The common cold is the most common illness in the United States. Infants and children are affected more often and experience more prolonged symptoms than adults. The common cold accounts for approximately 22 million missed days of school and 20 million absences from work, including time away from work caring for ill children.
This topic review discusses the causes, symptoms, and treatment of the common cold in children. The common cold in adults is discussed separately. (See "Patient education: The common cold in adults (Beyond the Basics).
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Use this quick pictorial Q&A guide to see how to soothe your sick child at home. Learn how to safely give over-the-counter (OTC) medicines if needed to ease a fever, runny nose, sore throat, or other common cold symptoms. If your child is under one month of age, consult with their doctor before giving them any medication.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Pediatricians say a fever is significant when it's 100.4 degrees or more. If your child has a fever, call the doctor if they're younger than 6 months; has other symptoms; has had a fever for more than two days; or has not been vaccinated. In other cases, it's usually safe to use children's ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Never give a child aspirin. It poses a risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious illness that affects the liver and brain.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
A sponge bath with lukewarm water may help. Never use cold water, ice, or rubbing alcohol. Dress your child lightly and don’t pile on blankets. Watch for signs of dehydration. Call the doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if your infant has dry diapers, a dry mouth or tongue, a dark red or purple rash, or is not feeding well. For an older child, call the doctor if they appear dehydrated, is not urinating enough, is not drinking well, or is not acting normally.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Aside from fever and dehydration, know when to call the doctor. Call if your child is younger than 12 months and you think they have the flu, or if they are not drinking or urinating enough. And call if they have yellow or green nasal mucus; any discharge after 10 days; or discharge coming from their eyes. Call if the fever has persisted for two days or more. But go to the emergency room if your child has trouble breathing, is acting very sick, refuses to eat or drink, has a rash, or you are concerned.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Yes. Some studies show chicken soup may help reduce inflammation. If nothing else, it's nutritious and can help prevent dehydration. Also give plenty of other fluids, like water, milk, or an electrolyte solution. Other home remedies to try: Inhaled steam from a hot shower or a cool mist vaporizer may help a stuffy nose. Menthol chest rubs can help loosen mucus to be coughed out. Nasal saline or a saline gel may also help. Do not use medicated vapor in children under 2. Petroleum jelly under the nose can soothe irritated skin.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Most sore throats are caused by colds and last about four to five days. For kids over the age of 2, give warm, non-caffeinated tea or water with 1/2 teaspoon of honey and lemon to ease a sore throat and cough. Try 1 teaspoon of buckwheat honey by itself to ease a cough in kids over the age of 1. DO NOT give honey to kids younger than 1 year old. For kids 6 and older, hard candy or over-the-counter lozenges with anesthetic can help reduce pain. Gargling with warm salt water may help, too. Strep throat tends to come on suddenly and not be accompanied by cold symptoms. Call your doctor if you suspect strep -- your child needs antibiotics.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Choose medicines only for the symptoms your child has. So, it's OK to give one multi-symptom over-the-counter medicine -- as long as it fits your child's symptoms. To avoid over-medicating your child, read and follow the directions, use the measuring device that is packaged with the medication, and don't choose products that treat symptoms your child doesn't have. For instance, don't choose a multi-symptom cold medicine or cough medicine for only a sore throat.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Dose OTC medication according to the directions based on your child's age and weight. Read the "Warnings" sections for possible drug interactions and side effects. Pay attention to label abbreviations like Tbsp (tablespoon) and Tsp (teaspoon), oz. (ounces), ml. (milliliter), and mg. (milligram). Those are all very different measurements. And use the measuring device that is packaged with the medication. When treating fever with medicine, choose either acetominophen or ibuprofen. Do not alternate between the two -- it does not help, and it can cause confusion.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
No. If your child vomits up their medicine or spits some of it out, you may be tempted to give another dose. But you can't be sure how much of the OTC medicine your child actually swallowed, and giving another full dose risks giving too much. Instead, call your pediatrician for instructions. If your child hates the taste of the medicine, ask your pharmacist if you can mix it with a favorite food or drink.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/e-visit
Kids, especially young ones, love to imitate what adults do. Take these precautions:
Umbrella Health Care Systems provide complete solution for health related problems.
https://www.umbrellamd.com/
