Help your child through their cold
All children are likely to suffer from the dreaded cold at some point and at winter time these conditions can be particularly prevalent. In fact, there are more than 200 different cold viruses and your baby can develop symptoms every time they meet one of these viruses for the first time.
Seeing your child under the weather is an awful feeling but before reaching for the medicine cabinet, do you know how best to treat their symptoms?
Recognise the signs:
When the cold virus gets inside your baby’s nose and throat, the areas become inflamed and produce more mucus. This can trigger a range of symptoms which can include:
- A mild fever (between 38°C and 39°C)
- A painful, sore or irritated throat
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- Hoarseness
- A headache and muscle pains
- A cough that can last up to three weeks.
When a cold strikes:
- Make sure your baby gets plenty of rest, fluids and good nutrition
- Keep your baby at a comfortable temperature
- Consider using Nurofen for children to relieve your baby’s cold symptoms. It contains Ibuprofen that starts to work in 15 minutes and can help to bring down a fever for up to 8 hours
- Seek medical advice is your baby develops any worrying symptoms or you are concerned
- Practice good hygiene to help stop your baby’s cold spreading to others.
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Tagged in children's health cold and flu