Therapy
Although the infections cannot usually be prevented, they can be treated well and some home remedies can at least alleviate the baby’s discomfort. The infection takes time and during this time the baby should be given as much rest as possible. Warm vapors similar to adult inhalation are suitable for treating the swelling of the nasal mucous membranes.
A drop of breast milk in the nostrils is also supposed to support the swelling of the nose by the components of the immune system contained in it. Nasal sprays can also bring relief and make it easier for the baby to breathe. Here, the mucosa-constricting nasal drops should not be used as in adults, but only drops containing only saline solution.
Nourishing ointments can help to care for the sore nose. Since the child cannot simply blow its nose like an adult in order to get the nose free, small nasal aspirators from the pharmacy can also be used to free the child from the secretion. If a cough is also a nuisance, walks in the fresh air are often very soothing.
In the home, the humidity can be increased, for example, by using wet towels over the heating or specially designed humidifiers. The coughing up mucus is usually clear in a normal cold. If it turns yellowish or greenish, a doctor should be consulted, as this discoloration can be an indication of a bacterial cause, which must then be treated with an antibiotic.
Cool air is helpful in acute coughing attacks and going to an open window or the refrigerator helps the coughing infant to overcome the attack. It is important to make sure that the baby is cuddly and warm and does not freeze. Particularly in the case of fever, it is important to ensure that the baby drinks enough, which can often be extremely difficult due to the strain of drinking.
If drinking is no longer sufficient to keep the baby’s fluid balance in equilibrium, in persistent cases the cold will also entail a stay in hospital, during which the fluid must be given as an infusion. An indication for a too small drinking quantity can be dry diapers, if the baby produces too little urine due to the lack of liquid. Besides this sign, there are other signs that should lead to a visit to the doctor. These include high fever, a complete refusal to drink, extreme listlessness, visible respiratory problems, a cold lasting more than 5 days and continuous coughing. A visit to the doctor can also rule out other diseases such as middle ear inflammation, sinusitis or even pneumonia, which urgently require antibiotic treatment.
