Printable View
Hello there,
My baby girl is 10 weeks old and she woke up this morning with a runny nose. She has also been sneezing more and coughing a bit. I checked her temperature and that seems ok. Just some questions for the more experienced mums, should I take her to the doctor? How long does a cold normally last in a baby? Should I give her anything?
Thank you for any advice. Sometimes I just feel so clueless!
With a cold, it can take up to 2 weeks before it is completely gone. Having said that though, her cold symptoms may only appear for a few days.
There are over the counter medication you can get from the chemist to help with colds. Another thing is investing in a vapouriser. They're not cheap, but they do a fantastic job.
As for taking her to the dr, that's entirely up to you. If you feel better for taking her, then I'd suggest take her. At least then she can have a thorough check up, and the dr can give you some more advice.
Your poor little mite! It isn't fair for such wee ones to get a cold, is it?
How long a cold lasts in a baby will depend on her immune system and how her body fights the cold. My DD has had several (she was only a few weeks when she had her first!) and her first 4 (yes 4) were over and done with in just a couple of days. Her last one has lasted for over a month :( But don't fret, she will be ok.
In regards to taking her to the doctor - as Jodi said, it is entirely up to you. If you feel better taking her to the doctor then make an appointment. You can always make an appointment and cancel it later if you decide you are coping ok. I tend to only take DD to the doctor if I am not coping at home or I think she needs something I can't give her (but I'm a nurse so feel rather comfortable treating her at home).
In regards to giving her something - it really depends on her symptoms. If she has a runny nose and it is just running like a tap, you can get a thing from the pharmacy called "Fess for little noses". It has an aspirator in it which you can use to suck the mucous out of her nose (instead of wiping her nose every 5 seconds). Again, if her nose secretions are thick or gluggy and blocking her nose, Fess for little noses comes with saline which you can put in the nose to soften the secretions and then suck out. Tummy time is also great for clearing the nose of secretions - they run right out!
Just a little warning with the runny nose - often it trickles down their throat into their tummy (YUCK!) and they can bring it all back up after a feed. Makes a gluggy and smelly vomit... But don't worry if this happens - it is normal.
If she has a fever, Children's Panadol will deal with that and can be given from 4 weeks of age. There is a neurophen you can give from birth but the general consensus is to avoid giving it in children under 3 months (but have a chat to your pharmacist).
When DD had a cold at 10 weeks, she also had a cough and I had a chat to the pharmacist to see what they had. I was given Demazin for Children and that initially helped to dry out her nose. There is nothing you can give children that age for a cough as the majority of cough medicines contain alcohol.
Vaporisers can help. My local chemist sells them brand new for about $50 (I think) although you can often hire them from the Chemist so maybe enquire about that if you think you want to try one.
Some people suggest things like Vicks Vapourrub, Eucabear etc on the chest. This is NOT recommended for babies as their skin is so sensitive. You can put some on a tissue/face washer etc and put it under the sheets although I find that can still be a bit much for young ones. You can put some vicks into a vaporiser to help them breath easier though.
If she is sneezing, it might take a couple of days for the cold to fully hit. Or she may just have an irritated nose at the moment and it may not develop any further.
Of course, you don't HAVE to give her anything at all, her body is building its immune system at the moment and fighting the cold is just one of the things it is learning t do. You may like to see how she copes on her own and then give her something to help if she become irritable or isn't coping with the cold.
HTH and hope your little one recovers quickly.
MG
Wow MG - I think you covered everything! LOL!
Most of the time I don't stress unless they seem particulary sick. Dylans onto his 2nd cold now but both times they've just been little sniffles and sneezes and nothing major...I've just tried sucking the snot out with the aspirator (I'm not very good a it though) but I haven't medicated him...