The human body is designed so that when it comes into contact with viruses, it also becomes ill. And the body of the baby is also no exception. However, one can not assume that everything that helps an adult will help with a cold in an infant. Quite the contrary. Therefore, before making any decisions and using medicines, contact your doctor and consult how to treat a cold in the baby.
Symptoms of a cold in babies are the same as in an adult. But the situation is complicated by the fact that the baby can not tell you that something is bothering him. And parents have to act at random.
The most sure sign of a cold in a baby is a stuffy nose and cough. These symptoms are typical, perhaps, only for colds. There is still such a sign as the heat. But this is a very doubtful sign. His doubt is that not every high fever in the baby testifies to a cold. And what is the high temperature? Most modern pediatricians claim that the temperature to 37.5 ° C is the norm for the baby. And indeed it is. But we must distinguish whether this temperature is the norm for a particular child. Here, for example, if the baby has always had a temperature of about 37.3 ° C, then for him the temperature is 37.5 ° C within the norm. And if it has never risen above 37.0 ° C, then 37.5 ° C can already indicate a cold in an infant. Also a sure sign of a cold in a baby is loss of appetite, decreased activity, general weakness, lethargy.
All listed signs can also indicate not on a cold, but on prorezyvayuschiesya teeth. But be careful. Yes, these symptoms can be caused by teething in the crumbs, but this does not mean that the baby has a runny nose because the teeth are climbing. This means that the teeth caused a weakening of the body's defenses, and the child had a runny nose.
It should also be remembered that the common cold often occurs in infants on artificial feeding, and in children on the natural - much less often. This is connected with the immunity that the child receives with her mother's milk. Therefore, the best prevention of colds in infants is natural feeding. Together with this it is necessary to limit the child from communicating with sick people, to avoid crowded places.
Before you begin to treat colds in infants, you need to maximally ease the condition of a child without medication. Contrary to the opinion of many grandmothers, when treating colds in infants, it is not necessary to include 2 heaters and to put as much clothes on the baby as possible. Quite the contrary. It is better to lower the temperature in the room to 20-22 ° C, often to air and humidify the air in the room.
The next nuance in the treatment of colds in infants is the use of antipyretic agents. If the temperature is lower than 38.0 - 38.5 ° C, then such a temperature can not be beaten down by anything. It is enough to provide cool and moist air in the room, plenty of drink (if it is necessary for the child) and the baby himself will lose heat. If the temperature rises above 39 ° C, then the baby will need to be helped, and bring down the temperature.
Never decide on the use of any medication yourself. Even if the package with antipyretic syrup is written "For children", it does not mean that it can be used for colds in the baby. Be sure to consult a doctor about the use of a drug for treating colds in an infant, as well as side effects and contraindications.