Common cold in babies

A healthcare professional can generally diagnose a common cold by a baby's symptoms. For a possible bacterial infection or other condition, a chest X-ray or other tests can rule out other causes of the baby's symptoms.

Most common colds get better without treatment in 7 to 10 days. But coughs might hang on for a week or more. Antibiotics don't help cold viruses.

Medicines to reduce fever and pain

Don't give medicine to a baby without talking to the baby's healthcare professional.

If a fever is making your baby too uncomfortable, you can try a fever reducer you can get without a prescription. However, fever is a natural response to the virus. So it may help to let your child have a low-grade fever.

For treatment of fever or pain in children, consider infants' or children's medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others).

For children younger than 3 months old, don't give acetaminophen until your baby has seen a healthcare professional. Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old or to children who are vomiting or are dehydrated. Use these medicines for the shortest time.

If you give your child a pain reliever, follow the dosing guidelines carefully. Call your healthcare professional if you have questions about the right dose for your baby.

Children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.

Cough and cold medicines

Cough and cold medicines aren't safe for infants and young children. They don't treat the cause of a cold and won't make it go away sooner. And they can cause serious, sometimes deadly, side effects.

Don't use medicines that are available without a prescription, except for fever reducers and pain relievers, to treat coughs and colds in children younger than 6 years old.

You usually can treat an older baby's cold at home. To make your baby as comfortable as possible, try some of these suggestions:

• Offer plenty of fluids. Liquids are important to avoid losing too much body fluid, called dehydration. Formula or breast milk is the best choice. Encourage your baby to take in the usual amount of fluids. Extra fluids aren't necessary. If you're breastfeeding your baby, keep it up. Breast milk offers extra protection from cold-causing germs.

• Suction your baby's nose. Keep your baby's nose clear with a rubber-bulb syringe. Squeeze the bulb syringe to let out the air. Then put the tip of the bulb about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (about 6 to 12 millimeters) into one side of the baby's nose. Point it toward the back and side of the nose.

  Stop squeezing the bulb syringe and hold it in place while it sucks the mucus from the baby's nose. Remove the syringe from the nostril. Empty it onto a tissue by squeezing the bulb fast while holding the tip down. Repeat on the other side of the nose.

  Repeat as often as needed on each side of the nose. Clean the bulb syringe with soap and water.

• Try saltwater drops for the nose, called saline nasal drops. These drops can moisten the inside of the nose and loosen thick mucus. You can get these drops without a prescription.

  Put the drops in each side of the nose. Wait for a short time. Then use a bulb syringe to draw mucus out of each side of the nose.

• Moisten the air. Running a cool-water humidifier in your baby's room can ease a stuffy nose. Change the water daily and follow the instructions for cleaning the unit.

If you need to see your baby's healthcare professional, here's some information to help you get ready for the appointment.

What you can do

Make a list of:

• Symptoms you've noticed in your baby, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment, and when they began.
• Key personal information, such as whether your baby goes to child care or has been around someone with a common cold. Include how many colds your baby has had and how long they lasted. Note whether your baby is around someone who smokes.
• All medicines, vitamins or supplements your baby takes, including doses.
• Questions to ask your healthcare professional.

For a common cold, some questions to ask include:

• What is likely causing my baby's symptoms?
• Are there other possible causes?
• What tests are needed?
• What's the best course of action?
• My baby has other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
• Are there restrictions we need to follow?
• Are there medicines that aren't safe for my child at this age?

Be sure to ask all the questions you have about your baby's condition.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions, including:

• Have your baby's symptoms been ongoing, or do they come and go?
• How bad are they?
• What, if anything, seems to improve them?
• What, if anything, appears to worsen them?
• Has the stuffy nose caused your baby to eat or drink less?
• Does your baby have as many wet diapers as usual?
• Has there been a fever? If so, how high?
• Are your child's vaccinations up to date?
• Has your child taken antibiotics recently?