Babies and the Common Cold: Know Symptoms and When to See a Doctor
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.