A child's cold is a viral infection disease of the upper respiratory tract, lasting no more than one week. A cold is not a threat to the baby’s life, but even despite this, young mothers often panic, which in no case should be done. Therefore, parents should not sound the alarm if their child is often sick. colds.
A cold can be dangerous if complications arise. To protect against this, mothers must surround their child with warmth and care, providing him with proper care.
Often, a sharp rise in temperature, especially at night, signals the onset of a cold. This may be evidenced by the baby’s primary condition if he has become capricious, restless, has a poor appetite, gets tired quickly, is drowsy, has sudden mood changes and refuses to play.
- The baby sneezes;
- Eyes turn red;
- Tearing;
- Stuffy nose;
- Enlarged submandibular, cervical and axillary The lymph nodes;
- and malaise.
A cold in a baby under 1 year of age can manifest itself as a change in skin color, difficulty breathing, sweating, a change in feeding regimen, and the appearance of a rash.
The most early sign a cold is a runny nose, which must be resisted initially, because very young children do not yet know how to blow their nose. Cough is the second sign of the disease. In this case, the baby must be shown to the doctor, since its underlying causes may be different.
A cold is also characterized by an increase in body temperature. When the temperature is above 37, this signals the beginning of inflammation and the fight immune system with pathogens of viral infection.
Treatment
The cold is a self-healing disease. Basically, there is no need to treat it with specific methods; it disappears on its own.
Home care
At home treatment is intended to relieve symptoms and prevent their complications. Treatment should consist of the following measures and actions:
- Ventilate the room to make it easier for the child to breathe (at the same time, move him to another room for a while);
- Change of bed linen 2 times a week (more often when sweating);
- Infants need to be turned from one barrel to another to avoid congestion in the lungs;
- Drink plenty of warm drinks and ensure proper rest;
- The diet should be rich in carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables.
Antiviral drugs
Before you give it to your child antiviral drugs, consult your doctor, because he will prescribe exactly the pills that are suitable for your baby. Before you buy antiviral tablets, syrups and similar medications, it is necessary to take into account the main rules for their selection:
- You know your child’s body better and after studying the instructions you decide that these drugs and medicines are not suitable for him, contact your pediatrician again;
- There is no need to give your baby all the pills at the same time according to the principle “the more medicine, the better.” It is not possible to cure a cold using this method;
- Know that just because pills or other drugs are sold without a prescription does not mean they are safe;
- Symptomatic treatment includes various means and cold tablets, so it is necessary to consider how these drugs interact with each other.
Restore normal level temperature (if the reading reaches 39C) in children is facilitated by tablets and medications based on Paracetamol. If you have a cough, you can take Gedelix tablets or syrup.
The most popular cold medicines for children, including the following tablets:
- Anaferon for children;
- Donormil;
- Rinza;
- Remantadine;
- Rinicold;
- Barralgetas;
- Grammidin.
Homeopathic medicines
Homeopathy is new method treatment according to the rule “like can be cured by like”, which achieved enormous fame. Homeopathy is recommended for children and pregnant women, since synthetic tablets can cause side effects, and homeopathic medicines exclude them.
Homeopathy, as a medical science, states that medicines should be made from natural substances. Homeopathy includes various drugs for the treatment of many adult and childhood diseases, they must only be prescribed by an experienced specialist with appropriate education.
Children's homeopathy for colds includes in the medicine cabinet such drugs as Aconite 30, Belladonna 30, Pulsatilla 30, Nux Vom 30, Bryonia 30, Cuprum met and many others.
Candles
Candles – preparations are cone-shaped, in a solid state, but in the presence of temperature they tend to melt, then the medicine is absorbed through the rectum and is quickly absorbed, which is the main advantage of the drug.
Doctors recommend suppositories based on their benefits:
- Using suppositories is effective, since a child cannot always swallow tablets;
- Drug absorption is consistent;
- Suppositories can be used in the fight against viral diseases from birth, but most often rectal suppositories prescribed to infants and children under 3 years of age.
The most famous and effective suppositories for children's colds:
- Calpol;
- Efferalgan;
- Anafen;
- Genferon;
- for children.
Drops
The use of vasoconstrictor drops helps relieve a runny nose. For children under one year of age, these drugs can be used as a 0.01% solution diluted with boiled water. Vasoconstrictor drops have antimicrobial and antiviral effects.
The most popular of them are drugs:
- Pinosol;
- Collargol;
- Polydex;
- Protargol.
Doctors do not recommend using drugs such as Xymelin and Tizin more than 4 times a day. You should not overuse the use of nasal drops, as they make breathing easier for the first 3 days and lead to addiction, so then it is necessary to rinse the nose.
Nasal rinsing
A runny nose is the beginning of any cold. To clean the nose of children under 1 year old, use cotton wicks moistened with a soda solution before feeding.
An effective remedy for a runny nose - aloe juice, which is diluted with water. This remedy is instilled into the baby 3 times a day, 4 drops. You can rinse the spout with the solution sea salt– , Aquador, or treat a runny nose with a small concentration of antiseptics (Miramistin). It is most convenient to use these products in the form of sprays.
Ointments
Treatment of colds in children should be comprehensive, therefore topical external preparations are used - namely ointment.
Most often, pharmacy chains offer parents the following products:
- Anti-cold ointment Doctor IOM;
- Oxolinic ointment;
- Ointment Vicks Active Balm against runny nose;
- Dr. Tice Cold Ointment;
- Pulmex Baby ointment for babies up to one year old.
Oxolinic ointment is the most effective and popular, used both in medicinal purposes, and for the prevention of colds in children. The ointment is applied 2 times a day, mainly before going to kindergarten, school, or if there are infected people at home.
How to apply
In order to cure a runny nose in a child, this ointment is applied in a thin layer 3 times a day for 4-5 days.
- Ointments Doctor IOM and Doctor Tais are prescribed for children aged 2 years and older. They are characterized by antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effects.
- Vicks Active Balm ointment is intended to treat runny nose and cough due to inflammation of the respiratory tract.
- Pulmex Baby ointment is recommended for use as aid to cure cold cough and upper respiratory tract in infants, after 6 months of their life.
Powder preparations
It is impossible to cure a cold using powdered medications, since these medications only help relieve symptoms. When taking such medications, you must follow a strict regimen. Often, powders are prescribed for a child to take along with a provitamin complex, which helps cure the disease.
- Fervex for children;
- Panadol baby and infant;
- Children's Efferalgan;
- children's
Specified powders have analgesic, antipyretic, antihistamine and restorative effects. Children need to make solutions using powders that must be taken orally.
Folk remedies
To protect your baby from viral diseases, you need to strengthen his immunity. Folk remedies are widely used both in the prevention and treatment of colds. If you notice that your baby is sneezing, you need to make teas from natural remedies.
Ginger - effective remedy from a cold. Tea containing ginger helps the body fight the virus. To prepare it, just use ginger, lemon, and honey. Since ginger, you can drink tea, in which the main ingredient is viburnum.
Viburnum is very effective at temperature. Viburnum is ground with sugar and placed in the refrigerator along with the seed. You can drink it in winter healthy tea. For children under 5 years old, when preparing tea, adhere to the following proportion: 1 coffee spoon of any berries per 200 ml of water. P It is useful to make tea from linden or strawberries. You can prepare herbal infusions from mint and lemon balm.
Prevention
Preventing colds in children will help protect against all kinds of infections and illnesses. You bring your child to kindergarten and notice how a girl from his group is sneezing, in this case you need to act, otherwise tomorrow you will see how your baby has become infected and is not feeling well.
Most women consider themselves specialists in three areas: medicine, cooking and raising children, so write on the topic: “How to treat a cold in a child?” - a thankless task. And yet, I will try to discuss a topic about which kilometers of text have already been written.
Colds in children medical language called acute respiratory viral disease (abbreviated ARVI). I highlighted the word “viral” intentionally, since it is key in the further narrative.
Signs of a cold in children are as follows: a sudden, most often asymptomatic rise in body temperature, followed by the appearance of liquid, transparent discharge from the nose (in Russian - runny nose). If the discharge turns yellow or green, then this is a symptom of an attached bacterial infection in the nasopharynx. The cough is dry at first, but becomes wet over time. Possible appearance, as well as sneezing.
How to properly treat a child with a cold?
Every mother, sitting over the bed of a sick baby, asks the question: “What should I give my child if he has a cold?” I outline the rules that are taught to any medical student in pediatrics classes:
- Fighting fever - .
- Drinking a lot of water - caused by fever.
- (contraindicated for children under 2 years of age), if there is a wet cough, expectorants (bromhexine, ambroxol, etc. see review of all).
- After the temperature has returned to normal, physiotherapeutic methods can be used: foot steaming, soda inhalations, etc.
How not to treat ARVI in children
World statistics say the following
90% of respiratory infections (upper respiratory tract infections) in children are viral in nature. It is a viral one, which antibiotics do not work on. Unfortunately, most mothers consider antibiotics to be medicines for fever and start feeding them to the child for any cold.
There are no safe medications; taking antibacterial agents causes allergies, intestinal dysbiosis, suppresses the immune system and creates antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
Pediatricians, of course, know about the dangers of antibiotics for acute respiratory viral infections, but it is difficult to distinguish a cold from pneumonia, especially at the patient’s home, using only hands, eyes and a phonendoscope, especially with insufficient experience.
For most pediatricians, it’s easier to prescribe an antibiotic to a child on the first day and, as they say, “don’t worry”: the harm from them at the beginning is not very noticeable, if there was pneumonia, it will go away, and if it doesn’t go away, there is an excuse, I prescribed the correct treatment, Yes, and mom is calm.
- If the baby is red- with red hyperthermia, when the child is pink, you should not wrap up the sick baby, but, on the contrary, undress him down to his panties and leave him to cool in the air. Cruel but effective.
- If the child is pale- white hyperthermia, he should be wrapped in a light blanket and given warm liquid to drink.
- Rub the baby with vodka(not suitable for children younger age, especially up to 1 year), it is better to rub locally - arms, legs. The evaporating alcohol will quickly cool the skin. Should not be used alcohol solutions higher concentration than vodka. This can damage children's skin, and the child can also become drunk, since some of the alcohol will certainly be absorbed.
- Cold on great vessels . In normal language it sounds like this: take a plastic bottle, pour it into cold water and apply to the armpits or groin areas. The water will cool the large blood vessels passing through there.
- Do not put a hat on your child indoors, especially on the patient. This is what old-school grandmothers like to do. The head is the main source of heat loss in the body; up to 80% of the heat is removed through it, so during fever, the head must be cooled in every possible way.
During fever, the evaporation of fluid from the skin increases significantly. Therefore, the child must be given plenty of water to avoid life-threatening dehydration. Any liquid will do: compotes, fruit drinks, tea, juices and just clean water.
The story of how domestic pediatrics turns healthy children into sick ones
Characters:
- Mom is an average Russian mother who thinks she knows EVERYTHING about colds.
- The baby is a normal, healthy five-year-old toddler who regularly attends kindergarten.
- Pediatrician - recently completed his studies and was assigned to an average Russian clinic, full of knowledge about how Right treat a cold.
So. The baby returns from kindergarten lethargic, snotty, coughing and with a temperature of 38.5 0 C. The next morning, Mom calls the clinic and calls a doctor to the house.
The Pediatrician comes, examines the child and makes a diagnosis: ARVI. He was taught that at this age, 90% of respiratory infections are viral, and therefore are treated as described at the beginning of this article. He prescribes paracetamol, drinking plenty of fluids, as well as ascorbic acid, and leaves with a calm soul.
But the disease does not go away, the temperature remains around 39 0 C, the child cries, refuses to eat, sniffles and coughs. Mom knows for sure that ascorbic acid is not a medicine at all, and paracetamol only brings down the temperature. She calls the clinic and swears at everyone and everything there, saying what kind of ignorant doctor you sent me.
In order not to “tease the geese,” the manager comes to see the Kid. pediatric department or deputy chief physician and prescribe an antibiotic. The motivation is clear. Firstly, so that Mom doesn’t interfere with work with hysterical calls. Secondly, if pneumonia does develop and an antibiotic is not prescribed, Mom will immediately sue. In general, we treat “not the right way,” but “the calmest way.”
As a result, a cold that could go away in 7 days lasts for 3 weeks. During the fight against the disease, children's immunity greatly weakened. The baby is taken to kindergarten, where someone will inevitably sneeze at him and the cold will return.
After a week of going to preschool, Baby again has a fever, runny nose and cough. Mom makes house calls again. The pediatrician was called “on the carpet” last time and explained “how to work with patients.” He comes to the Kid and prescribes an antibiotic from the first day. Everyone is happy: Mom - because the treatment is correct from her point of view, Pediatrician - he will not be deprived of his bonus again, the management of the clinic - there will be no showdown with another complaint.
And again, the illness that could have gone away in a week lasts for a month. What kind of children's immunity can withstand this? Again kindergarten, again a cold and again a month of “treatment”. This is how our heroes turned a healthy toddler into one who was often and long-term ill (an official term, by the way). I hope you understand where they come from frequent colds The child has?
Some of the most popular questions from parents
Is it possible to bathe a child with a cold?
This question goes back 200 years, when there was no hot water in houses, and children were washed in a trough in the hallway or in a bathhouse, where they could get even more sick. In the 21st century, it is possible and necessary to bathe a child with a cold, but it is worth remembering that a hot bath at an elevated body temperature is strictly contraindicated. It is enough to limit yourself to a warm shower.
How can you understand that a child has recovered?
3 days of normal temperature can be considered positive dynamics. Also considered a good sign is the transformation of a dry cough into a wet one (provided that the discharge has not turned from transparent to yellow or green). But if a recovering child’s temperature rises again, then a bacterial infection can be assumed.
If a child is sick, should he eat better?
During a fever, all the body's forces are spent fighting infection, and digesting heavy protein foods requires a lot of energy. Therefore, when high temperature food should be light, as rich in carbohydrates and vitamins as possible, but a recovering child should be fed well and tightly in order to restore his strength.
Colds in children are very common. The immunity of babies is only in the formative stage, so their body cannot always repel the attack of viral infections. By medical statistics Children over 6 years old catch colds on average up to 4 times a year, children under 5 years of age get colds about 6 times annually. What are the signs to determine that a child has a cold? How to quickly cure a cold?
General information about colds
According to the Great Medical Encyclopedia, a cold means hypothermia of the body or its individual parts, which leads to the development various diseases. In sources not related to medicine, this term directly refers to a disease provoked by cooling the body. In common parlance, a cold means any infectious diseases, in particular:
- flu;
- ARVI;
- inflammation of the nasopharynx and larynx;
- simple herpes.
A cold is not directly related to hypothermia of the body, but often it begins precisely after a child’s prolonged stay in conditions low temperature. More than 90% of colds are caused by viruses, with the remainder caused by bacteria and other pathogens. The table provides information about the causative agents of colds.
| Causative agents of colds | Pathogen family | Representatives |
| Viruses | Orthomyxoviruses | Influenza viruses:
|
| Paramyxoviruses | Virus:
|
|
| Coronaviruses | 13 types of respiratory and enteric coronaviruses | |
| Picornaviruses |
|
|
| Reoviruses | 3 serotypes of orthoreoviruses | |
| Adenoviruses | 47 adenovirus serotypes | |
| Herpesviruses |
|
|
| Bacteria | Opportunistic |
|
| Pathogenic |
|
|
| Others |
|
Sources of the disease:
- a person with signs of illness;
- carrier of the virus;
- bacteria.
A cold is contagious, and a child who has a cold in the first few days is especially dangerous, but often this period begins 1-2 days before the onset of symptoms of the disease and lasts on average 10-14 days. Most often, colds are transmitted by airborne droplets. At the same time, a contact-household mechanism of infection cannot be ruled out.
The development of the disease is provoked by a decrease in local immunity in the nasopharynx and oropharynx. The risk group includes:
- children under three years of age;
- elderly people over 60 years of age;
- persons with chronic diseases;
- patients with immunodeficiency conditions.
Symptoms of a cold in a child
You can tell that your child has a cold by the following symptoms:
How are colds treated?
Many parents treat colds as a harmless phenomenon and associate the disease solely with hypothermia. However, ignoring the symptoms of a cold may lead to the need to place the child in an inpatient medical facility. In difficult situations, they resort to the use of resuscitation measures.
If your baby has a cold, it is forbidden to self-medicate. Any drug used must be agreed with a doctor. For flu and colds, antipyretic medications are recommended for children, as well as medications for runny nose and cough. The most effective and safe drugs for babies are available in the form of rectal suppositories and syrups. Mandatory reasons to see a doctor include:
- early age;
- prolonged hyperthermic syndrome;
- severe headaches;
- rashes on the body;
- barking cough;
- yellow or green nasal discharge and sputum;
- expressed painful sensations in the chest during coughing;
- chronic bronchitis or sinusitis;
- Availability accompanying pathologies (malignant neoplasms, severe kidney and liver diseases);
- pain in the stomach area.
A cold should be treated immediately after the first signs appear. Treatment in inpatient conditions Children with moderate and severe forms of the disease are subject to treatment. When a cold or flu begins, as well as a mild illness, children are treated at home.
Treatment includes:
- Special daily routine. Until the hyperthermic syndrome is completely eliminated, the child is advised to remain in bed. During this period, children should not go to kindergarten or school.
- Medical nutrition. Eating warm food helps speed up recovery. It is recommended to exclude fatty, fried, spicy foods from the diet. Including berry and fruit drinks and compotes, rosehip infusion, warm water with lemon and honey in the daily menu will help strengthen the immune system and remove toxins from the body.
- Vitamin therapy. To restore the strength lost during the fight against the disease, children should be given vitamin complexes(Vitrum, Multitabs, Supradin). Their use must be agreed upon with a pediatrician.
- Etiotropic treatment. For a cold viral etiology antiviral drugs (Tamiflu, Kagocel, Ingavirin, Viferon) and immunomodulators (Arbidol, Oscillococcinum, Aflubin) are indicated (more details in the article:). To eliminate the symptoms of a cold caused by bacteria, antibiotics (Amoxiclav, Augmentin) and immunostimulants (Amiksin, IRS 19) are used at a certain stage of therapy (we recommend reading:).
- Pathogenetic treatment. It consists of correcting immunity, using desensitizing and anti-inflammatory drugs, and bronchodilators. Therapy is carried out, as a rule, in a hospital setting.
- Symptomatic treatment. Based on eliminating signs of the disease.
What medications are prescribed?
If the baby has a cold, the prescription of medications, especially for infants under one year old, is carried out exclusively by the pediatrician. At the same time, he takes into account not only the age, but also the characteristics of the little patient’s body. In addition, the doctor assesses the severity of the disease and the risk of developing side effects when using this or that drug.
When treating a cold of bacterial etiology, you cannot do without the use of antibiotics. Antibacterial agents in the treatment of children are used with great caution. Their intake should be combined with the use of probiotics aimed at restoring intestinal microflora. In this case, antibiotic therapy begins only a few days after the first symptoms of the disease appear.
Medicines for the common cold
You can cure a runny nose with the help of vasoconstrictor nasal medications:
- Nazol Baby (more details in the article:). For infants under 1 year of age, the medicine is instilled 1 drop every 6 hours, for children 1-6 years old - 1-2 drops twice a day, for children school age- 3-4 drops 2-3 times a day.
- Nazivin. When treating newborns and one-year-old infants, a 0.01% solution is used, children 1-6 years old - 0.025%, children over 6 years old - 0.05%.
- Tizin Xylo. The spray is used with caution to treat infants under 2 years of age.
- Isofra. Injected to children three times a day.
- Pinosol. It is recommended to use 1-2 drops 3-4 times a day. You can also make compresses. To do this, a gauze turunda is soaked in medicine and placed in the nasal passage for some time.
When relieving a runny nose, it should be taken into account that the period of use of vasoconstrictor nasal drops should not exceed a week. Otherwise, the medications will stop working, and the nasal mucosa will atrophy. For infants under one and a half years old, it is better to use saline solutions to eliminate the symptoms of a runny nose: Aqua Maris, Aqualor Baby, Quicks.
Cough preparations
When choosing a cough medicine, the doctor must take into account its nature. For a productive cough, the child should be given syrup or tablets to help expel mucus. In addition, in order to quickly get rid of a cough, children are prescribed medications aimed at activating the drainage function of the bronchi and enhancing the evacuation of sputum. For this purpose, inhalations with soda solution or the drug "Lazolvan". Such procedures are done twice a day for 15 minutes for 4 days.
Antitussive medications are also used to treat coughs central action in the form of syrup and tablets (Kodelac, Terpinkod). These drugs should only be used in children after consulting a doctor. The table provides information about the most effective medications used in the treatment of small patients to eliminate cough.
| Group of antitussive drugs | Name of medicine | Mode of application | |||
| Age group, years | Single dose | Duration of treatment | |||
| Combined for non-productive cough (anti-inflammatory, expectorant, suppressing the cough reflex) | Syrup "Tussin" | 2-6 | 1/2-1 tsp. | 3 | A week |
| 6-12 | 1-2 tsp. | ||||
| ≥ 12 | 2-4 hours l. | 3-4 | |||
| Syrup "Sinekod" | 3-6 | 5 ml | 3 | ||
| 6-12 | 10 ml | ||||
| ≥ 12 | 15 ml | ||||
| Drops "Sinekod" | 2-12 months | 10 drops | 4 | ||
| 1-3 | 15 drops | ||||
| ≥ 12 | 25 drops | ||||
| Stoptussin | Weight, kg | Single dose | Daily frequency of use, times | Duration of therapy | |
| Drops | ≤ 7 | 8 drops | 3-4 | Determined by a doctor in each specific case | |
| 7-12 | 9 drops | ||||
| 12-20 | 14 drops | 3 | |||
| 20-30 | 3-4 | ||||
| 30-40 | 16 drops | ||||
| 40-50 | 25 drops | 3 | |||
| 50-70 | 30 drops | ||||
| Pills | ≤ 50 | ½ tablet | 4 | ||
| 50-70 | 1 tablet | 3 | |||
| Mucus thinners | Lazolvan | Age category, years | Single dosage, ml | Number of uses per day, times | Duration of treatment |
| Syrup | ≤ 2 | 2,5 | 2 | 2 weeks | |
| 2-6 | 3 | ||||
| 6-12 | 5 | 2-3 | |||
| ≥12 | 10 | 3 | |||
| Solution | ≤ 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2-6 | 3 | ||||
| 6-12 | 2 | 2-3 | |||
| ≥ 12 | 4 | 3 | |||
| Ambrobene syrup | ≤ 2 | 2,5 | 2 | Determined individually by a doctor | |
| 2-6 | 3 | ||||
| 6-12 | 5 | 2-3 | |||
| ≥ 12 | 10 | 3 | |||
| ACC syrup | 2-5 | 5 | 2-3 | A week | |
| 6-14 | 3 | ||||
| ≥ 14 | 10 | 2-3 | |||
Medicines for high fever
It is recommended to give antipyretic drugs to children only in cases where body temperature exceeds 38 degrees. Lower marks indicate that the child’s body is trying to resist the infection on its own. When choosing medicine To eliminate hyperthermic syndrome, parents should take into account that the affordable and popular analgin is contraindicated in children under 12 years of age. Any antipyretic medication should be agreed with the pediatrician.
To reduce body temperature in infants and infants, it is recommended to use rectal suppositories. Such dosage form acts softly and quickly. Teenagers can already take pills.
Information about the most effective and safe antipyretic medications for children's health is presented in the table below.
| Drug name | Release form | Active substance | Mode of application | |||
| Age group, years | Single dose | Daily dosage frequency, times | Duration of use, days | |||
| Panadol | Syrup | Paracetamol | 6-9 | ½ tablet | 3-4 | ≤ 3 |
| 9-12 | 1 tablet | 4 | ||||
| ≥ 12 | 1-2 tablets | |||||
| Efferalgan | ≥ 1 month | 10-15 mg x weight in kg | 3-4 | |||
| Nurofen | Pills | Ibuprofen | ≥ 6 with body weight > 20 kg | 1 tablet | 3-4 | 2-3 |
| Suspension | 3-6 months (5-7.6 kg) | 2.5 ml | 3 | ≤ 3 | ||
| 6-12 months (7.7-9 kg) | 3-4 | |||||
| 1-3 (10-16 kg) | 5 ml | 3 | ||||
| 4-6 (17-20 kg) | 7.5 ml | |||||
| 7-9 (21-30) | 10 ml | |||||
| 10-12 (31-40) | 15 ml | |||||
| Tsefekon | Rectal suppositories | Paracetamol | 1-3 months (4-6 kg) | 1 suppository 50 mg | 2-3 | |
| 3-12 months (6-10 kg) | 1 candle 100 mg | |||||
| 1-3 (11-16 kg) | 1-2 suppositories of 100 mg | |||||
| 3-10 (17-30 kg) | 1 suppository 250 mg | |||||
| 10-12 (31-35 kg) | 2 suppositories of 250 mg each | |||||
Folk remedies
Folk remedies will help you cope with colds in your child. However, they are effective only in the initial stages of the disease and in the absence of any serious complications. Despite the fact that the ways traditional medicine are based on the use of natural ingredients; before using them, you must make sure that the child is not allergic to the ingredients included in the recipe. In addition, any methods used must be agreed with the pediatrician. Information about the most effective and safe for children's health folk remedies ah is placed in the table.
| Recipe | Cooking method | Method of use | Purpose of application |
| Lime tea | 1 tsp. pour 200 ml of boiling water over linden flowers. Strain the mixture infused for half an hour. | Give the child 100 ml 3 times a day after meals. | Removing toxins from the body, increasing sweating, decreasing body temperature. |
| Honey milk | Add 1 tsp to 200 ml of milk brought to a boil and reduced to 40 degrees. liquid honey. | Give the baby some medicine, then put him to bed for 30 minutes and cover with a woolen blanket. | |
| Raspberry tea | 1 tsp. Brew dried or fresh raspberries with 200 ml of boiling water. Strain the solution infused for half an hour. | Give the child 100 ml 3 times a day, then put him to bed, but do not wrap him up. | |
| Creamy honey milk | Add ½ tsp to 250 ml of warm milk. liquid honey and butter. | Give your baby medicine before bed | Cough elimination |
| Chest collection | Mix equal parts crushed licorice root, dried chamomile, coltsfoot and calendula flowers, and mint leaves. 2 tsp. pour 500 ml of hot water into the mixture. Strain the solution infused for about an hour. | Give the child 50-100 ml of the medicine after each main meal, then put him to bed. |
The baby's health is a concern for parents. The most difficult thing is to protect a child from a cold: he is easily infected, he has a hard time recovering, and complications often appear. It is important to know about the signs, course of the disease, how to treat a cold in an infant in order to provide him with timely help.
Features of occurrence in children
In medicine, a cold is called ARVI or ARI (acute respiratory viral infection or acute respiratory disease). The first spreads during viral epidemics: a baby can become infected from relatives if his immune system is weakened.
Acute respiratory infections often occur due to hypothermia in the infant, which causes a weakening of local immunity on the mucous membranes and the active proliferation of bacteria and viruses that are constantly present in humans in small quantities.
They try not to take babies under one year old public places to prevent infection. If you get sick close relative, communication is limited so as not to infect the child.
The baby gets sick less often due to the immunity received from the mother at birth. It works in a newborn baby up to 3-4 months, then the body independently forms a protective system and additionally receives antibodies from mother’s milk if the baby is on. Children on IV are more likely to become infected.
Infection from mother
Great difficulties are caused by the disease of a nursing mother, which can infect the baby. An infected person does not immediately learn about the disease: the first signs of a cold appear a few days after infection.
The virus from the mother can enter the baby’s body through the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, breast milk, but you can’t stop feeding: the baby will lose his main medicine.
Frequent hand washing with soap and a gauze mask that needs to be changed several times a day will help limit your exposure to pathogens.
Symptoms
The child is not yet able to explain that he has started to get sick, so parents often pay attention to obvious signs colds in infants:
- Discharge of mucus from the nose;
- The eyes become cloudy;
- Difficulty breathing, the baby often opens his mouth or pacifier during feeding, cries and refuses to eat, although he is clearly hungry;
- , may be accompanied by a feverish state, chills - the baby trembles at normal room temperature;
- The voice becomes hoarse;
- Frequent sneezing and coughing appears.
Before these symptoms, changes in the child’s behavior should alert you. He becomes lethargic or overly excitable. An infant sleeps poorly; on the contrary, he sleeps often and for a long time, and is capricious. Signs of a cold in a newborn are a reason to immediately consult a doctor.
Cough and runny nose may be the cause allergic reaction or individual feature course of the disease. Such cold symptoms in infants require clarification of the causes and treatment. Infants do not know how to blow their nose or cough; mucus from the nose flows down the throat and into the ear canals. May occur. A more serious complication is inflammation of the brain.
Infants older than 6 months have a runny nose and fever. How can you tell when they have started to grow? In this case, in children:
- Increases ;
- There is a desire to put fingers and objects into the mouth and try to chew them;
- The gums at the site where the tooth appears swell and turn red.
And with such symptoms, you need to consult a pediatrician: he will give recommendations on how to help the child with teething.
Treatment options
If a cold occurs in an infant, Komarovsky recommends an immediate visit to the doctor. Only he will decide correctly how to treat a cold. It is advisable to use less different medications; it is strictly prohibited self-treatment baby has a cold. Medicines that help adults with similar symptoms may be dangerous for him.
If a cold occurs virally, it is useless to use antibiotics, which are used for complications of an inflammatory nature.
In case of inflammation, the pediatrician may prescribe nasal drops, vasoconstrictors or therapeutic ones based on saline solution, and for inflammation - containing antibiotics. You can put two or three drops into each nostril. It thins mucus and has an antiseptic effect. To make breathing easier, you need to clean your nose with a blower, a nasal aspirator, or, in extreme cases, with your mouth.
Babies cannot swallow pills. To treat a viral disease, suppositories are prescribed for colds containing , which are inserted into the anus. The medicine is absorbed in the intestines, acts faster and does not harm the child’s digestion. You can replace suppositories with drops or syrup, but they can cause vomiting.
Eat positive reviews about the use of Anaferon for colds in infants. But he refers to homeopathic medicines, to treat a viral disease, agents with a higher concentration of the active substance are needed.
Contraindicated for the treatment of colds in infants:
- Decoctions, tea with honey, raspberries, cough syrups can cause allergies;
- . It is not originally intended to treat a runny nose, it promotes the growth of bacteria, and accelerates inflammatory processes;
- Rubbing and with essential oils– can cause rashes and itching;
- Steam inhalation leads to burns of the nasopharyngeal mucosa;
- The use of mustard plasters is unacceptable for the skin of a baby;
- Enema without consultation with the doctor.
Folk remedies are effective for colds, but it is not recommended to use them to treat a newborn. Treatment procedures are prescribed by a doctor; self-medication can lead to complications that are life-threatening to the child.
If your child has a fever
A baby’s temperature up to 38° contributes to the body’s production of antiviral substances; it should not be brought down. If you lower it already at 37°, the baby will take longer to recover. At a temperature above 38° in children under 3 months, or 38.5° in older children, call an ambulance immediately; it is better to give medications under the supervision of a physician, as an allergic reaction is possible.
The ambulance does not always arrive quickly, and the rise in temperature threatens the child’s life. In such a situation, you can independently give him an antipyretic drug intended for infancy.
In the absence of children's medications, in emergency cases, you can use paracetamol, which will quickly reduce the temperature. Previously, it was often prescribed for the treatment of children under one year of age, but today its toxic effects on the kidneys and liver have been proven.
It is contraindicated if the baby is 1 month old or less. For a child 2 months and older, the single dose is 15 mg per 1 kg of weight, not more than 60 mg per kg of weight per day. The action begins after 30 minutes. and lasts 4 hours. The tablets need to be dissolved in water and given to the baby to drink. It should not be used for more than 3 days; it is better to replace paracetamol with antipyretic drugs adapted for infants.
It is forbidden to give aspirin or wipe the baby with a solution of water and vinegar, alcohol, or vodka. Chemical substances enter the child's body through the skin and cause poisoning. Month old baby May cause burns to mucous membranes if vapors are inhaled.
Thermoregulation in the body has not yet been established, sharp changes dangerous and can cause seizures in a child. To alleviate the condition, wiping with a napkin soaked in warm water.
A dangerous condition is white fever, which manifests itself with high fever and pallor. skin, while the extremities are cold. You need to bring down the temperature slowly, only under the supervision of a doctor.
Rules of care
Komarovsky notes that the body is able to cope with a cold on its own if favorable conditions are created. Basic Rules:
- Regular ventilation. Inflow fresh air allows you to get rid of viruses and bacteria in the room, oxygen makes the baby’s breathing easier;
- Humidity level is within 70%. Dry air irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. You can use a humidifier, place a container of water near the battery, hang a damp cloth;
- The temperature in the room should not be higher than 22°. There is no need to additionally turn on heating devices, wrap the child up, or cover him warmer than usual. A weakened body will be forced to spend energy fighting overheating and will be sick longer;
- Carry out wet cleaning in the room 1 – 2 times a day, because microbes settle on surfaces, and dusty air irritates the baby’s mucous membranes and makes breathing difficult;
- Clothing should be light and comfortable, made of breathable materials (cotton). Change your child's clothes immediately after sweating, wiping him dry. Wet ones also need to be changed. bed sheets. During illness, it is better to refuse diapers - they contribute to overheating at high temperatures;
- The child's head should be higher than the body; you can place a small pillow and monitor the baby’s posture when he is in his parents’ arms;
- A calm environment in the home is important. You cannot be angry with a child because he is sick and capricious. The baby feels tension and begins to worry. Double stress aggravates the symptoms of the disease in infants.
Daily routine and feeding for colds
The painful condition leads to exhaustion and fatigue. You need to move away from your usual sleep schedule and let your child sleep more to regain strength. It is necessary to avoid noise, bright light, active games - a sick baby quickly gets tired and needs rest.
If you have a minor cold, you should not give up daily walks if your child can breathe through his nose. They must be short-lived. High temperature is a contraindication, severe runny nose, cough, sore throat, weakness.
Nutrition is necessary for the baby to recover, contains useful material and vitamins. If nasal breathing is impossible, the newborn often refuses to eat, and with an exacerbation of the disease and high temperature, vomiting may occur. You cannot force a child to eat; it is better to feed more often, but reduce the portion.
If you have already started introducing them into your baby’s diet, you need to give up new foods for the duration of your illness. When an appetite appears, you need to give those porridges or purees that his body digests well.
The baby needs to be fed with boiled water, even if he is breastfeeding. Increased sweating causes dehydration, it is necessary to restore the water-salt balance.
Bathing and massage
It is believed that children should not be washed if they have a cold. Contraindications include high fever and bad feeling. You should refrain from the procedure if the temperature has subsided less than 2 days ago. In other cases water procedures mandatory: they allow you to cleanse the skin of toxins that leave the body along with sweat, and allow the skin to breathe. The temperature should be a couple of degrees higher than usual - 37-38°. You can return to the usual temperature after the child has fully recovered.
Whether it is possible to bathe a baby with a cold is decided by the attending physician. Pediatricians prohibit the procedure due to the risk of hypothermia. You can wipe it daily soft cloth soaked in warm water. You need to wipe and dry all parts of the body with a towel one by one. If you get your baby completely wet, he or she may freeze.
The doctor may prescribe baths with. This may have an antibacterial effect. prescribed to ease the baby's breathing. You should not bathe with the decoction without a doctor’s prescription, or use new plants to which the baby’s reaction is unknown.
Is it possible to get a massage if you have a cold? At the beginning and active phase of the disease, the procedure should be abandoned. It leads to vasodilation and a slight increase in body temperature, which is dangerous if the baby has a fever. Viral disease causes headaches, which are aggravated by increased pressure during massage. Impact on chest leads to increased sputum production. It makes it difficult for the baby to breathe, and he still doesn’t know how to cough properly. It is better to cure a cold in a baby, then resume the massage course.
I have a cold infant lasts from 4 days to a week. At the first signs of the disease, you should consult a doctor and follow his instructions for treatment. This will allow him to recover faster and avoid complications.
Sooner or later, all parents encounter colds in their children. The cold, which includes a whole list of types of acute respiratory diseases, is considered one of the most common problems in childhood. That is why many parents are faced with the question of how to treat colds in children quickly and effectively.
Acute respiratory illness may occur various symptoms– cough, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, increased body temperature. Depending on the manifestations of the disease, it is selected optimal method treatment, which is most often complex and consists of the use of medications and traditional medicine.
Basic rules for successful treatment
In order to quickly cure a cold in a child, it is necessary to start treatment as early as possible, as soon as the baby gets sick. And if an adult perfectly feels the approach of a cold, then for children this can be a serious problem, especially if we are talking about a baby under the age of one year.
In most cases, the first symptoms of the disease can be quite “blurred” and are expressed in the form of lethargy, rashes on the lips, increased drowsiness, moodiness, and loss of appetite. The baby may become restless and experience sudden mood swings - from excessive activity to apathy, and loss of interest in others.
Important! If a child’s body temperature rises above 38°C, intense headaches appear that can “radiate” to the eyes - this is most often not the beginning of an acute respiratory disease, but a full-fledged picture of the flu. In such cases, you should immediately seek medical help.
If parents discover a cold that is beginning to develop, it is necessary to provide the child with bed rest, not forgetting to regularly ventilate the children's room and do wet cleaning there. Be sure to measure your body temperature. If it does not exceed 38°, it is not recommended to give the baby antipyretic medications.
In order to cure a cold, you need to provide your child with plenty of fluids - it is best to give a weak herbal or chamomile tea, mineral water without gas, fruit drink, compote. For an infant Breast milk and a small amount of water are quite enough. Nutrition for children with a cold should be light, but complete and rich. useful vitamins and microelements.
Drug treatment of runny nose in children
How to treat a child at the first signs of a cold? It all depends on how exactly the acute respiratory disease manifests itself.
For a runny nose and difficulty nasal breathing, the following can be used: medications:
- Rinsing the nasal passages with special solutions based on sea salt - No-sol, Aqualor, Aquamaris.
- In the presence of purulent mucus, drops with a bactericidal effect or herbal-based preparations are used - Pinosol, Collargol. Drops with a vasodilating effect - Farmazolin, Nazol-baby, Galazolin.
If you have a cold Small child, accumulated contents from the nasal passages can be removed using a special syringe.
Important! In no case should anti-runny nose drops be used for more than 7 days, as they can be addictive and cause the development of the so-called drug-induced rhinitis.
It is very important to monitor the child’s body temperature and promptly use antipyretic drugs if it rises above 38°
Medicines for cough and fever
Drug treatment A child’s cough during a cold directly depends on the type of cough – wet or dry. Depending on this, expectorant or mucolytic drugs can be used.
- For dry cough - Alteika, Gerbion, Prospan.
- At wet cough– Lazolvan, ACC, Mucaltin, Bromhexine.
In case of inflammation, redness of the throat, as well as difficulty swallowing, sprays with anti-inflammatory or antibacterial effects, for example, Orasept or Chloraphilipt, can be used. The use of inhalations, both steam and those carried out using a special device - a nebulizer, is considered quite effective.
In order to know exactly how to treat a cold in children in order to get rid of it quickly, you must carefully monitor the child’s body temperature, since steam inhalations and other warming procedures are strictly prohibited at high temperatures.
Important! In case the child elevated temperature body, which is not controlled by antipyretic drugs for more than 2 days, further treatment is carried out in a hospital setting.
To reduce body temperature at home, it is best to use antipyretic drugs in the form of syrups - Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Efferalgan.
If the temperature persists for more than 2 days, the child should be urgently shown to the pediatrician.
Treatment of colds in children, including initial stage, under no circumstances should you practice on your own. Even with minimal symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to call a pediatrician, since only a doctor can determine best option treatment.
Treatment with folk remedies
Folk remedy therapy can be an effective addition to drug treatment. For this purpose you can use herbal teas, infusions and decoctions, freshly prepared juices from medicinal plants and other remedies.
Treatment of a runny nose:
- At the first symptoms of a runny nose, you can use the recipe with onions - finely chop a large onion, after which the child should inhale its aroma 5-6 times a day.
- To treat a runny nose in children, you can use freshly squeezed beet juice, which should be instilled in 3-4 drops.
- For the same purpose, you can use aloe juice - for newborns and children 3 years of age, the juice is diluted with water in equal proportions.
- Children can rinse their nasal passages with salted water and calendula tincture (a teaspoon per 500 ml of water).
- It is recommended for an infant to instill 2 drops of slightly warmed breast milk 2-3 times a day.
To date, several thousand are known folk recipes for coughs and colds in children, which can be used in home environment.
Mint infusion is one of the most effective and fast-acting cough remedies. To prepare it, pour a tablespoon of peppermint into 200 ml of hot water, place on low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. When the broth has cooled a little, you need to strain it, combine it with a spoon of honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice. The product should be drunk before bedtime.
Milk with butter is often used to treat colds in children, which are accompanied by a cough with sputum that is difficult to separate. Pour ½ teaspoon of natural butter and soda into a glass of boiled milk, stir and give to the child to drink.
Rowan with honey is an excellent diaphoretic, which is recommended to drink before bed.
Garlic with milk is no less useful and this healing drink. 2-3 cloves of garlic need to be peeled and passed through a press, then poured into a small saucepan with milk. The drink should be brought to a boil and given to the baby to drink. Garlic has pronounced antimicrobial properties, and in order to improve its taste, you can add lemon juice and honey.
When body temperature rises, decoctions and infusions with diaphoretic properties, for example, linden or rowan, can be prescribed. Linden decoction is an effective folk remedy for reducing fever. It is very simple to prepare - pour dry or fresh linden blossom with 2 cups of boiling water, cover tightly and let the product brew. The medicine is taken one tablespoon three times a day; for children over 3 years old, the recommended dosage is increased to 2 tablespoons.
Rowan, both red and chokeberry, has diaphoretic and anti-inflammatory properties. A tablespoon of pre-chopped berries should be poured into a bowl with 200 ml of hot water and left to infuse for 2-3 hours. Before use, it is recommended to warm the berry syrup again and drink a tablespoon an hour before each meal.
Black radish is a popular folk remedy that is used to treat flu and colds in children. Extremely beneficial properties has radish juice. To obtain it, you need to make a small round depression in the root vegetable and put a spoonful of honey in it. After some time, the hole will be completely filled with juice, which should be taken by spoon 4-5 times throughout the day.
Colds in children are a common problem that worries every parent. Complex treatment disease, consisting of drug therapy and the use of folk remedies, allows you to quickly get rid of the disease, prevent its further development and strengthen the body's defenses.
