Colds in children

Colds in children are caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and other organs when they enter the body. A virus is a microorganism that makes children sick. Colds in children are most common in the fall and winter when children are indoors in close contact with each other.

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How does a cold spread?

Children can catch colds from siblings, parents, other family members, playmates, or caregivers. Germs are usually spread in one of three ways:

Direct contact, such as kissing, touching, or touching the hands of an infected person. If you have the virus, you will have many germs on the mucous membranes of your nose, mouth, eyes, and skin.

Indirect contact means a child touches a toy, doorknob, or fabric that has been handled by an infected person and has germs on it. Some germs, including those that cause colds and diarrhea, can remain on surfaces for many hours.

Some germs are spread through the air when a sick child coughs or sneezes. Droplets from a cough or sneeze can reach another child's nose or mouth if they are less than a meter away.

Why do children get colds?

It may seem like your child has one cold after another all winter long. That may be true: Young children have no immunity to the more than 100 different cold viruses that are constantly flying around. That's why children under 2 get 8 to 10 colds each year.

Once a cold virus has entered the body, the immune system learns to fight it. That's why children get fewer colds as they get older.

How do you know if your child has a cold?

Typical cold symptoms include:

• runny nose or sneezing,
• cough,
• headache,
• mild sore throat,

• loss of appetite,
• fatigue
• slight increase in temperature.

A cold in its early stages can easily be confused with the flu. The flu virus causes a high fever, cough, and body aches. It affects a child more quickly than a cold and makes the child feel much worse. Children with a cold are usually weak, but not so weak that they stop playing. Children with the flu usually spend a lot of time in bed because their bodies are poisoned by the virus's toxins.

When should you see a doctor if your child has a cold?

Babies under 3 months of age may have difficulty breathing due to nasal congestion. Feeding may also be difficult for these babies. Call your doctor to make an appointment or take your baby to emergency care if he or she has:

• I had breathing problems,
• the child does not eat because of vomiting
• he has a fever of 38.5°C or higher.

Some respiratory viruses that cause colds in older children can cause more serious symptoms in infants and toddlers. These illnesses may include laryngitis (hoarseness, noisy breathing, barking cough), pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), bronchitis ( shortness of breath, difficulty breathing), or symptoms such as sore eyes, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Children with these symptoms should be evaluated by a doctor to make a proper diagnosis.

Adults with children of any age should call a doctor if their child's cold may be causing a more serious health problem. Call the doctor to make an appointment or take your child to the emergency room if you notice that your child:

1. breathes quickly and heavily,
2. he has blue lips,
3. the child coughs heavily, this symptom is accompanied by suffocation or vomiting,
4. the child wakes up in the morning with eyes (one or both) with pus caked on them,
5. the child is sleepier than usual, does not want to eat or play, or, on the contrary, is very whiny and cannot calm down,
6. he has profuse and thick (yellow, green) nasal discharge that lasts more than 10 or 14 days.

Call your child's doctor if he or she has ear pain or discharge from the ear that may be caused by a cold.

What to do if your child has a cold?

A cold usually lasts about 1 week, but can last up to 2 weeks. Cold symptoms (if there are no complications) usually go away on their own.

A child with a cold should be as comfortable as possible at home. He should be given a large amount of liquid (up to 1 liter) and dietary meals.

Check your child's temperature. To relieve pain or discomfort at a temperature above 38.5 °C, paracetamol can be used. Ibuprofen can be used for children over 6 months. If the doctor does not recommend using paracetamol, he or she may use another medicine until the child's temperature goes down. Children should never be given acetylsalicylic acid (such as aspirin) or any other medicine, because it can cause problems with the brain and liver (Reye's syndrome).

If your baby is having trouble breastfeeding because of mucus in the nose, you should use a rubber bulb syringe to clear the mucus from the nose. Use nasal drops or a nasal saline spray if the mucus is very thick. The spray penetrates the nasal passages and may be gentler and more effective than drops.

How to treat a child with a cold?

Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold medications to children under 6 years of age unless prescribed by a doctor.

Talk to your doctor before giving your child over-the-counter medications or other medications associated with chronic conditions. Read the labels and instructions on the medications carefully. The main thing is not to give more medication than is recommended for a child of a certain age.

Coughing helps clear mucus from your baby's chest. Many cold and cough medicines contain medications to help relieve it. These may include cough syrups or cough teas.

Decongestants and antihistamines (drugs to clear the nose and sinuses) won't help your child's cough. If taken orally, these drugs can be useless and even harmful: your child may have a rapid heartbeat or have trouble sleeping. Antihistamines, unfortunately, don't help with colds.

Nasal drops or sprays provide only short-term relief for your child, so they should not be used for more than 2 or 3 days. They can overload your child's system and make the condition worse. In particular, do not use these products on children under 6 years of age.

Humidifiers are not recommended for colds due to the risk of contamination from bacteria and mold. And home hot water vaporizers are not recommended due to the risk of burns.

Antibiotics for children will not help get rid of a cold. They should only be used when children develop more serious illnesses caused by bacteria, such as an ear infection or pneumonia.

Children with a cold can continue their normal activities if they feel well enough to do so. If they have a fever or complications, they may need to rest at home for a few days. Your child can go to school with a cold if they feel well enough to participate in school activities. Children with a cold can even play outside.

How to prevent a cold in a child?

Washing your child's hands is the most important way to reduce the spread of colds:

• Wash your child's hands after coughing, sneezing, or wiping his or her nose.
• Wash your child's hands after he or she has been in contact with anyone who has a respiratory infection.
• Wash your hands and your baby's hands after wiping your baby's nose.
• If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based wipes or hand rinses. Keep hand rinses out of your child's reach, as they may be swallowed.
• Keep children under 3 months of age away from people with colds as much as possible.
• Teach your children to cover their nose and mouth when they sneeze or cough.
• Avoid giving toys to small children until you have washed them thoroughly or vacuumed them (if the toys are soft).
• Avoid sharing dishes and towels because they may contain viruses or bacteria from a sick person.

If your child attends daycare, tell the teacher about any cold symptoms and ask if your child can stay home that day.

Make sure your child has received all recommended vaccinations. Although vaccines do not prevent colds, they can help prevent some complications, such as bacterial ear or lung infections.

Colds in children are certainly a cause for concern for parents, but this is no reason to sit idly by. Simple prevention methods and timely visits to the doctor can protect your child from a cold or its complications.