Cough & cold management in babies
Published in
2 min readOct 20, 2023
Babies catch cough & cold several times in a year owing to lack of immunity against different viruses. Your baby’s throat may be dry and sore for a day or 2 before a cold starts. Most colds get better in 5 to 7 days but can take up to 2 weeks in young children. Babies may also cough when they have a cold because of mucus trickling down the back of the throat. If your child is feeding, drinking, eating and breathing normally and there’s no wheezing, a cough is not usually anything to worry about.
Try to use the following tips to ease the symptoms of cold and cough in your child:
- Give plenty of fluids. If you are breastfeeding, try feeding more often.
- Saline nose drops can help loosen dried snot and relieve a stuffy nose.
- If your child has a high temperature, pain or discomfort, paracetamol can help. Always consult the doctor before giving any medicines.
- Follow hand hygiene in the family.
- Try to give steam to the baby using a vapouriser but from a distance.
Consult a doctor immediately if-
- Your child has a sore throat for more than 4 days, a high temperature and is generally unwell
- Your child is unable to swallow fluids or saliva or have any difficulty breathing
- Your child’s temperature is very high, or they feel hot and shivery, and indicate a chest infection
- A cough continues for a long time, especially if it’s worse at night or is brought on by your child running about. It could be a sign of asthma.
Source: NHS, Zyla Medical Team