Common cold in babies

A common cold in a baby is a viral infection in the nose and throat. A stuffy and runny nose are the main symptoms of a cold.

All babies are likely to get the common cold. That's partly because they're often around older children. Also, babies bodies are not yet ready to fight off many common infections. When their bodies build up protection, it's called immunity.

Babies and young children usually have 6 to 8 colds a year. They might have more if they go to child care.

Treatment for the common cold in babies involves easing their symptoms. That might include giving them fluids, keeping the air moist and helping them keep the inside of their noses clear.

Very young infants must see a healthcare professional at the first sign of the common cold. That's to make sure they don't have croup, pneumonia or other more-serious illnesses.

The first symptoms of the common cold in a baby are often:

• A stuffy or runny nose.
• Mucus coming from the nose. It might be clear at first but then might thicken and turn yellow or green.

Other symptoms of a common cold in a baby may include:

• Fever.
• Sneezing.
• Coughing.
• Not wanting to eat.
• Fussiness.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Trouble nursing or taking a bottle due to the stuffy nose.

Babies' immune systems take time to mature. Most colds don't cause problems. A cold with no complications should clear up within 10 to 14 days.

But it's important to take babies' symptoms seriously. If symptoms don't improve or if they get worse, it's time to talk to a healthcare professional.

For babies younger than 3 months old, call a healthcare professional early in the illness. In newborns, it's important to make sure they don't have a more serious illness.

For babies 3 months old or older, call a healthcare professional if the baby:

• Isn't wetting as many diapers as usual.
• Has a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
• Seems to have ear pain or is unusually cranky.
• Has red eyes or has yellow or green fluid coming from the eyes.
• Has trouble breathing or is wheezing.
• Has an ongoing cough.
• Has thick, green mucus coming from the nose for several days.
• Has other symptoms that worry you, such as a scary cry or not waking up to eat.

Get medical help right away if the baby:

• Refuses to nurse or drink fluids.
• Coughs hard enough to cause vomiting or changes in skin color.
• Coughs up bloody mucus.
• Has trouble breathing or whose skin around the lips looks blue if the baby has white skin, and gray or white skin around the lips if the baby has brown or Black skin.
• Has trouble breathing or whose skin around the lips looks pale, gray or blue-colored depending on skin color.
• Has low energy or is extra sleepy.

The common cold is an infection of the nose and throat, called an upper respiratory tract infection. More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold. Rhinoviruses are the most common.

A cold virus enters babies' bodies through the mouth, eyes or nose.

Once infected by a virus, a baby's body usually can fight off that same virus in the future. That's called immunity. But because so many viruses cause colds, babies may have several colds a year and many throughout their lives. Also, some viruses don't give lasting immunity.

Babies can be infected with a virus by:

• Air. Someone who is sick can spread the virus to a baby by talking, sneezing or coughing.
• Direct contact. Someone with a cold who touches a baby's hand can spread the cold virus to the baby. The baby then can get the virus by touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
• Surfaces. Some viruses live on surfaces for two hours or longer. Babies can catch a virus by touching a surface that has the virus, such as a toy, then touching the eyes, nose or mouth.

A few factors put babies at higher risk of a common cold.

• Immature immune systems. Babies are at risk of common colds because they haven't yet come into contact with most of the viruses that cause them.
• Being with other children. Children don't always wash their hands or cover their coughs and sneezes. So being with children can increase a baby's risk of catching a cold. Being with anyone who has a cold can increase the risk of getting a cold.
• Time of year. Colds are more common from fall to late spring. But babies can get colds anytime.

A common cold can cause:

• Acute ear infection, called otitis media. This is the most common complication of the common cold. Ear infections occur when bacteria or viruses enter the space behind the eardrum.
• Wheezing. A cold can trigger wheezing, even in children who don't have asthma. For children with asthma, a cold can make it worse.
• Acute sinusitis. A common cold that doesn't clear up may lead to an infection within the spaces inside the nose, called sinuses. This is sinusitis.
• Other infections. A common cold can lead to other infections, including pneumonia, bronchiolitis and croup. A healthcare professional needs to treat these infections.

There's no vaccine for the common cold. The best defense against the common cold is using common sense and washing hands often.

• Keep babies away from people who are sick. Don't let anyone who's sick visit a newborn. If possible, don't use public transportation, such as buses, and don't go to places where there are a lot of people.

• Wash your hands before feeding or touching the baby. Wash hands well and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

  Teach older children how important is it to wash their hands. Remind them not to touch eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

• Clean baby toys and pacifiers often. Clean surfaces that people touch. This is especially important if someone who spends time with the baby has a cold.
• Teach everyone in the house to cough or sneeze into a tissue. Throw away used tissues right away. If you have no tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow. Then wash hands well.
• Know your child care center. Look for a child care setting that makes sick children stay home. And look for one that has other ways of keeping children well, such as regular hand-washing and surface cleaning.