The baby’s immune system does not begin to develop until after birth. The newly born baby relies on the mother’s immunity to resist viruses and bacteria from outside, so it is generally full term. A healthy baby is less likely to catch a cold during the first 6 months of life.
But the immunity gained from the mother will gradually "run out". So babies after 6 months have more common colds.
Although the mother’s immunity provides some protection for the baby after birth, the newborn baby is still very susceptible to infections, including cold virus infections, because the autoimmune system is not fully developed.
Whether you are new parents or grandparents who have brought children, they are very worried and scared about the cold in their newborns. But this is also a necessary process for children to build their own immune system.
Generally, babies will catch the first cold between six months and one year old. Of course this is not absolute. If your baby catches a cold when it is less than three months old, you must seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of a cold in infants
The early symptoms of a cold in infants generally start in the nose, with excessive nasal secretions, and runny nose at the beginning, but it will gradually thicken after a few days and turn yellow to green . This is the natural course of infection and does not mean that symptoms are getting worse. They may also have a mild fever, which is another sign that their body is fighting infection.
Other signs of a baby's cold include:
- sneezing
- cough
- irritability or easy to start#Difficult to fall asleep, or not to sleep
- Stuffy nose causes difficulty in feeding and sleeping
What is disturbing is that the symptoms of a cold in babies are similar to those of other diseases, including: tracheitis and pneumonia. Bronchitis and pneumonia are serious problems. Therefore, if a baby has cold symptoms, he still has to go to the hospital for a diagnosis.
More serious diseases
There are very few babies who are very unfortunate. The first time they get sick is other diseases that are more serious than the cold. The symptoms of a cold in babies overlap with the symptoms of other more serious diseases, such as flu, epidemic Mumps or pneumonia. Fortunately, when these more serious diseases occur, they will be accompanied by other symptoms, which makes it possible for parents to recognize them in time.
Influenza
Although newborns with flu have cold symptoms, it may also be accompanied by other symptoms including: vomiting, diarrhea or high fever. Because babies are too young to express their physical discomfort, they may also be irritable. Babies with flu appear to be in a worse mental state than infants with a common cold, of course, but not always.
tracheitis
babies with tracheitis also have typical cold symptoms, but these symptoms may get worse soon. Babies may have a violent, loud cough. He has difficulty breathing, and there are rapid and harsh sounds when breathing.
whooping cough
whooping cough also starts with a cold, it usually occurs one week after the cold symptoms appear, the symptoms will change. Babies may cough violently and have difficulty breathing. The baby will take a deep breath immediately after coughing, and the breathing will be accompanied by a hoarse voice.
However, the typical "pertussis" occurs in older children and adults, and less frequently in infants.
Babies with whooping cough often vomits after coughing, or, more serious, the baby has bruises or pauses breathing. Whooping cough is a serious disease and requires immediate medical attention.
pneumonia
Compared with older children, babies have a greater risk of developing pneumonia from a cold. This can happen quickly, which is why it is necessary to ask a doctor for a diagnosis in time.
055Symptoms of 88# pneumonia may include:
- vomiting
- sweating
- high fever
- skin flushing
- severe cough, which worsens over time
- Abdomen very sensitive
Babies with pneumonia may also have difficulty breathing, breathing faster than normal, or feel that their breathing is very difficult.
In some cases, lips and fingers may become purple. This is a sign of hypoxia and urgent medical care is required.
Treatment
Infant colds generally require careful care. Because babies are learning their ability to resist diseases and protect themselves when they are sick, nursing is mainly to make babies as comfortable as possible, and nursing needs to be meticulous and careful. It may take about 2 weeks for the baby’s symptoms to disappear completely.
home care
The following home remedies for colds can relieve symptoms:
- 裝水: When coping with a cold, insist on feeding the baby milk and supplementing water appropriately, because mucus and fever will cause Take away some liquid and electrolyte.
- Clean the nasal passage : Use a dropper to drip a small amount of saline into the nasal cavity, which can help the baby breathe more easily.
- humidity: Use a mild humidifier to moisten the area around the crib to help them breathe better and relieve congested nasal mucosa.
- Steam: If you stand in the steam bath for 10 to 15 minutes, the mucus may relax.
- Rest : Do not go out, so that the baby has more rest time.
If the symptoms cannot be relieved, do not continue to use home care methods and seek medical attention in time.
risk and prevention
Although newborn babies rarely catch colds, older babies are still at a high risk of catching colds. There are hundreds of viruses that cause common colds, and they may not have caused a certain strain. The cold virus produces resistance.
Various comorbidities caused by viral infections, including bacterial infections, are more threatening to infants, so special care is needed.
Other factors may also increase the risk of colds, such as contact with older children or being with smokers.
The virus that causes the common cold can be spread through air, surface contact, or contact with people carrying the virus. People with the virus may not have any symptoms. Babies can easily infect themselves if they come into contact with such people.
The best measure is to help babies avoid colds by reducing exposure. These include:
- Washing hands regularly for anyone in contact with the baby.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick or who are with them.
- Avoid going to crowded places.
- Avoid second-hand smoke.
- Clean surfaces such as toys and tables regularly.
- Breastfeeding can also pass some of the mother's antibodies to the baby. This is not to say that babies will not get sick by breastfeeding, but their frequency of illness may be lower, and it is easier to overcome various infections than infants fed with formula milk.
The following situations require medical treatment or immediate medical attention
Fever is one of the main defense measures for babies to resist colds and other infections.
Infants under 3 months of age have a fever and need immediate medical attention.
Babies within 6 months of age who have a fever over 38°C require medical attention.
Very young babies may not have a fever even if they face a serious infection. Therefore, if the baby is sick, even if it does not have a fever, seek medical attention immediately.
Fever lasts for 2-3 days, or after a fever lasts for one or two days, the fever disappears, but then it recurs.Need to go to the hospital for medical treatment.
If any other abnormal symptoms occur in the baby, you must also seek medical attention. These symptoms include:
- Dyspnea
- Abnormal crying or coughing
- Signs of body pain or discomfort
- Difficulty feeding or refusal to eat
- Skin rash
- Persistent diarrhea or vomiting
- There are signs of dehydration
In some cases, parents may just feel that something is wrong with the baby today. If you cannot determine the cause, you should go to the hospital immediately.
