Autumn is a thrilling time for families as you all look forward to enjoying the changing seasons and upcoming holidays. No matter how well-prepared you think you are, your child may still come down with a stuffy nose, cough, and fever. Keeping up with your baby’s nutritional needs with Wellements organic multivitamin drops is one way to support immune health, but here are some other important tips for caring for your little one when they get the sniffles this fall.
Helping Your Child Sleep with the Sniffles
Your child will need a lot of rest to recover from a cold, but it can be difficult for them to get solid sleep when they’re sniffling and having a hard time breathing at night. With smaller babies, you may need to use an aspirator bulb to remove the mucus from your baby’s nasal passages via suction. Once your child is older, you can help them blow their nose regularly to pass mucus and clear airways.
In cold and dry months, you may want to use a humidifier to moisten the air in the room where your baby sleeps. That extra moisture will help loosen mucus, making it easier for your child to breathe. Another option is to run a hot shower in the bathroom and sit inside the room with your child so they can breathe in the steam.
Here are more common cold facts to keep in mind this fall:
- Children under one year of age are more likely to catch colds because of their developing immune systems.
- There are more than 200 viruses that cause the common cold.
- There is no cure for the common cold, but medicines and treatment products can help relieve symptoms.
- Eating a balanced diet and keeping good hygiene habits, such as regular hand washing, can help prevent the occurrence of colds.
Giving Them Lots of Healthy Fluids
Both a preventative step and a treatment, hydration is critical to helping your child manage a cold. If your child is less than one year old, you should avoid anything with honey and stick with breast milk, formula, and extra liquids in the solid foods that your baby eats. Once your children are older, you can introduce electrolytes and soothing, natural teas with honey to help them deal with symptoms of cough and cold.
Know When To Seek Help
Although it can feel like a long time, your child will likely get over a cold in one to two weeks. Since a cold can also turn into a bacterial infection in the ears or nasal passages, you should know the warning signs to watch for in case you need to seek help from your pediatrician or go to the hospital. Watch out for the following serious symptoms:
- Persistent high fever
- Decreased urination
- Extreme sluggishness and low appetite
- Pain in one or both ears
- Severe and constant cough
- Irregular or rapid breathing
Your child will likely catch a cold one or more times a year. Stay prepared by stocking up on Wellements cold medicine and other immune-supporting supplements this fall.
