主题：How to treat baby's cold (ZT) -- 柴禾儿妞

Why does my baby get so many colds?

One reason that babies get lots of colds is that their immune systems are less mature than those of adults, making them more vulnerable to illness. Also, your child can develop immunity to only one of the 200-plus different viruses that can cause the common cold at a time. Remember all the colds you've had over your lifetime? Your child would have to get all of those ― and more ― to be immune to all cold viruses.

As your baby grows, he's likely to be exploring a lot and touching (and licking!) everything, so it's easy for him to pick up a cold virus on his hands. Then all he has to do is put his fingers in his nose or mouth or rub his eyes, and the virus will get a chance to set up shop in his nasal passages.

Your baby may get sick more often during the fall and winter months because cold air and indoor heating dry out his nasal membranes, making it easier for a cold virus to get a foothold there. He also spends more time during cold weather cooped up indoors, where viruses are more likely to spread from one person to another.

And recent studies have confirmed what working parents already know: Children in daycare get more colds, ear infections, runny noses, and other respiratory troubles than kids cared for at home. Even if he's not around lots of other children, your child is likely to get between four and ten colds in his first year. As he gets older, the number of colds he gets will diminish, dwindling to about three a year in the teen years.

How can I tell he has a cold and not the flu or allergies?

You can be pretty sure your baby has the flu if he gets sick between November and April (prime flu season) and experiences the sudden onset of fever, typically 101 degrees or higher, fatigue, and chills, followed by respiratory symptoms such as a runny nose, and a dry cough. (Hint: If congestion or coughing shows up much before the fever, it's more likely your child has a cold.) A child with the flu may also have diarrhea or vomiting.

Itchy, watery eyes and nose are hallmarks of an allergy, as are repeated sneezing attacks and itchy skin that lasts for weeks or months. Also, the mucus coming out of your child's nose will continue to run clear, rather than thickening and turning yellow or green as it tends to in children with colds. Allergies aren't associated with fever, and they tend to show up in the spring, summer, and early fall.

Call your pediatrician immediately if your baby is under 3 months old and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher. She'll want to make sure he doesn't have a bacterial infection that will require treatment.

How should I treat my baby's cold?

No medicine will make the virus go away faster, but you can help your baby feel better and prevent the infection from getting worse by making sure he gets plenty of rest and liquids (that means breast milk or formula only for babies under 6 months). Since children aren't developmentally ready to blow their nose until about age 4, here are a few ways you can help ease his congestion:

• Tip your baby's head back and squeeze over-the-counter saline drops into your baby's nostrils to loosen up the mucus. Then suction out the salt water and mucus a few minutes later with a rubber bulb syringe. If your child is having trouble nursing with a stuffy nose, try this tactic about 15 minutes before a feeding; he'll then be able to breathe and suck at the same time. Apply petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils to reduce irritation. (Don't use nasal sprays on your baby unless your pediatrician says it's okay. They may work temporarily but can cause a rebound effect in which the congestion gets worse with continued use.)

• Use a humidifier or a cool-mist vaporizer to moisten the air in his room. Or take your baby into the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water, close the door, and sit in the steamy room for about 15 minutes. A warm bath can accomplish the same thing ― adding menthol or eucalyptus oil to the water is a safe and soothing way to temporarily unclog a stuffy nose.

• Elevate the head of your baby's mattress by placing a couple of towels between the head of the mattress and crib springs. Sleeping at a slight incline may help relieve his postnasal drip, but don't overdo it. If your baby is a restless sleeper, he could end up flipping around so his feet are higher than his head, defeating the purpose of the elevation. (Never use pillows to prop up your baby; they could suffocate him. And don't put anything under the legs of the crib because that can make it unstable.) Alternatively, consider letting your baby sleep in his car seat in a semi-upright position.

Is it okay to give my child over-the-counter cold medicine?

It's a good idea to ask your pediatrician in advance what she recommends for treating your baby's colds. Most pediatricians don't recommend any over-the-counter cold medicines for babies under 6 months. Once your baby is older than 6 months, your pediatrician may recommend that you save these medications for when your child really needs them, such as at nighttime, when his symptoms may be keeping him (and you) from getting any rest.

You'll probably want to avoid multi-symptom remedies because most of them contain acetaminophen or some other painkiller, and you don't want to give your baby a double dose. You may be able to give him an over-the-counter antihistamine to help him get some sleep, but beware that this medication can make your child hyperactive instead of drowsy. Remember that these medications won't shorten the course of a cold or prevent further complications such as ear or sinus infections.

If your baby is feverish, you can give him infant's acetaminophen. Never give a child aspirin; it makes him more susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

What natural or alternative treatments can help relieve my child's cold symptoms?

Adding a few drops of menthol, eucalyptus, or pine oil to a vaporizer or bath may help your baby feel less congested, says Kathi Kemper, author of The Holistic Pediatrician. (You can get these oils at most health food stores.) If your baby is older than 6 months, a weak, lukewarm solution of chamomile tea can also be soothing.

A word of warning: Never use Ma huang, also known as ephedra or ephedrine, an herbal decongestant. Its potency can vary widely, and the Food and Drug Administration has linked it to bad reactions in adults, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, seizures, heart attack, and stroke. Always talk to your pediatrician first before giving your baby any kind of medicine, conventional or otherwise.

When should I call the pediatrician?

If your child is younger than 3 months old, you should call your pediatrician at the first sign of illness, particularly if he has a fever higher than 100.4 degrees F (taken rectally) or a cough. In an older baby, call if you notice any of the following:

• Your baby takes a turn for the worse instead of starting to improve after five to seven days or if cold symptoms last for more than 14 days.

• His cough worsens and he's wheezing or gasping. These symptoms could be a sign of pneumonia or respiratory syncytial virus, a relatively common but potentially serious respiratory problem in babies under age 1.

• He cries when sucking during a feeding, or pulls and rubs his ear. This could be a sign of an ear infection.

Is there anything I can do to cut down on the number of colds my child gets?

You can't prevent every cold, but there are things you can do to minimize your baby's exposure and boost his defenses. For starters, make sure family members and friends wash their hands before picking up your baby (this is particularly important around newborns, who are more susceptible to illness than even 1- or 2-month-old babies). To the extent you can, keep your baby away from sick children or adults. They'll understand if you ask them to postpone a visit until they're not contagious. Keep in mind that babies in daycare get more colds than those kept at home simply because they're exposed to more kids and, hence, more illness. Make sure your childcare provider is conscientious about washing her hands.

Keep your baby well hydrated. Cold viruses find it easier to get a foothold in dry nasal membranes. For babies under 6 months this means making sure they continue their normal breast- or formula-feeding routine. After that age, you can give your child water as well. You can tell if your baby is dehydrated if he's wetting fewer than five to six diapers a day.

Second-hand smoke can put your baby at risk for more upper respiratory problems, so stay clear of cigarette smokers. Keep your baby away from areas where someone has been smoking. Children who live with cigarette smokers have more colds and their colds last longer than those of children who aren't exposed to smoke.

Finally, breastfeed as long as you can (the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for a year to reap the health benefits of breast milk). Although it's not a fail-safe guard against infection, studies have shown that breastfed babies get sick less often than their formula-fed peers do because the antibodies in breast milk protect against a host of germs.