Unfortunately, there's no cure for the common cold or
viral respiratory infections
like upper respiratory infections, bronchiolitis, flu, and others.
Most infections that cause a combination of a
cough, congestion or runny nose, are viruses,
and the body will naturally get rid of these infections over time.
The best and most important thing you can do is to
make your child comfortable.
Make sure your child gets extra rest and continues to drink well enough to stay hydrated.
You are an important part of the care
and we ask you to watch your child closely
and call your doctor or come back if things worsen quickly
do not get better over time.
Congestion or a runny nose can significantly impact your child. Younger
Younger children especially prefer to breathe through their
their nose and not being able to do that very well can be upsetting to them.
A stuffy nose can make them fussy,
make them eat less or make them not sleep as well. An
An important part of the care for your child is using
saline or saltwater drops or spray in combination with nasal suction.
Proper suctioning before your child
eats, sleeps, or when they are uncomfortable can make a positive difference.
Use saline nose drops one to two drops
in each opening of the nose or saline spray
one to two sprays and each nostril.
Saline helps break apart mucus and can allow air to move through the nose easier,
which helps suctioning work better.
There are lots of devices or ways to suction out your child's nose.
Ask your doctor or pediatrician if you have
specific questions about a device or method.
A common way to suction young infants is with a rubber bulb.
After using saline use a rubber suction bulb to suck
out the extra drops or spray.
When using the suction bulb, remember that you should squeeze the bulb part
of the syringe first before inserting the bulb into the nose.
Then gently stick the rubber tip into one
nostril and then slowly let go of the bulb. Do this
Do this again on the other nostril.
The slight amount of suction will pull the clogged mucus out of the nose
and should help your child to breathe.
You'll find that this works best when your baby is under six months of age.
As your baby gets older, he or she
might fight against the bulb suction making it
difficult to suck out the mucus.
The saline drops can still help.
Put a cool mist humidifier also called a vaporizer
in your child's room to help thin the liquid
that is making their nose stuffing
so it is easier for your child to breathe.
Put it close to your child, but safely out of your child's reach
because the humidifier makes the area closest to it the moistest.
Be sure to carefully clean and dry the humidifier
each day to stop bacteria or mold from growing.
Bacteria and mold can make your child sick.
Hot water vaporizers should not be used because the hot water
can burn your child.
Because mucus can trigger coughs,
the frequent use of saline and suctioning can make your child cough less.
Sometimes the mucus also makes
the child more likely to cough with feeds and smaller
amounts of milk or formula per feed can help.
Honey can help a cough by providing a soothing layer to the back of the throat.
Do not give honey to babies under one year. There are similar products
It is not safe.
There are similar products available for children under one year of age,
but it is best to talk to your doctor before purchasing or using any of those products.
For children ages one to five years
try half a teaspoon of honey.
For children ages six to eleven, try one teaspoon of honey.
For children twelve years or older tried two teaspoons of honey.
For children ages two years and older mentholated rubs can be helpful.
Rub a thick layer on top of the skin on the chest
and the front of the neck the throat area.
The bodies warmth helps the medication go into the air slowly over time.
The child breathes in this air which
helps to smooth the cough so the child can sleep.
After using the medicine put the medication container
away and out of the reach of children.
Only use ventilated rubs on top of the skin.
Consider cough drops or lozenges for children four years and older.
Do not give cough drops or losenges to a child younger
than four years because they could choke on them.
Also, do not give your child more cough drops then
what the instructions on the package say.
If you feel your child's symptoms aren't improving as expected,
you should call your pediatrician or family physician.
If you cannot reach your doctor, you can always return
to one of our urgent cares or emergency departments to be reassessed.
Many of these symptoms have periods
when they improve and periods when the worsen.
It is normal to have ups and downs in a short period of time.
You should seek emergency care if your child
looks blue around the lips,
has persistent difficulty breathing,
look for sucking in above the collarbone or between or below the ribs,
is breathing quickly, more than 60 breaths in a minute,
is two months old or less
and has a fever, is not able to interact in their
is not able to interact in their normal way or is difficult to wake,
or is not drinking and is not making at least three to four wet diapers daily.
If they have a dry mouth, or do not make tears when they cry.
If you need help deciding whether your
child needs to go to the hospital you could have a
video chat with a pediatric provider 24 hours a day seven days a week.