How to Make Baby Comfortable During a Cold

This is how to make baby comfortably during a cold. What medications to use, how to make them comfortable, and why they work.

Cold and flu season is upon us, hopefully, you got your child’s flu shot. It is so important when they are little. Their noses are so tiny and they don’t like to breath through their mouths, this is called obligatory mouth breathing. Because of that it’s so important to try to keep them comfortable and healthy as possible. Both my girls are daycare kids since both my husband and I work. So they have had colds most of the winter season from the pathogens that surround them there.

My youngest got hit hard this year we thought she had an ear infection that wouldn’t get any better with drainage from her sinuses and vomiting. The doctor was going to refer us to ENT for possible tube placement when she did a culture. The culture came back as 3 different severe viruses that she had all at once. One being RSV a hard hitter for infants. She thankfully didn’t have to go to ENT because they knew now why the antibiotics weren’t working.

The unfortunate news is that most colds are viruses which means that they cannot be treated with antibiotics as I mentioned above. If you want to know more about why that is, look at the microbiology of a bacterial pathogen versus a viral pathogen. For the sake of all the non-nerdy people. I will let you guys look that up yourselves. The result is that you cannot really take medication to solve a virus but can only take measures for comfort.

This is especially true for babies or infants as there are few medications that they can take. Cold/cough medicines have been found to be more detrimental than beneficial in this age group, you can read more about that here. However, there are some home remedies that can help your little one get through that cold.

1. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen

Always at the top of my list for aches, pains, and fevers is acetaminophen or ibuprofen. My youngest I swear lived on ibuprofen in order to get her through her colds. Make sure to use the correct dosing and speak with your pediatrician first, as always.

2. Humidifier

A cool mist humidifier is always good for colds and coughs. Try to use cool when it comes to kiddos because of the danger of burns with the hot mist humidifier. There is no difference at effectiveness with the temperature, just that hot mist has less of a chance at spreading bacteria in the air from the water. So try to remember to wash and dry out your humidifier. Or you can use distilled water when filling it.

There are multiple reasons why a humidifier helps with a cough and congestion. It helps relieve inflammation in your airways, hydrates your nasal and airway passages, and can help break up mucus. So if you don’t have one already buy one!

3. Fluids

Encourage fluids especially if throwing up or vomiting is involved. Dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalance and you can end up in the hospital quite quickly. It also helps loosen congestion. So encourage your little one to drink water or Pedialyte. Try to stick with clear liquids as they are the best as hydration and easiest on the stomach.

4. Saline Spray

Saline spray helps out little noses so much. It is especially effective when used with a bulb syringe (snot sucker). Your little one won’t be happy with you, but it is the best way to relieve congestion or mucus from nasal passages. It also helps constrict the vessels in nasal passages helping with inflammation. Helping your little one breath better, as they are obligatory nose breathers.

5. Bulb Syringe

Let’s talk more about the “snot sucker” as we call it. It is given to most parents at the hospital as they use it to clear a babies airway after they are born. Most babies have amniotic fluid still in their mouths and nose when they are born. So to be able to take that all important first breath they will use the syringe to help clear it out. It is invaluable when your little one has a cold. If you are interested you can buy one online that is easier to clean out. If they are not properly cared for they can grow mold.

The correct way to use a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator is to hold your child with their head slightly tilted back. Then insert 3-4 drops of saline if using. Insert the bulb syringe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a nostril with it compressed and release it gently while inserted. The pressure will pull out the mucus from the nasal passage. Then put the syringe over a paper towel or sink and squeeze out the mucus. Repeat on the other side. After you are done wash out the syringe with warm water and allow to air dry.

6. Rest

Allowing your child to rest, is the best way to get the body to repair and fight off invaders. Use your humidifier to help your baby sleep and allow them to rest as long as needed. If you can try to take off work or allow your child to stay with a relative that doesn’t have a lot of children. To cut down on transmission and to give them a quiet place to sleep and repair.

7. Keep it Clean

A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is true for colds. The best remedy for a cold is to not get one in the first place. Wash your hands, use cleaning supplies that have anti-bacterial properties in them. When taking care of someone with a cold make sure to wash your hands and clean after them so that it doesn’t spread to the rest of the family. This is almost impossible but trying to keep it clean might mean the difference between a sick child and a sick household.

8. Tissues

Kiddos are notorious for wiping there snot everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. In their eyes, mouth, shirt, your shirt, their friend’s shirt. Someone down the street probably has your child’s mucus on them. Because of this you need to try to take care of a runny nose and keep them clean. Use wipes, or dry tissues. If you don’t get to them they will most likely get pink eye for auto inoculation or giving it to themselves. Let’s be real though, sometimes that is unavoidable.

These are the ways to help a baby be more comfortable during a cold. There are other regional remedies but some are questionable with their efficacy. Just make sure to always check in with your pediatrician when you are making medical decisions for your little one. As they know your situation and your child best.

If you have experience with other remedies that help a baby with a cold, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you, and always welcome other mom’s experiences.

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