Children's immunity: prevention and treatment of ARVI in infants

How to treat colds and runny nose in an infant

Treatment of colds (colds) - acute respiratory infections, influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, sore throats - in children under one year of age has its own characteristics and subtleties.
Many medications are contraindicated for an infant; in addition, he does not know how to blow his nose, swallow pills or gargle. By cold we mean those diseases that occur when a child is hypothermic or has a weakened immune system.

Treatment of colds (acute colds) - acute respiratory infections, influenza, ARVI, runny nose, sore throat - in children under one year of age has its own characteristics and subtleties. Many medications are contraindicated for an infant; in addition, he does not know how to blow his nose, swallow pills or gargle.

How to treat a cold in a child under one year old?

The main thing for a child who is only a few months old is to notice the first signs of a cold in time:

• it may be lethargy or, conversely, increased excitability;
• the child is more capricious;
• there may be problems with sleep or, conversely, the child sleeps more often and longer;
• a runny nose appears, the child sneezes and occasionally coughs;
• the child develops wheezing in his voice;
• the child has a fever;
• the child cries while eating, when he sucks at the breast (if his nose is blocked, the child may refuse to breastfeed altogether due to the inability to breathe, or it may be painful for him to swallow when his throat is inflamed).

If you suspect a cold, you must call a doctor from your local clinic to establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment for the child, and before the doctor arrives, we begin to treat the child’s cold and runny nose on our own.

The first thing you need to do is boost your child’s immunity.

Interferon and influenza drugs increase immunity. Drop into the child's nose (can be in the mouth, but better in the nose) 1 drop 2 times a day up to 6 months, 2 drops 3 times a day for a child from 6 months to a year. Children older than six months can be given Anaferon for children for the treatment and prevention of colds and flu. Dissolve the anaferon tablet in a spoonful of warm water and give it to the child to drink. Typically, a doctor prescribes anaferon to treat colds 3 times a day.

Please note that the sooner you start treating a cold, the more effective these medications will be. They will help you during a flu epidemic, and if one of the adults in the same apartment with the child has already fallen ill.

Treatment of a runny nose (rhinitis) when a child has a cold.

For children under one year of age with a runny nose, Aquamaris or Solin (saline solutions, can be dropped into the nose frequently), herbal preparations, Isofra for a prolonged runny nose are recommended. If your child has severe nasal congestion or a runny nose, you can drip aloe extract (sold at the pharmacy), aloe juice diluted with water, or chamomile infusion into your child’s nose.

Garlic inhalation is good for colds in children under one year old: grate the garlic and let the child breathe. During sleep, place grated garlic next to the baby's crib.

It is not advisable to drop vasoconstrictors into the nose of an infant (up to one year old) with a runny nose.

Treatment of sore throat (if the child has a sore throat).

After six months, to treat a cold, you can give your child chamomile infusion 1 spoon 3 times a day after meals. Irrigate the throat with Tantum Verde spray 2 times a day. Mother's milk is a good disinfectant; give breastfeeding to a cold infant more often. In general, you need to give your child water more often during a cold.

For colds and sore throats, you can make a vodka compress on the child’s neck and chest: moisten cotton wool in warm vodka + water 1:1, apply to the throat and chest, cover with gauze folded in several layers or with a clean cloth, lay cellophane on top, tie with a warm scarf, but Apply the compress to infants with caution so as not to burn the baby’s delicate skin.

Use mustard plasters for colds with even greater caution; place them through a double or triple layer of gauze so as not to burn the child’s skin.

If a child coughs with a cold.

Of the cough medications for children under one to three years of age, only mucaltin has no contraindications, so try not to let the disease go that far. If a cold is not treated, serious complications are possible: from bronchitis to pneumonia. Active movements of the baby and changes in body position help drain the lungs, so if the child is able to jump or spin, do not interfere with him.

An increase in a child’s temperature above 38 degrees is a reason to urgently call a doctor.

Up to 38 degrees, if the child feels as normal as possible with a cold, there is no need to lower the temperature, this is also a kind of fight against germs and viruses, which die at elevated temperatures. If the temperature is above 38 degrees, it is brought down with paracetamol (suspension or rectal suppositories).

Any cold is caused by an infection - a virus or bacteria, so a cold, like any other disease, requires mandatory treatment under the supervision of a doctor.

How to find out what exactly hurts a child - pediatric neurologist

“When we prescribe minimally invasive medical procedures, for example, such as a general blood test,” says the doctor, “mothers always ask: do it so that it doesn’t hurt.”

You and I are all afraid of pain. It is not just a physical phenomenon for us. Pain can be imprinted in our memory and periodically remind us of itself. This is a multi-component experience.

There is, for example, social pain: “How will society perceive me if I have pain here?” Then mental pain forms. There is also a type of pain called neuropathic, associated with damage to the nervous system itself .

There is a psychological component to pain. For example, when they take a blood test, and how psychologically I will perceive its result. Will he be bad or good? Therefore, according to the definition of the International Association for the Study of Pain, pain is a complex that is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage .

A blow, a word, shock, mental hostility - all this shapes the body’s perception of the components of pain.

“But we, doctors,” continues Pushkarev, “more often encounter the nociceptive type of pain, that is, associated with damage to the tissue itself and activation of pain receptors (nociceptors). For example, pain from hitting your fingers with a hammer, from being cut by something sharp, or pain from appendicitis, when this sensation occurs due to damage to the appendix.

And so, as a pediatric neurologist, I don’t quite understand why some theorists believe that children do not perceive pain, supposedly do not feel it, especially in the first three months of life. Actually this is not true.

Babies cannot talk about it and just cry. What does a mother do when her baby cries? She holds him close to her, begins to rock him, then gives him the breast. If he doesn't calm down, she starts feeling him. He notices that he is hot, which means he has a fever. That is, the mother again appeals to different components of pain .

When she puts the baby to the breast and begins to feed him, his taste buds are activated, he is distracted, because milk still contains substances that at that moment anesthetize him.

In addition, the smell of mom is added. She begins to talk to the child, trying to calm him down.

But in this case, mom is stressed. And this adrenaline, the hormones of excitement that women accumulate throughout the day, is transmitted through milk . And the child’s level of excitement may increase. Then dad comes home. And he does not have a pronounced parental instinct. During the day, dads are busy with completely different things. They are more balanced and calm.

In addition, during the day, dad accumulates a certain percentage of testosterone, which is then transmitted to the child through breathing and communication. And when dad takes care of the baby, what happens? The child calms down.

And after a while it goes back into the hands of his mother. And by that time all her stress had already gone, and she feeds the baby calm milk, without adrenaline and other stress hormones. This stage of pre-medicinal pain treatment is called self-regulation.

Balance in everything

So, we calmed the baby down and, it seems, there is no need to give him anything else. But then you note that he still has a fever. You begin to unsolder it and measure the temperature. From breast milk and calm communication, she has already decreased somewhat. And now you have the opportunity to soberly assess how critical the situation really is. Here, it is probably possible to use drug treatment, according to the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Konstantin PUSHKAREV

For use in pediatric practice, WHO recommends paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are also called “1st step analgesics in children.” They are included in the children's first aid kit, according to pharmaceutical care protocols.

However, as practice shows, the analgesic effect of paracetamol in many children, especially infants, is weakly expressed, and the anti-inflammatory effect is sometimes completely absent.

In such cases, the only drug approved for children from three months of age, ibuprofen . Its triple effect provides a decrease in body temperature, pain relief and a reduction in inflammation.

“And in our case,” says Dr. Pushkarev, “I would like to talk mainly about the group of ibuprofens in comparison with paracetamol. Although both of them belong to the category of non-narcotic analgesics, which are dispensed without a doctor’s prescription for inflammatory pain.

But I believe that paracetamol is more nephrotoxic. It can affect the gastrointestinal tract and has a risk of overdose compared to ibuprofen and does not have an anti-inflammatory effect.

But pain is usually accompanied by inflammation. Now, if a child hits himself, this place will not only hurt, but also become inflamed.

According to WHO recommendations, paracetamol can be given to children from any age . But in the varieties of the drug available on the market in Kazakhstan, on average there is a sufficiently high concentration of paracetamol, at which use in early childhood will also be prohibited.

For example, you cannot give Panadol for up to two months, and the popular efferalgan is not recommended for up to one month. Tailol is prohibited for up to two months. Please note that all of these drugs are available without a doctor's prescription! That's the problem!

And any mother can come to the pharmacy and... Here it is up to the competence of the pharmacist, who can recommend this particular drug to her or not. The pharmacist needs to sell the drug. Therefore, I am in favor of children being prescribed such drugs by a doctor and in a strictly defined dosage. How to properly treat babies with high fever

And I consider the use of ibuprofen safer, since this drug accumulates quite quickly in the blood and remains there for a long time - up to 24 hours.

Mom sees its effect faster. I’ll explain how important this is with examples.

Rectal suppositories - where are they?

Too often, children with overdoses from any drugs from all over the city and from the Almaty region are brought to the toxicology department of the Center for Children's Emergency Medical Care in Almaty. And this is most often due to the indiscriminate use of medications by mothers .

She gave one, waited 10 minutes - as if it didn’t work, gave a second, a third. I forgot to tell the ambulance doctors, they gave me another injection. As a result, the child feels very bad.

And he is brought to the clinic with bleeding, and we begin to treat him and relieve intoxication. So, when using ibuprofen, the effect of which is detected immediately and for a long time, you can avoid this indiscriminate use of other drugs. There is a dose, there are hours. Please comply. If it doesn’t help, you should always see a doctor, recommends Konstantin Pushkarev.

Well, we, doctors, pediatric neurologists, are based on three basic principles. First, if a child has pain, the analgesic should be given at regular intervals , by the hour, according to the instructions of the drug, and not as needed. While strictly monitoring side effects. Unfortunately, these effects do happen. Let's say an allergic reaction . And this is not the doctor’s mistake. Each person's body is individual. Someone can get anaphylactic shock from banal valerian simply because, roughly speaking, he is allergic to it. Therefore, when giving the drug, we monitor the child’s reaction and only then, gradually, begin to treat him.

What kind of pain is the child experiencing?

The pain can be acute, shooting, monotonous, chronic, progressive, causing pain. And, by the way, a person then gets used to it. In this case, it is necessary to prescribe him additional antidepressants if the person’s brain remembers this pain and periodically repeats it.

“But this is in adults,” the neurologist comments, “but how can we determine the type of pain in a child?” After all, it's not easy.

This is why the popular pediatric pain rating scale was developed. These are such emoticons. When the baby experiences pain, he points to the corresponding emoticon, how much he does not like this pain.

I still can’t understand how it was possible to develop such a scale so that the child would indicate exactly a specific picture. But in reality it works. And it is used for children over 7 years old.

When treating infants, pediatricians often pay attention to the baby’s behavior, for example, his crying. Mothers sometimes ask: “How do you know that he’s crying there?” “I know, because he somehow doesn’t move his arms properly, refuses to breastfeed, and breathes frequently. The child develops a kind of Purple cry - “purple cry”, purple syndrome, when it is impossible to calm him down . In this case, I establish the degree of pain using certain scales and begin to treat him specifically for the pain syndrome. Calming with medication, I move on to the next steps according to WHO recommendations,” the neurologist shares his experience.

How to take medications for children

Drugs are administered to children in different ways: intravenously, rectally, intramuscularly and through the skin . When assessing the clinical situation, the most accessible of them is selected. At the same time, according to WHO theory, the intramuscular route of administration should not be used in children, because it is very painful. Pediatricians avoid him. Dosage forms are administered intravenously or intramuscularly to children only in emergency situations.

But the oral method of taking drug solutions, that is, through the mouth by swallowing, is the most relevant in pediatric practice, and it comes first. Because this is the least painless, simple and effective way. However, oral solutions should not contain sugar or alcohol to avoid causing negative effects.

The rectal method of administering medications is also very convenient for children (into the rectum through the anus, where they are absorbed by the circulatory system). These are rectal suppositories, with which the child does not experience discomfort. Only when prescribing rectal suppositories, the pediatrician, of course, must explain to the mother where to put them.

– We have many different holes in our bodies. Some parents begin to chuckle quietly at this,” says Pushkarev. - But we have no time for jokes. In my practice, there was a case in the neonatal pathology department at the first children's clinic.

I explained to my mother: “Light one candle twice a day.” We made rounds there every three hours. And then I look, and the child has something sticking out in his nose! And the department is quite difficult. I take the ear stick and pull out the rectal suppository!..

And then I remember all the stories and jokes on this topic. How do patients begin to swallow or burn such suppositories? And all this is in real life. Therefore, we, doctors, really need to explain to every patient that a rectal suppository is placed in the anus, and taking the medicine orally is through the mouth .

“There is another misconception,” the doctor continues, “that we must prescribe drugs according to dosages. But if we see that the child is thin and small, then we will reduce his dosage . Over the 7 years of working in the neonatal pathology department, neonatologists trained me well in this. They do everything based on body weight. That is, a 500-gram child needs one dosage, and a large one needs another. In pediatrics this is how it is determined – per body weight and per year of life. For each child, treatment should be selected individually. Kids are poisoned by dozens of sewer cleaners and cauldrons

And here’s another note for mothers.

The popular aspirin is a good drug, it has analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects. But not for small children! It can only be used after 15 years. Or a drug such as analgin relieves pain and reduces fever, but is not anti-inflammatory.

And the last thing I would like to say. Since 2003, Kazakhstan has launched the WHO program - Integrated Management of Illnesses in Children under 5 (IMCI), which has really helped reduce mortality and stimulate children's self-regulation. So it says: if a child cannot drink or suckle, if he has a cough and difficulty breathing, vomiting or diarrhea, fever, which will then be accompanied by convulsions, or already has convulsions, then you need to not just give drugs, but call “ ambulance! Or invite a doctor to your home, who will assess the child’s condition and responsibly tell him how to treat him.

ALMATY

Colds in newborns

The first illnesses of a newborn child are always accompanied by stress for young parents; even a common cold can become a cause for panic. Most medications are contraindicated for an infant; he is unable to blow his nose, cough up sputum, and does not know how to gargle. Today we will talk about how to protect your baby from a cold and what to do if he does get infected.

Causes of colds in newborns

The colloquial version of “cold” hides the medical term “acute respiratory disease.” Many people think that the culprits for sore throats and runny noses in children are the autumn wind and wet feet, but this is not entirely true. Colds are caused by viruses, which, under favorable but undesirable conditions for us (hypothermia, weakened immunity), begin to multiply rapidly, provoking the disease.

It is believed that colds in newborns are quite rare. This is actually true if parents follow the necessary rules for caring for the child. The youngest inhabitants of our planet are protected from many diseases by maternal antibodies - powerful anti-infective factors that are transmitted to the baby in the last weeks of gestation, and after birth enter his body along with breast milk. But if the mother refuses to breastfeed, allows the newborn to interact with people with acute respiratory infections, and does not dress the baby warm enough for walks, he can easily catch a cold.

Signs of a cold in newborns

Most often, the first signs of a cold in newborns are nasal congestion, runny nose and increased body temperature. Since infants cannot breathe through their mouths, difficulty in nasal breathing often leads to sleep disturbances and creates difficulties during feeding. Quite often, symptoms of intoxication appear: the baby becomes capricious and lethargic. With the development of inflammation of the larynx (laryngitis), hoarseness is noted. Coughing is rare because the cough reflex in the newborn has not yet formed. While decreased immunity in adults is sometimes accompanied by the appearance of herpetic rashes on the face, in infants the herpes virus more often affects the oral mucosa.

In children of the first year of life, a cold is often mistaken for the beginning of teething. Since the child is not able to talk about his feelings, parents should know that acute respiratory infections are not typical:

• Excessive salivation;
• The desire to put everything in the mouth;
• Swelling and soreness of the gums;
• Disturbance in night sleep, which is explained by more active growth of teeth in the dark (except in cases where the baby wakes up from nasal congestion or a sore throat).

At the slightest suspicion that your newborn has a cold, call a doctor at home. Due to the imperfection of the body's defense reactions and anatomical features, young children are more likely than adults to encounter complications of acute respiratory infections. The baby's immunity is not able to resist the disease. Moreover, a viral infection is often accompanied by a bacterial one, as a result of which inflammation can spread to the lower respiratory tract or spread to neighboring organs. The most serious complication of a cold in an infant is inflammation of the membranes or substance of the brain - meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis.

Colds during breastfeeding

Modern studies have shown whether a baby can get a cold directly from their mother during guards. As a result, almost 90% remained healthy. Only those whose parents violated the doctors’ recommendations began to get sick in a mild form.

Important! It was revealed that a sick mother will not infect the child through contact or feeding. The reason is that the respiratory virus does not affect the composition of milk.

A cold in an infant (respiratory tract infection) is a rare but unpleasant occurrence. The name “cold”, like the common “acute respiratory infection”, is not entirely correct. The organs of the respiratory system become inflamed not due to hypothermia, although the extra load on the immune system contributes to the activation of pathogenic microorganisms.

The ARVI group includes the following diseases:

• adenoviral infection - affects the lower respiratory tract, digestive system and eyes;
• influenza – characterized by general intoxication and the development of inflammation in the larynx;
• various inflammatory processes in the lower and upper respiratory tract;
• syncytial infection - affects the trachea and lungs.

Treatment of colds in newborns

If a newborn has a cold, it is necessary to create a protective treatment regime, carry out wet cleaning in the children's room every day, and ventilate the room at least twice a day. It is better to hold off on walks until the main symptoms subside, and reduce water procedures to a minimum (wash the child in the shower as necessary). Infants, like adults, are advised to drink plenty of warm drinks when they have a cold. So, for children under 6 months of age, this is breast milk and warm boiled water in a volume of at least 100 ml per day.

If the body temperature rises to 38.5 °C or more, it is necessary to give the baby an antipyretic drug, but caution should be exercised with physical cooling methods. Rubbing with vodka, a solution of alcohol or vinegar is unacceptable; the vapors of these substances will only harm the baby. You can wipe the child’s body with napkins soaked in water heated to 36-37 °C; Liquids at a lower temperature may cause tremors, which will only make the situation worse.

It is recommended to rinse the nasal passages with saline solution at least twice a day. To do this, two or three drops of the product are instilled into each nostril, and after a few minutes the liquid is sucked out using a nasal aspirator. After such a procedure, you can drip the baby’s nose with antiseptic and/or vasoconstrictor drops, depending on the nature of the illness and the pediatrician’s recommendations.

Specific treatment for a cold in a newborn is not required if the disease is mild and accompanied by a slight runny nose and sore throat. In case of severe acute respiratory infections and the development of complications, expectorants and sputum thinners are prescribed in inhalation form, and if a bacterial infection is suspected, the baby may be prescribed a course of antibacterial therapy.

Preventive measures

If the child is healthy, but someone in the family has a cold, then, if possible, protect the baby from any contact with this family member. When the mother is sick, breastfeeding should be done with a mask so that the baby does not get sick. Regularly ventilate the entire living space. Increase the amount of wet cleaning. Protect your baby from the slightest draft and avoid hypothermia.

A folk preventive remedy is to place a plate of chopped garlic near the baby’s head. You can also use antiviral drugs for prevention, but only after consulting a doctor. Never delay treatment for a common cold. Even a mild form of ARVI can become a huge problem in the future if it develops into bronchitis or otitis media.

Prevention of colds in newborns

The main method of preventing colds in newborns and children of the first year of life is to limit contact, since it is adults who are carriers of microorganisms that pose a potential threat to the child’s health. It is equally important to follow the rules of hygiene: wet cleaning in the apartment where the baby lives should be carried out daily, and before interacting with the baby you should wash your hands with soap.

If your mother has a cold, you must wear a mask when caring for and feeding her. However, there is no need to give up breastfeeding during this period; on the contrary, now the baby needs it more than ever, because along with mother’s milk he receives important antibodies.

Prevention of ARVI in infants

During the season of colds and respiratory diseases, it is very important for parents of infants to follow preventive measures. Simple rules will help them protect their baby from colds. Most viral respiratory diseases are transmitted through the air. The smallest viruses survive quite well in unfavorable conditions and are transmitted through the breath from parents to children.

In order to protect your child from colds, parents should adhere to the following recommendations:

• Keep the house clean and especially the children's room. To do this, wet cleaning should be carried out regularly in the nursery. During seasonal viral infections and colds, you can use special products containing antimicrobial components. When choosing such products, make sure that they are safe for use in children's premises.
• Take care of your baby's hygiene. Healthy baby skin helps protect him from many diseases. Bathe your baby based on your pediatrician's recommendations.

• Monitor the handling of children's dishes. All dishes intended for the baby should always be clean and well dried. Poorly treated utensils can easily harbor microbes that can cause a child to become ill.
• Follow the rules of personal hygiene. Parents should also remember to wash their hands with soap. It is especially important not to forget about this point during flu and seasonal colds. Following this simple rule will help you avoid infecting your infant with infections that are dangerous to him.

• Don't forget about the ventilation schedule. The room where the baby is located must maintain the necessary microclimate. Try to take the child out of the room when it is ventilated. Do not leave your newborn baby in a room with an open window. This can cause hypothermia and a cold.
• Monitor the temperature in the children's room. It is optimal for it to be 24 degrees. Make sure that the temperature in the room does not fall below 20 degrees.

• Remember about humidity. Too dry air in the room is dangerous for the baby, as it can cause the delicate mucous membranes of the respiratory tract to dry out. To create optimal humidity in a children's room, you can use special devices - humidifiers.
• Continue breastfeeding. Scientists believe that babies who receive breast milk have better immunity levels than their peers who eat ready-made formula. Breast milk is an excellent source of immunoglobulins that protects the child’s body from various infections.

• Follow the daily routine recommended by your pediatrician. Regular adherence to a routine is necessary for a child's body to function optimally and grow.
• Don't forget about walking. They are necessary for the child’s body to harden it. When walking with your baby, choose comfortable, warm clothes that won’t make your baby feel too hot. Try to cover your child's neck and face from strong winds.

A common cold without proper treatment can lead to serious complications. Parents should pay more attention to disease prevention in order to minimize possible harm to the baby’s health. Even at the stage of pregnancy planning, before the birth of the child, all family members must undergo the necessary vaccinations; after the baby is born, monitor their health and avoid ARVI. It is necessary to dress your child correctly so that he does not catch a cold.

Limit contacts

Due to the absence of symptoms in the early stages of the disease, many are unaware of the presence of the disease, so they continue to contact other people. It is necessary to avoid visiting places with large crowds of people during the seasonal rise in incidence.

A balanced diet containing all the necessary vitamins and microelements helps strengthen the immune system. When breastfeeding, the mother must pay attention to her diet. Tempering procedures and daily walks in any weather have a beneficial effect on the body, strengthening its defenses.

If a loved one is ill, you need to minimize his contact with the newborn. To reduce the risk of infection, the patient should wear a mask, replacing it as often as possible. Parents need to ensure that all guests wash their hands with soap before interacting with the baby. You should not kiss the baby's face and hands, as most viruses are transmitted through saliva.

How to recognize in a newborn

During the off-season periods, the child's risk of hypothermia increases : the parents did not choose the right clothes for a walk, opened the balcony for ventilation longer than expected, and created a draft in the apartment, which exposed the infant.

It is for these reasons that a newborn may catch a cold.

A cold in an infant has the following symptoms :

• general lethargy of the child or increased excitability;
• frequent whims;
• significant increase in sleep duration;
• mucus discharge from the nose, coughing, sneezing;
• changes in the child’s voice, the appearance of hoarseness;
• increased body temperature;
• refusal to eat.

Routes of transmission of the virus

Children can become infected with acute respiratory viral infections or illnesses resulting from colds in three main ways:

1. Airborne.

The virus is transmitted from a sick person when he sneezes or coughs. The air around him is saturated with infected particles of saliva or mucus from the nose.

1. Contact.

The infection is transmitted through touching and shaking hands.

1. Bytovym.

Viruses are transmitted by using the same utensils and hygiene products. It is necessary to thoroughly wash all objects that have been touched by a sick person, for example, children's toys and dishes.

It is also important to consider that the virus can live outside the human body for about three hours without showing any symptoms. It is advisable to exclude the baby from contact with a sick person. If this is not possible, the patient should wear a gauze bandage.

First aid

During illness, the child’s health condition deteriorates significantly . And in order not to aggravate it, it is better not to irritate the baby again - you should not shout at him, just as you should not force him to eat. The child will eat as much as he can. It makes sense to reduce the amount of food, but increase the number of feedings.

Harmful for babies and overheating. When you have a cold, it is better to wear it according to the temperature regime . But if the child is hot, you should choose lighter clothes.

Signs of an increase in temperature are:

• redness of the skin;
• hot body;
• the desire to constantly throw off the blanket in a dream.

It is better to reduce the temperature with the help of medications.

Rubbing is possible only with ordinary water heated to 35 degrees . First, the abdomen is blotted with a dampened towel, then the neck, groin and armpit areas.

Is it possible to do a massage if the baby has a cold? Massage for colds is contraindicated as it will make it difficult for the child to breathe.

Since the impact will be on the chest, the available lung volume will decrease . And with a cold, the baby’s breathing can be difficult due to the large amount of mucus secreted from the nose and mouth, so massage will become even more difficult.

You can walk with your baby, but only if the weather is favorable - without piercing wind, rain and sleet.

Can a baby get infected from his mother?

Hypothermia is not a contagious disease. Another thing is that against the background of weakening, various viruses and bacteria can become attached , which can “run” to the child from the mother or other close relatives.

When feeding

Is it possible to breastfeed a child if he or his mother has a cold? If the mother has a cold, it is strictly not recommended to wean the child from the breast . Breast milk contains fragments of inactive bacteria and antibodies that help the baby strengthen its own immunity to the disease .

In the only case it is worth stopping breastfeeding - if the mother switched to treatment with strong antibiotics . Then, even after the end of treatment, you will have to not give the baby mother’s milk for some time - until the bactericidal drugs leave the body. However, it is possible and necessary for a mother to maintain lactation , even during her own treatment.

How not to infect

If your mother has a cold, you can take some simple steps to protect your child from an accidental illness:

• ask relatives to stay with the baby while the mother receives medical procedures or rests a little;
• wash nipples with soap before feeding, change underwear more often - this will remove accumulated bacteria;
• wash floors daily and wipe door handles, telephones, television remotes - objects that “collect” bacteria;
• get yourself separate dishes for eating so as not to spread bacteria among your family;
• wear a medical mask and change it after 3 hours;
• use disposable tissues when sneezing and blowing your nose;
• transfer the child to a freshly ventilated room while sleeping, and the mother can rest in her own.

It is important not to limit the baby’s communication with his mother so that he does not feel abandoned - stroke him more often, talk, sing, read.

List of treatment rules

In order to reduce infection to zero, it is recommended to follow a few simple rules:

• organize the treatment process in such a way that a certain amount of time passes between taking the medication and direct contact with the baby (in most cases, the maximum concentration of the drug in the blood is recorded 1.5-2 hours after administration);
• Feeding intervals should be increased to 4-5 hours (formula or age-appropriate complementary foods are used for supplementary feeding);
• during the period when the main phase of treatment takes place, the mother should carefully monitor the child’s condition;
• Natural feeding should be stopped if the baby reacts negatively: rash, itching or swelling appears.

If treatment involves taking antibiotics, then for this period it will be necessary to switch the child to formula. You need to continue expressing milk. To improve the microflora, the pediatrician may prescribe a course of probiotics for the child.

If a woman manages to catch a cold 3-6 months after the start of feeding (mature stage of lactation), there is no need to abruptly stop the feeding process. After consulting with your doctor, you will be able to choose the optimal schedule. The reason is that the mother may experience stress, as a result of which the milk will disappear partially or completely.

Important! A woman should not independently refuse medications prescribed for treatment, as this action can lead to various complications.

Ventilation reduces the number of bacteria in the air

After the consultation, it will be clear whether the mother gets sick while breastfeeding or whether the baby will get sick. In most cases, a common cold or runny nose does not harm the health of the newborn. There are drugs that are approved for use without restrictions during breastfeeding, but their inclusion in the recovery program must be carried out by a doctor. If a cold occurs while breastfeeding, a specialist decides how to recover and treat it.

At the first signs of a viral disease, you should consult a pediatrician. Treatment is selected individually, taking into account the course of the disease and the age of the child. Self-administration of drugs is strictly prohibited. The dosage of medications and duration of treatment are determined by the doctor.

It is worth noting that children should not be vaccinated while treating a cold. After complete recovery, 4 weeks should pass. This time is necessary to restore the body's protective functions. Vaccination during or immediately after an illness is an additional burden on the immune system. Vaccination can cause significant harm to the baby’s health (see also: is it possible to walk with a child immediately after DTP vaccination?).

How to treat

You should not cope with the manifestations of the disease on your own - without the advice of a pediatrician, medications can harm the baby . His condition will worsen or a complication will appear in the form of an allergy, which will have to be eliminated additionally. Medicine for cold symptoms should only be recommended by a pediatrician.

Treatment of a baby begins with regulating the conditions in which the baby lives. The room where the child spends more time must be ventilated . In winter, three times a day is enough, and in summer, it is necessary to ensure a constant flow of fresh air .

It is not recommended to lower the temperature if the child is feeling well, so as not to overload the body with medications.

If there is no temperature, you can go out with your baby for a walk . Fresh air will “drive” harmful bacteria out of the body, and, accordingly, speed up recovery.

Antibiotics for the treatment of colds in infants are contraindicated . If they are taken uncontrolled, the child’s body may react unpredictably to them.

It is also unacceptable to use vasoconstrictor drugs to eliminate a runny nose in a newborn. nasal discharge using a mechanical aspirator . This procedure can be preceded by instilling a few drops of boiled water into each nostril.

Folk remedies

Some natural remedies can help relieve your baby's cold symptoms and make him feel better. However, they are not dangerous for the development of side effects. To thin the mucus in your airways and make it easier to clear, try one of these home remedies:

1. Turmeric compress. Mix some turmeric with warm water to make a smooth paste and apply it on your baby's chest, forehead and soles of the feet. Wash off the paste after 10-15 minutes.
2. Massage with warm mustard oil. Heat a cup of mustard oil. Massage your baby's feet, chest and back with it for 5-10 minutes. Wipe off excess oil with a soft cloth.

Garlic is good at clearing the air of germs, acting as a preventative against ARVI. Just grind it and distribute it in several places in the children's room on saucers, remembering to change this natural antiseptic several times a day.

Consult your doctor before treating ARVI in a child under one year old using any folk remedy.

How can I help you

The list of approved drugs for the treatment of infants is limited . What medications can be given to a newborn for a cold? The main remedies that a doctor can recommend belong to the following groups :

• Immunostimulating . These are synthetic substances that are used to weaken the immune system. Interferon and its derivatives are most in demand. Suppositories are optimal for infants - they do not cause complications in the body.
• For sore throat . The cause of the symptom is damage to the mucous membrane. Drugs in this group have a complex effect. They restore the mucous membrane, rid the mouth of germs and soften the throat.
• Antipyretics . These drugs, as a rule, only bring down the temperature without affecting the inflammatory process itself. Therefore, you should not get carried away with them.
• From a runny nose . Such remedies can also be prescribed to a baby. Usually the most gentle drugs are offered - Aquamaris, Miramistin in sprays.

For children under one year of age, medications are selected individually . As a rule, these are herbal medicines, sprays and drops with sea water, antipyretics based on paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Therapy at 1 month

Newborns with a cold can be given medications only on the recommendation of a doctor . Immunostimulants - Viferon or Ruferon - can be used in treatment. There are no universal remedies for sore throat and cough - everything is prescribed individually.

Procedures to lower the temperature can be started only when it reaches 38 degrees or higher . In this case, rub the tummy, neck, and limbs with warm water every 3 hours.

For a runny nose, use weak saline solutions at intervals of no more than 5 times a day. Mucus is removed using cotton swabs, mechanical aspirators or a medical syringe.

At 2 months

Babies of this age are treated similarly to 1-month-old infants with a slight expansion of the list of drugs. The appointment is made by the attending pediatrician. Immunostimulants - Viferon or analogues - are used in the form of rectal suppositories.

An increase in temperature is best eliminated by wiping with warm water . You can use children's Paracetamol, Ibuprofen in the form of syrup, as well as rectal suppositories (Efferalgan and analogues), observing the dosage according to age .

To cleanse the nasal passages, you can use saline solution , which is instilled with an aspirator or syringe. Vasoconstrictor drugs are not used.

At 3 months

At this age, cold treatment follows a scenario similar to 1 and 2 months. First, call the attending physician , who will prescribe the necessary medications.

Immunostimulants are still indicated for use. To reduce the temperature, rubbing with cool water, rectal suppositories (with Paracetamol), and Ibuprofen in the form of syrup are suitable.

To eliminate a runny nose, you can use saline solution or Aquamaris .

At 6-10 months

The start of treatment is standard - calling a pediatrician at home or visiting him at the clinic. Standard immunostimulating agents are used - interferon rectal suppositories .

A temperature above 38 degrees is an additional reason to see a doctor. Ibuprofen syrups and Paracetamol-based suppositories are used as antipyretics.

Mucus from the nasal passages is removed with special saline solutions - Aquamaris, Miramistin. Mechanical means are also used - aspirators, medical syringes.

If a runny nose does not go away but leads to complications, then the doctor may prescribe vasoconstrictor medications. They are used for a limited period of time - 3-4 days.

Redness of the throat can also be treated with herbal infusions and antiseptics . There are no universal remedies - everything is prescribed taking into account the individual characteristics of the course of the disease.

Colds in children - infants, treatment of colds in children

Colds in children - infants, treatment of colds in children

Colds are the most common illness among children, so mothers should always be prepared. They must clearly know what needs to be done in a given situation. So, what should you do if you suddenly notice signs of a cold in your baby? Do not console yourself with the fact that, most likely, the cause of the ailment is “teething.” Always take the disease seriously, because in 99% of cases it is a viral infection, and teething reduces the child’s immunity. Therefore, the baby must be TREATED immediately, and not wait for complications.

1) Call a doctor. Consultation is necessary no matter how serious the illness. You must understand that for a baby, even a runny nose can be a dangerous disease.

2) Immediately place the child on a higher pillow; if the head is positioned low, there is a risk of suffocation. The air in the room should be moderately HUMID and warm.

3) At a body temperature of 38°C and above, you can rub the baby with a light solution of vinegar (1 tablespoon per liter of water), give an enema

4) When you have a cough or runny nose, it is good to rub your chest, back, neck, legs, and feet with balms containing eucalyptus oil.

5) Take medicinal baths with herbal preparations for 10-15 minutes. Recommended water temperature is 38°C. After the bath, wrap the child up and put him to bed.

6) It’s good to make compresses with any heated oil. Soak the fabric in oil, put polyethylene on top, wrap it with a woolen scarf (for 2 hours), 2-3 times a day.

7) Cough syrups are usually prescribed to children from 6 months and older (doctor's recommendations are required). Mom needs to know that there are two types of cough - wet and dry, so medications must be used in accordance with the disease.

"Doctor Theiss" - syrup with plantain for coughs with difficult sputum production.

“Bronchicum” – contains rose hips, thyme, honey and other herbs.

“Doctor Mom” – used for sore throat, irritable, convulsive cough; contains basil, licorice, saffron

"Tussamag" - used for dry cough. Contains thyme extract.

Inhalations are also good. Place a pan of hot water in a closed room next to the crib and pour the inhalation solution into it. It is necessary for the child to inhale the vapor for 1-1.5 hours. Or at least place a clove of garlic at the baby’s head.

9) Let your child drink more: compotes, tea with lemon, rose hips.

Warming procedures with mustard help very well. If a child has a runny nose and cough, put on cotton socks, pour mustard powder into other socks and put them on top of the first. On top are wool socks. Also consult with your doctor about what vitamins or strengthening agents to give your baby.

Runny nose

At the beginning of a cold, the baby develops a runny nose. In this case, before each feeding, you need to clean the baby's nose. It is better to do this with wicks with a soda solution (one teaspoon of soda per glass of water). Then place one or two drops of breast milk in each nostril. Breast milk contains all the protective substances. If the mother does not have milk, add one or two drops of warm vegetable oil. I want to warn you about the danger of introducing soda solution and other liquids into the baby’s nose through a bulb. In children, fluid passes very easily from the nose into the Eustachian tube, which connects the nose and ear. This can cause inflammation in the middle ear (otitis media). To avoid complications, it is better to rinse your nose with wicks soaked in a soda solution.

A child has a runny nose: secrets of an experienced mother

Treating a runny nose in children requires patience. Be sure to give your sick child a massage of the wings of the nose, forehead, and ears several times a day. The following simple recipes will also help treat a runny nose:

Place 4-5 drops of aloe juice into your nose two to three times a day. This is a simple and effective treatment.

Pour one teaspoon of elecampane into one glass of boiling water. Leave in a water bath for half an hour. Give your child a quarter glass to drink warm before meals.

Light the cotton wool, knock down the flame so that the cotton wool smolders. Let the child inhale the smoke alternately, first with one nostril, then with the other. (He must first blow his nose.) Thanks to this procedure, a runny nose goes away quickly.

Mix freshly squeezed lemon juice with honey, 1:1. Place 1-2 drops into your nose. It is also good to keep cotton swabs soaked in this solution in your nose.

If you have a severe runny nose, let your child chew honey in a comb (if there is no allergy to bee products).

Pour 10 g of crushed wild rosemary herb into 100 g of linseed or sunflower oil, leave in a warm place for several hours, strain. Give your child 1 drop twice a day

How to hover legs

For children over nine months old, when they have a runny nose, it is very good to steam their feet. This procedure is done only when there is a slight rise in body temperature (up to 38°C). First you need to immerse the legs in warm, pleasant water, and then gradually add hot water, bringing the water temperature to 40-4°C. As soon as your feet turn red, pour cold water over them and then put them back in hot water. Repeat this three times, after the third dousing with cold water, put woolen socks on the baby and put him to bed. You can also hover handles.

"Boots"

They are most often given to young children (up to nine months). Put cotton socks or rompers on the child’s feet, apply half a mustard plaster soaked in warm water to the feet, and put a woolen sock on top. The wearing time of such “boots” is 45-50 minutes once a day.

Cough

If your baby has a cough, it would be a good idea to put mustard plasters on. But it is important to take into account that mustard plasters are completely contraindicated for any allergic manifestations in children. Children with a tendency to allergies are generally contraindicated in procedures that use

Odorous substances (for example, camphor alcohol, mustard, turpentine). They can cause bronchospasm and difficulty breathing.

But oil compresses for bronchitis are useful for everyone: both allergy sufferers and non-allergy sufferers. They should be done when the body temperature has dropped at least temporarily. Heat the vegetable oil to a temperature of 40-45°C, soak a canvas rag in it, quickly wrap it around the chest, then another cloth on top, then a towel, a woolen scarf and leave for two hours. After the oil wrap, the child must be washed so that the oil does not clog the skin pores through which harmful metabolic products are released. In general, to better cleanse the body during an illness, a child should be bathed more often, without fear that this will worsen his condition.

Factors that aggravate the serious condition of a child during illness

Overwrapping, contaminated skin, unclean intestines and rich food are factors that aggravate the child’s serious condition during illness and high body temperature. Sometimes, for their own peace of mind, mothers supplement treatment with large doses of medications. There is an apparent improvement, but very soon the child will get sick again. How many times in my medical practice have I encountered such situations! Sometimes you just had to cleanse the intestines, follow a diet, and wash the child, and the high temperature subsided, and the condition improved before our eyes.

Curd compresses

In addition to oil compresses, it is also good to make other compresses, for example, curd ones. Warm the curd, drain the whey, put the curd in gauze, and then tie it to the baby's chest for 30-40 minutes. The curd compress can also be applied at high temperatures.

Croup and the fight against it

With a dry barking cough, you must first ensure that it turns into a wet cough, since in such a condition the child may develop the so-called croup (narrowing of the larynx due to its inflammation and allergic swelling). A harbinger of croup is a hoarse voice. Treatment should be immediate to prevent difficulty breathing (breathing in). First of all, steam your child's feet. Try to ensure that the room has high humidity and warm air, which will facilitate the removal of dry crusts of mucus from the larynx. At this time, let the baby drink expectorant herbs (coltsfoot, violet, licorice root, etc.), any children's expectorant mixtures.

What to do if a 2 month old baby has a cold

Article last updated: 05/11/2019

Colds are a collective term that is not related to a medical diagnosis. The concept includes a group of viral diseases that affect the upper respiratory tract of a person, regardless of age.

During the first year of life, the child has an imperfect immune system, which cannot independently repel attacks from viruses and bacteria. With the accumulation of predisposing factors, the newborn’s defenses weaken, viruses settle on the mucous membrane of the nose, pharynx, trachea, actively multiply, causing inflammation, cough, runny nose and other well-known symptoms of acute respiratory diseases (ARI).

Why did the baby get sick?

Viruses and bacteria surround us everywhere. It is known that at certain times of the year the risk of respiratory viral diseases increases. These are the periods of greatest activity of a particular virus. A 2-month-old baby can be infected with viruses from close relatives, when visiting crowded places, such as a clinic, or while walking.

A number of predisposing factors contribute to viral infection:

1. Hypothermia of a child. When a baby is hypothermic, a reflex spasm of blood vessels occurs; the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract become vulnerable to viruses and bacteria.
2. Reduced immunity in a newborn.
3. Drying of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. Occurs during the heating season if the room is not humidified. To ensure local immunity, the mucous membranes must be moist!
4. Poor nutrition or food in insufficient quantities.
5. Concomitant diseases or congenital pathologies.

Symptoms of a cold in infants

With various acute respiratory viral diseases (ARVI), the symptoms are similar; usually it is not difficult for parents to suspect that their child has a cold.

The main symptoms that indicate acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections:

1. Increased body temperature.
2. Runny nose.
3. Cough.
4. Sneezing.
5. Weakness, poor appetite and sleep disturbance.

Let's look at each symptom in more detail.

At the very beginning of the disease, parents will notice that something is wrong with the child: the baby is lethargic, whiny, eats poorly, sleeps restlessly. These are symptoms of intoxication of the body with a viral infection. At the same time or a little later, an increase in body temperature is noted.

With a cold, the temperature increase can be insignificant or reach high values. If elevated body temperature is detected, it is necessary to monitor its readings every half hour. If the reading exceeds 38.5 degrees, the child must be given medications to reduce it.

If for an adult a runny nose is just an unpleasant occurrence, then for a baby a runny nose can be dangerous. The baby does not know how to independently free his nose from mucus, and he also does not know how to breathe through his mouth. With a stuffy nose, the baby cannot breastfeed, which further aggravates the condition. It is mandatory to treat a runny nose in a 2 month old child.

Coughing and sneezing often accompany a cold. These are the body's defense mechanisms aimed at clearing the airways of excess mucus.

If your baby has a fever

Today, experienced mothers know that fever is a sign that the body is beginning to fight viruses. In infants, a sharp rise in temperature is even more likely than in adults, because their immune system is in the process of formation, and thermoregulatory centers are not yet fully developed.

At moderately elevated temperatures, you can start with physical cooling methods. Do not rush to take medicine if the value on the thermometer does not exceed +38.5°C. The simplest thing is to undress the child (excess heat will be absorbed by the air) or wipe the body with a sponge moistened with water +36...+37°C. Cooler liquids may cause a child with a fever to shiver, making the situation worse. Rubbing a baby with a solution of alcohol or vinegar is unacceptable - the vapors of these substances will only be harmful.

We recommend reading: Newborn stool during breastfeeding: what should it be, the norm

Fever above +39°C is dangerous for the brain (convulsions are possible), so it must be brought down with the help of an antipyretic. The drug must be child-friendly and safe (based on Paracetamol), non-toxic for a tiny organism.

How to treat a cold in a newborn

In no case should you let the disease take its course, waiting for the cold to go away on its own. In an adult, self-healing is possible; the immune system of a healthy body can cope with viruses in a few days. A two-month-old baby’s immune system is not yet ready for such feats, so a common cold needs to be treated.

Treatment of colds in infants is symptomatic. In this case, the following recommendations must be observed:

1. The first thing you need to do is call a doctor! It is impossible to delay in providing medical care to a newborn. Complications can develop in just a few hours. Only a specialist in pediatric diseases can prescribe medications. Do not try to treat the baby yourself!
2. While waiting for the doctor, you must do everything possible to alleviate the baby's condition. If the baby has a high body temperature, it is necessary to undress him, remove the diaper, as it prevents evaporation, and wipe him with warm water using a soft cloth. If the temperature rises above 38.5 degrees, you need to give the child an antipyretic drug based on paracetamol. This can be syrup (Ibufen, Panadol) or rectal suppositories (Efferalgan, Tsefekon D). When using, strictly observe the age dosage!

Aspirin use in children can cause dangerous Reye's syndrome, which affects the brain and liver and can ultimately lead to death.

1. Place a pillow under the baby's head to prevent mucus from the nose from flowing into the respiratory tract and causing asphyxia.
2. Clear the nasal passages of mucus as needed. To do this, you need to drop one drop of saline into each nostril and carefully suck out the contents using a small bulb or a special aspirator. The use of vasoconstrictor drops at this age is contraindicated.
3. To remove viruses and their waste products from the body, as well as to replenish moisture lost through sweating, the baby must drink enough fluid. To this end, put your baby to your breast more often and give him water to drink.

Medicines can be used strictly as prescribed by a doctor! Treat a cold with traditional methods only with the consent of the doctor.

Positive effects of breastfeeding for colds

Breast milk contains a huge amount of valuable substances necessary for children.

It is much easier to treat a breastfed baby, since milk contains:

• protective immunoglobulins. If a child is fed breast milk, then if he gets a cold, he will get over it easily, or will not get infected at all;
• natural antiviral substance. If your baby has a sore throat, warm milk will help treat and soothe it;
• substances that calm the child and help him sleep. Therefore, when a child is sick, it is recommended to put him to the breast as often as possible. A mother's warm hug and milk will calm the baby and ease his condition.

If your baby is sick, breast milk certainly helps him recover faster. But if the doctor has prescribed specialized treatment for him, you should not cancel it yourself.