Colds in babies and young children

Children have an average of around six colds per year. Colds and most coughs are caused by viruses, not bacteria, so antibiotics won’t help.

Babies in particular can struggle when they have colds, because young infants are obligate nose breathers – this means they prefer to breathe through the nose, rather than the mouth. While your young baby is capable of breathing through his mouth if his nose is blocked, he may have trouble eating, settling and sleeping. Treating a stuffed nose can help make your baby more comfortable, as it will help thin and loosen the nasal mucus, allowing him to breathe and feed easier.

Signs of a cold 

Children who have a cold may show the following symptoms: 

• stuffy, runny nose
• sneezing
• fever
• headache
• noisy cough. 

Management at home

To look after your sick little one, try the following to help ease their discomfort.

• plenty of fluids, such as water, breast milk or formula
• use saline spray or nasal drops and an aspirator – this will help loosen and thin mucus to help clear your baby’s blocked nose and moisturise dry nasal passages 
• lots of rest/quiet time
• consider using paracetamol if you need to ease pain and fever
• elevate the head of the cot or bed by putting a couple of towels or pillows under the mattress
• add moisture to the air in your baby’s room – this can be done with a vapouriser or humidifier, and will help moisturise dry nasal passages
• the use of menthol may help breathing: try a menthol ointment or capsule squeezed onto the bedding or clothing (not onto the child’s skin).

If your child's cough is bad, and persists, it may actually be a chest infection caused by bacteria. This can be helped with antibiotics, so see a doctor.

Prevention 

The viruses that cause colds and coughs are spread in the air after people cough or sneeze, or when sick people touch items with their germs on their hands. Make sure you wash your hands before eating and after sneezing, coughing and blowing your nose. Get your child into the habit of doing so at a young age, too.