Newborn Cold - What To Do?

What's so scary about newborn cold? Ask a mother what the worst nights of her life were and she will tell you about the frustrating days and long nights that her newborn had influenza or cold. Thank God for the discovery of those heavenly saline drops!

There are periods when a baby cold is likely an inevitable occurrence. You see the signs and symptoms and note that it may only be a matter of time before the full-blown cold surfaces. In addition, there are certain months (specially the winter season) in which your newborn and other children are more likely to fall prey to cold and flu. There are flu shots and vaccinations available to prevent different types of colds.

Symptoms of newborn cold and flu:

The symptoms of cold are not hard to detect. The cold can consist of newborn stuffy nose, drippy nose, fever, upset stomach, dry skin (especially around the constant stuffy nose and mouth area), cough, tiredness, unhappiness, sore or scratchy throat, lack of appetite and fussiness.

The signs of flu can be more severe than those of the common cold. The flu can also be life threatening. However, in babies, both the flu and the common cold usually have similar symptoms. No matter the symptoms, anyone who has taken care of an ill baby may be able to confirm that this can be a challenging activity. Due to stuffy noses and sore throats, babies may not be readily able to intake milk normally or sleep effectively. Special care and relief need to be provided.

Cure for common cold:

If conditions such as a high fever or severe disruptions to feeding are occurring, medical help or a visit to the pediatrician office can be beneficial. Newborns need hydration and sustenance, and should not be allowed to keep refusing milk.

Newborn cold can be a miserable time for your newborn. Although medical experts may not be able to cure the common cold, there are ways to improve the situation and make the infant comfortable. These methods include attempting to keep the baby’s nostrils clear and improving the ability of the baby to breathe. For your baby runny nose may not be as irritating as the blocked one. Nose drops that are normally saline drops at this stage are highly beneficial for clearing up the newborn stuffy nose.

A humidifier can be useful in introducing or maintaining humidity in the atmosphere. Humidity can make the membranes less dry and less irritated. This is really useful if dry coughs become part of the baby’s cold symptoms and reactions.

Warm liquids are highly encouraged...

During newborn cold and flu periods, a baby’s appetite may not be in great shape. Also, a sore throat is not really welcoming of fluids. However, many times, if this fluid is warm, it can be soothing to the throat and the baby may be more receptive to liquid in-take. Providing extra fluids will help ensure that the baby is well hydrated. This also aids energy levels and enhances recovery.

If your newborn baby is bottle-feeding, make sure the temperature of the milk is nice and warm. If your baby has started taking other kinds of liquid, you can opt for luke warm water and clear soups, but make sure your doctor knows about your baby's intake.

Also make sure your doctor has prescribed some effective nose drops for the newborn stuffy nose. Normally it is some kind of saline drop that is a seawater type solution of salt and water. But do not try to make this at home. These nose drops are not very expensive and buying them once can help you in numerous cold and flu episodes of your sick baby.

Rest is the best...

Allow time for rest. This can be tricky, especially when a newborn is fussy or has a stuffy nose. Putting such a newborn to sleep seems like an impossible task. However, there are devices that can be used to clear mucus from the nostrils. As mentioned earlier, a humidifier or vaporizer is also beneficial in this regard.

Keep it calm...

Keeping the room calm for the newborn baby can help too. Avoid loud distracting noises such as a loud television or phone ringer. Low, soothing lullaby may be played or sung to calm the baby and encourage rest.

If the baby has a fever, medications such as Ibuprofen may be prescribed by a doctor. Usually, the cold or flu subsides earlier than it seems and the newborn begins to become his happy and playful self. If, on the contrary, your newborn baby does not appear to be improving, it may be an indication of another underlying ailment. Medical attention should be sought in circumstances when newborn cold seems to last longer than a week.

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