subject: Babies And The Common Cold: Know Symptoms And When To See A Doctor [print this page] It is quite common for babies to develop several colds in their first year of life, but when your baby gets sick, you worry if it is the common cold or something more dangerous. That's why it is important to know the symptoms of the common cold in babies and how to determine if it is a more serious illness that may warrant a trip to the doctor.
Symptoms of the Common Cold in Babies
According to the Mayo Clinic, it is normal for babies to experience up to seven colds throughout their first year of life. Because babies have an immature immune system and are generally in contact with older children as well as adults, it is easy for them to pick up cold viruses. As the baby's immune system develops and becomes stronger, the amount of colds should lessen over the years.
Symptoms of the common cold include:
Runny or congested nose
Clear nasal discharge that may thicken and become yellow or green
Irritability
Sneezing
Coughing
Decrease in appetite
Trouble sleeping
Low-grade fever under 101 degrees F
If your baby is under 3 months of age, it is best to call a doctor in the first stages of a cold. Babies this young can develop croup or pneumonia quickly or become dehydrated and develop complications. At the first sign of a cold in very young babies, call your doctor.
For babies over 3 months of age, while these symptoms may be making the baby uncomfortable, they are generally not dangerous. You can use a little saline spray in the baby's nose to help clear it out and suction out mucus. Having a humidifier in the baby's room at night can also help the baby breath easier. If the baby has a low fever, a baby's pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, can be used. However, never give a baby under 3 months old any type of pain reliever. As long as the baby's temperature is relatively low and the baby is able to drink fluids and keep them down, then it isn't necessary to see a doctor. However, if the symptoms do not go away after a week or the baby is developing more severe symptoms, then it is time to visit the doctor.
When to Take the Baby to the Doctor
The common cold is a viral infection in which there is no cure other than time. However, sometimes a cold can develop into something more serious which may need medical treatment. In babies, ear infections, sinus infections, bronchitis or pneumonia can develop from a cold rather quickly and the baby will need medication to treat these conditions. But how do you know when a baby's cold turns serious?
If a baby displays any of the following symptoms, it is time to visit a doctor:
Refuses fluids
Has little to no urine output
Temperature is 102 degrees F or higher
Coughing for more than one week
Vomits or chokes while coughing
Tugs ears or seems to have ear pain
Develops red eyes or yellow discharge from eyes
Coughs up blood
Breathing heavily
Lips are tinged blue
Breathing sounds congested
For parents, it can be difficult to stay calm when their baby is sick but if the baby's symptoms are those of a cold, then there is no need to worry. Monitor the baby's health throughout the cold and if it becomes more serious, see a doctor. Babies will experience several colds as they grow older and soon you will be able to tell the difference between a simple cold and a serious health condition.
