nasal breathing often leads to sleep disturbances and creates difficulties during feeding. Quite often, symptoms of intoxication appear: the baby becomes capricious and lethargic. With the development of inflammation of the larynx (laryngitis), hoarseness is noted. Coughing is rare because the cough reflex in the newborn has not yet formed. While decreased immunity in adults is sometimes accompanied by the appearance of herpetic rashes on the face, in infants the herpes virus more often affects the oral mucosa.

In children of the first year of life, a cold is often mistaken for the beginning of teething. Since the child is not able to talk about his feelings, parents should know that acute respiratory infections are not typical:

Excessive salivation;
The desire to put everything in the mouth;
Swelling and soreness of the gums;
Disturbance in night sleep, which is explained by more active growth of teeth in the dark (except in cases where the baby wakes up from nasal congestion or a sore throat).

At the slightest suspicion that your newborn has a cold, call a doctor at home. Due to the imperfection of the body's defense reactions and anatomical features, young children are more likely than adults to encounter complications of acute respiratory infections. The baby's immunity is not able to resist the disease. Moreover, a viral infection is often accompanied by a bacterial one, as a result of which inflammation can spread to the lower respiratory tract or spread to neighboring organs. The most serious complication of a cold in an infant is inflammation of the membranes or substance of the brain - meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis.

Treatment of colds in newborns

If a newborn has a cold, it is necessary to create a protective treatment regime, carry out wet cleaning in the children's room every day, and ventilate the room at least twice a day. It is better to hold off on walks until the main symptoms subside, and reduce water procedures to a minimum (wash the child in the shower as necessary). Infants, like adults, are advised to drink plenty of warm drinks when they have a cold. So, for children under 6 months of age, this is breast milk and warm boiled water in a volume of at least 100 ml per day.

If the body temperature rises to 38.5 °C or more, it is necessary to give the baby an antipyretic drug, but caution should be exercised with physical cooling methods. Rubbing with vodka, a solution of alcohol or vinegar is unacceptable; the vapors of these substances will only harm the baby. You can wipe the child’s body with napkins soaked in water heated to 36-37 °C; Liquids at a lower temperature may cause tremors, which will only make the situation worse.

It is recommended to rinse the nasal passages with saline solution at least twice a day. To do this, two or three drops of the product are instilled into each nostril, and after a few minutes the liquid is sucked out using a nasal aspirator. After such a procedure, you can drip the baby’s nose with antiseptic and/or vasoconstrictor drops, depending on the nature of the illness and the pediatrician’s recommendations.

Specific treatment for a cold in a newborn is not required if the disease is mild and accompanied by a slight runny nose and sore throat. In case of severe acute respiratory infections and the development of complications, expectorants and sputum thinners are prescribed in inhalation form, and if a bacterial infection is suspected, the baby may be prescribed a course of antibacterial therapy.

Prevention of colds in newborns

The main method of preventing colds in newborns and children of the first year of life is to limit contact, since it is adults who are carriers of microorganisms that pose a potential threat to the child’s health. It is equally important to follow the rules of hygiene: wet cleaning in the apartment where the baby lives should be carried out daily, and before interacting with the baby you should wash your hands with soap.

If your mother has a cold, you must wear a mask when caring for and feeding her. However, there is no need to give up breastfeeding during this period; on the contrary, now the baby needs it more than ever, because along with mother’s milk he receives important antibodies.

Text: Inga Stativka

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Acute respiratory viral infections (colds, acute respiratory viral infections) are the most common group of morbidity among all people. The main symptoms are intoxication (lethargy, drowsiness, poor appetite), fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat and sore throat. Everyone needs to treat a cold, especially an infant, because in the first year of life the disease is more difficult and complications develop more often. It is no secret that premature and bottle-fed babies are more susceptible to colds.

We begin to fight every symptom

Intoxication

Unsealing a newborn is an important point in the treatment of any viral infection. Milk consists of 75% water, so to reduce intoxication, put your baby to the breast more often than usual. It makes sense to do this every 10 minutes while you are awake. The mother produces antibodies to the virus faster, the baby receives them through breast milk and recovers faster. During the period of illness, the child can be supplemented with boiled water, especially if he is bottle-fed.

Runny nose

If it is liquid discharge, then the nose should be rinsed with a saline solution. It is better to buy expensive drugs from purified ocean water. They spare the mucous membrane, do not dry it out, and reliably clean the nasal passages. You cannot use saline solution, especially one prepared at home, to rinse the nose of small children. It will dry out the mucous membrane.

With a prolonged runny nose, when nasal discharge becomes thick and difficult to separate, freshly squeezed carrot and beet juice helps a lot. You need to instill 2 drops up to 5 times a day. You can try one percent protargol. These are drops containing iodine, which the pharmacy prepares itself. They have a short shelf life and remove thick secretions well.

Special medications are used to treat a runny nose in infants.

Liquid discharge must be sucked out with a syringe (small bulb), thick discharge must be twisted out using a thin cotton swab. It should be soaked in vegetable oil, since the child has a very delicate and thin mucous membrane, which can easily be damaged.

If you have nasal congestion after treatment with a saline solution, you can instill vasoconstrictor drops (0.025% xylometazoline). Use no more than 3 days.

Cough

A cough may be due to excessive secretion of mucus from the nose, which irritates the receptors located in the upper respiratory tract. It can go away without a trace if you remove the runny nose.

Among expectorants, it is better to give preference to herbal preparations (Gedelix, Gelisal, Linkas, Doctor Mom, Tussamag, etc.). The full age dosage should be given. If you reduce the dosage of the drug without authorization, for example, with a slight cough, the effectiveness of the drug is reduced and the recovery process is delayed.

Due to the high likelihood of developing side effects, it is not advisable for children under 2 years of age to use drugs based on ambroxol, carbocisteine, and acetylcysteine.

Interesting to know! In France, these drugs have been prohibited for children under 2 years of age since 2010, but they come to us with instructions that do not contain this age limit.

Red throat

All preparations for treating the throat have strict age restrictions and are prohibited for use in newborns. It is strictly contraindicated to treat the throat with sprays - they can cause spasm of the upper respiratory tract.

A safe and proven drug for treating a sore throat is regular iodinol. There is no need to dilute it, just soak a cotton swab on a stick with it and treat your tonsils. The healing oil of chlorophyllipt has proven itself well. It is diluted 1:1 with sunflower oil. Chlorophyllipt oil can be applied to the tonsils, or it can be dropped into the nose. As it flows, it lubricates the back wall of the throat. You can also give your baby a chamomile decoction (antiseptic) after feeding, 2-3 tsp is enough. in a day.

Antiviral drugs

Treatment with drugs at an early age should be carried out with great caution. Only drugs with proven safety and effectiveness are allowed to be used. In infants, interferon suppositories (genferon, viferon and others), which are inserted into the butt, have proven themselves to be the best. But, as a pediatrician, I do not recommend inserting suppositories at the first symptoms of a mild cold, if this is the first case of a cold and the temperature does not rise above 38 degrees. The baby’s body can easily cope with a mild illness on its own, and the use of antiviral drugs will not allow the baby’s immune system to fully utilize all its defenses.

The use of antiviral drugs is justified in the following cases:

temperature about 40 degrees;
fever lasts more than 3 days;
the disease has a severe course with severe intoxication;
This is not the first case of a viral infection, and previously treatment was carried out only with the use of these drugs.

Antiviral drugs for a child should only be prescribed by a pediatrician

Treatment with antibiotics

Prescribed in the following cases:

The disease is severe and a bacterial infection is suspected.
There are bacterial complications (otitis media, bronchitis, pneumonia).

Attention! Treating colds with antibiotics on your own is prohibited; only a pediatrician can prescribe them.

Antipyretic drugs

In the first 2 months of life, antipyretic drugs should be used in infants at a temperature of 38 degrees and above. If there are severe heart diseases, then at 37.8 degrees and above. From the 3rd month of life, the temperature below 38.5 degrees can not be reduced.

Until six months of age, the safest drug is paracetamol. Less commonly, ibuprofen may be used.

Since this group of drugs has a bad effect on the gastric mucosa, it is safer to use them in the form of suppositories that are inserted into the anus. You can use a candle no more than 3 times a day with a break of at least 4 hours, since in a small child anti-inflammatory drugs often cause undesirable effects. The consequences of an overdose can be severe. Additionally, if you have a fever, you can wipe your child with diluted vinegar and make wraps from a diaper soaked in warm water. The effect lasts for 30 minutes.

Other treatments

Finely chopped garlic placed around the rooms is a good remedy for colds. Its phytoncides will spread throughout the house and help cope with the virus. We cannot recommend that a nursing mother eat garlic. Although this is an effective remedy, garlic changes the smell of milk and can cause reactions in a small child.
A nursing mother can drink a decoction of rose hips; it does not cause allergies and supplies the body with vitamin C, which will be passed on to the baby through the milk. You can try cranberry juice if it does not cause colic or allergic reactions in the child.
An important point in treating colds is warming the lower extremities. Put warm socks on your child. At night, it is very good to put terry socks with mustard powder on your feet. This method will quickly relieve the child of a runny nose and can prevent fever.

If your baby has cold symptoms, you should definitely consult a pediatrician.

When to sound the alarm and call a doctor urgently

If the child does not eat.
After eating, vomiting occurs.
The child is sleepy and has difficulty waking up.
Persistent fever (temperature above 38.5 degrees) or persistent hypothermia (temperature 35.5 degrees or below).
Difficult, noisy, rapid breathing (up to 60 or more times per minute).
A rash appeared.
Purulent discharge appeared from the ear.
Cramps.
A sharp deterioration in the baby's well-being.

To prevent your children from getting sick, breastfeed them longer and strengthen them: take daily walks in the fresh air, starting from the 10th day of life, if it is not possible to walk outside (rain, frost -15 degrees and above), leave the baby to sleep on a glass balcony Arrange air baths every day, do light stroking massage, and gymnastics. An important point in hardening is bathing. If you conscientiously follow these recommendations, your baby's good health is guaranteed!

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.

It is necessary to consult a doctor, as consultation with him is mandatory for the use of any medications.
It is better to place a pillow under the baby's head so as not to provoke suffocation.
Provide a flow of moist warm air into the room.
At high temperatures, an enema is useful.
During a cough and runny nose, you can use rubbing your back, neck, and chest with a solution of eucalyptus oil.
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.
Several times a day you can make a compress with heated oil.
Cough syrup is allowed for children from six months. (“Doctor Theiss”, “Bronchicum”, “Tassama”).
Steam inhalation helps cope with cold symptoms.
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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

The room in which the sick child is located must be ventilated several times a day. In summer, you can generally keep the windows open all day: the sun and air kill a significant part of the germs. In winter, it is better to take a sick child into another room while airing. If this is not possible, then the baby should be wrapped in a warm blanket, his head should be covered with a hat, and the bed should be placed so that it does not fall into the flow of cold air. Neither a runny nose, nor a cough, nor a high temperature should interfere with regular ventilation. The optimal room temperature for babies is 21–22 °C.

At least once a day, the room where the sick baby is located should be wet cleaned. A sick child's clothes should be light, comfortable and spacious, so as not to cause him unnecessary anxiety or impair blood circulation. Preferred clothing is made of cotton fabric, which is highly breathable and absorbs moisture. You can only warm your baby if, despite the high temperature, his skin is too pale or has a marbled tint. This is explained by a spasm of blood vessels, and in this case, warming will help eliminate this spasm, dilate the blood vessels and release heat. If the baby sweats, then each time he needs to be wiped dry and changed into dry underwear. If your baby is wearing diapers, be sure to check and change them often. A sick baby's underwear needs to be changed daily, and bedding when soiled.

Colds in infants: the correct daily routine

The regimen for a sick child depends on his age, severity and stage of the disease, treatment methods, character traits and individual characteristics. Some children get tired faster, others more slowly, some are calm and even lethargic, others are excited and irritable. But in general, during illness, all children quickly get tired due to still weak adaptive capabilities and rapid exhaustion of the nervous system, so during this period the child needs a calm environment. A sick baby, more than a healthy one, needs proper rest. It is advisable for him to sleep as much as possible. This will have a beneficial effect on the child’s healing process.

Positive emotions are of great importance for the child’s recovery, so try not to show your excitement. Do not forget that even the smallest children very subtly grasp the psycho-emotional state of their parents.

Colds in infants: why bathing is necessary

Parents' fear of bathing sick children is completely unfounded. The fact is that in young children the respiratory function of the skin is highly pronounced. The usefulness of baths lies in the fact that they significantly alleviate the child’s condition: clean skin better performs its respiratory function and thereby helps to provide the child’s body with the necessary amount of oxygen. It is also important that at high temperatures, a bath with a water temperature 2 °C below body temperature helps to reduce the temperature and can be regarded as a therapeutic effect. Therefore, if there is no doctor’s prohibition, you need to bathe children every day.

If the body temperature is low, the bath is made at normal temperature or a little warmer (36–37 ° C). Children need to be washed as usual. Baby soap, foam or gel for bathing babies should be used 1-2 times a week. It is very important to remember the main thing - not to overcool the baby, so after bathing the baby, dry it with a warm thin sheet or towel (blotting motions, without rubbing, since the skin of infants is very delicate) and put it in a bed warmed with a heating pad.

If the doctor does not recommend bathing a sick child, then wipe the baby’s entire body daily. Rubbing is carried out with a soft towel soaked in warm water (37–38 °C). First, they wipe one part of the body and wipe it dry, then the other, etc. For wiping, you can use disposable wet wipes, having previously warmed them near a heat source so that the child does not experience discomfort.

Colds in babies: how and what to feed your baby

A sick child's nutrition should always be regular and nutritious; the menu should include all the necessary products appropriate to the baby's age. This rule can sometimes be waived if the child’s condition is extremely serious. For some diseases accompanied by disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, a gentle diet or breaks in feeding are often used. If a child is breastfed, then the main food product for him remains mother's milk. When sick, babies practically do not suck out the usual amount of milk, so you need to try to put the baby to the breast more often.

If the baby is already receiving complementary foods, then in case of viral infections, they usually recommend drinking plenty of warm drinks: this compensates for the loss of water by the body and helps eliminate viruses and their waste products - toxins. If juices have not yet been introduced into the child’s diet, then you can give him weak tea, rosehip infusion, vegetable or fruit decoctions. If the child has already received juices, then they should continue to be given, with the exception of those that are too sour or too sweet, in order to avoid irritation of the throat.

When your baby is sick, feeding can be a challenge. Like any patient, the baby’s appetite decreases, but he still needs to eat: the proteins included in food products are used to build protective substances - antibodies. If possible, it is necessary to follow the feeding regimen that was usual for the baby before the illness. Under no circumstances should you force-feed him: this can reinforce a negative attitude towards food, and sometimes even provoke vomiting. It is better to reduce the portion size and increase the number of feedings.

If your child has a fever...

A child’s fever is a protective reaction of the body in the fight against infection, so do not try to bring it down immediately. Remember that for parents, the determining factor should not be the readings of the thermometer, but the signs that the child’s condition has worsened: lethargy or, conversely, excessive excitability, moodiness, refusal to eat, sleep disturbances, muscle twitching, even cramps. In such cases, before the doctor comes and prescribes medication, you can reduce the temperature by wiping the child’s body with a damp cloth soaked in a solution of 1 tablespoon of edible vinegar and 1 tablespoon of alcohol in 1 liter of water. First you need to undress the baby and cover him with a thin sheet or light blanket. Then moisten a napkin with the prepared solution, remove the baby’s hand from under the blanket, quickly wipe it (no need to rub the skin) and return it under the blanket. Do the same with the child’s other arm, his legs, back and chest. Cover the baby with something light (if the room is warm, you can even use a sheet). This will make it much easier for him, and perhaps the temperature will go down.

Cold in the form of lotions with cold water or ice also helps to combat high temperatures. For lotions, use a towel or diaper, folded several times and soaked in cold water. It is carefully wrung out and placed on the forehead. As the lotion warms up, it must be changed.

If this method does not help, you can give your baby suppositories containing paracetamol.

Fighting a runny nose in a child

If the nose is stuffy, especially before feeding, it is cleared with cotton wool soaked in warm water. The flagellum is inserted into the nostril using rotational movements (a separate flagellum is used for each nostril). If dry crusts have accumulated, the flagellum can be moistened with petroleum jelly or an oil solution of vitamin A. You can also use special preparations that are saline solutions. They are available in the form of spray and drops. Any medications in aerosols are contraindicated for infants due to possible reflex laryngospasm (convulsive contraction of the muscles of the glottis), so choose the product in the form of drops: before cleaning the nose, you need to drop 3-5 drops into each nasal passage.

If a child has a severe runny nose, the doctor may prescribe nasal drops. It is better to bury them when the child lies on his back with his head slightly tilted back. The drops must first be warmed by placing the bottle with them in a cup of warm water for a few minutes. Using the fingers of your left hand, you need to slightly lift the tip of the baby’s nose, and from the pipette with the medicine taken with your right hand, drop the number of drops indicated by the doctor into each nostril. If skin irritation appears under the nose, you can lubricate it with baby cream.

Inhalations help cope with a runny nose and cough. If you have an inhaler at home, they are done using the mask included in the kit, and this is usually not difficult. Procedures can be done while the baby is sleeping, using degassed mineral water: this procedure promotes the discharge of inflammatory discharge and well moisturizes the nasal mucosa.

Conjunctivitis in children is a complication of a cold

Very often, especially with viral infections, a child may experience purulent discharge from the eyes. To wash your eyes, you need to prepare cotton balls or disks in advance. To avoid transfer of infection from one eye to another, each eye is washed with a separate piece of cotton wool in the direction from the outer corner of the eye to the nose.

For rinsing, you can use a 1% aqueous solution of boric acid, infusions of plantain seeds or chamomile flowers. 10 g of crushed plantain seeds are poured with 1 glass of boiling water and left for half an hour; To prepare chamomile infusion, pour 1 tablespoon of crushed flowers into 1 cup of boiling water and leave for 1 hour.

To put the drops prescribed by the doctor into the eyes, it is better to place the baby on his back. Take a piece of prepared cotton wool in your left hand. The index finger of this hand is placed on the child’s upper eyelid, and the thumb with a piece of cotton wool placed under it is placed on the lower eyelid. By spreading your fingers, the lower eyelid is slightly pulled down and with your right hand, drop 1-2 drops of the medicine drawn up in advance onto the inner surface of the lower eyelid from a pipette.

Sometimes your child may be prescribed eye ointment. For small children it is placed behind the lower eyelid. To do this, take a special boiled glass rod, put a little ointment on it, pull back the lower eyelid, apply the ointment, then close the eye and lightly rub the eyelid with a cotton ball. Eye ointments are usually produced in packaging with a thin “spout” - they can be poured from a tube.

When a child has an earache...

If your baby has an earache, he will rub it all the time or cry loudly for several hours in a row. In such cases, small children wince when swallowing, sometimes completely refuse to eat, have trouble sleeping at night, and suddenly wake up crying loudly. It is very simple to check whether an infant has ear pain: press lightly on the ear tragus. With existing ear inflammation, young children react to this very painfully. If these symptoms are detected, it is necessary to place a dry cotton wool in the child’s ear, put a cap on him and consult a doctor as soon as possible. Since it is impossible to determine the stage of the process at home, you should under no circumstances make compresses or put drops in your ears on your own, without a doctor’s prescription.

Drops prescribed by the doctor are instilled into the ear using a pipette. It is preferable to introduce turunda into the baby’s ear before instillation, and then use a pipette to soak this turunda with medicine. Turunda needs to be changed 3-4 times a day. The drops should be slightly warmed. The child is placed on his side: if drops need to be placed in the left ear, then on the right side, if in the right ear, then on the left. Then they pull the ear back and up to straighten the ear canal, and instill the required number of drops into it.

We heal by walking

A very important therapeutic procedure for a sick child in the first year of life is walking in the fresh air. A sick body needs fresh air more than a healthy one, especially with respiratory diseases. Cool air deepens and normalizes breathing, reduces shortness of breath, and many children in the fresh air calm down and fall asleep. An indispensable condition is that the child must breathe through the nose so that the inhaled air is warmed, moistened and cleaned, therefore, before a walk, the nose of a sick baby must be cleared of crusts.

If a runny nose makes it difficult for your baby to breathe and you can’t take him outside, you can replace a walk outside with a “walk” in the room. To do this, the child must be warmly dressed or covered and the window opened wide. In this case, the air in the room will be fresh, but warmer and less mobile than outside. At the end of this procedure, you need to close the window and wait, without undressing the baby, until the air in the room warms up to 20–22 °C. Contraindications to walks in the fresh air are a very severe runny nose, frequent paroxysmal cough and a significant deterioration in the child’s general condition.

Be careful!

First of all, do not forget: a sick child cannot be treated without a doctor’s prescription. Follow the medication regimen and dosage exactly, following the instructions of your doctor; among other things, this will help avoid allergic reactions.

The preferred dosage forms for infants are liquid. If the medicine is available only in tablet form, then the required part of the tablet must first be ground and mixed with a small amount of water or milk.

It is advisable to give the medicine to children exactly at the time indicated by the doctor, strictly observing the number of doses per day - then the body will always have the required therapeutic concentration of the drug. But if the child falls asleep, you should not wake him up immediately to take medications. The time of taking medications must be calculated so as to preserve the child’s night sleep as much as possible.