Coughs and colds? Some hints and tips for looking after your little one when they are feeling under the weather
Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant
It’s that time of the year when everyone seems to have a cough or a cold! The typical time for the common cold to make an appearance is between October and April and during this time of the year it can feel like your child has constantly got one. Most children before they start school will average 6-8 colds per year, which works out at around 1 cold per month! The good news is that once your child starts school their immunity starts to get better which means that their tendency to catch colds will reduce.
The common cold is a minor virus, however it can lead to further infections. I’m not going to go into the different infections or specific medical information in this blog but as always refer you to the NHS website for this information https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/coughs-colds-ear-infections/.
The purpose of this blog is to look at how to manage the symptoms of the common cold and to hopefully make the whole experience a bit easier for your child (and for you!).
Hygiene
The first and most effective way to keep coughs and colds at bay is to make sure that you (and your child) follow these simple hygiene tips:
Handwashing – this is a great hygiene practice that children need to learn from a young age. As role models (and to prevent the spread of germs) it is also important that we as adults also wash our hands after wiping noses or catching coughs and sneezes (see image above from the NHS for how to do it most effectively)!
Encourage your child to put their hand over their mouth/nose when coughing or sneezing. As they get older encourage the use of tissues and putting the tissue in the bin once it has been used.
Change bed/cot sheets/pillowcases/towels etc daily during the time your child has a cold – often sheets can be covered in mucus (otherwise known as snot!) so will need to be changed regularly.
Regularly clean toys to help to stop the spread of any germs. Antibacterial spray or wipes are worth having in stock over the winter.
During the day, try to air your child’s room – open the windows slightly to circulate the fresh air and help clear the germs!
TLC
We all want a bit of TLC when we feel under the weather and making sure that your child feels comfortable when they are poorly is just as important:
Dress your little one in comfortable clothes and let them have time to chill on the sofa or in bed. They are likely to have moments where they are happy to play and appear to have energy, but then they will suddenly have a dip and need to just sit / lie down with a book, have a cuddle or maybe even watch some TV.
They may need to sleep more than normal. Sleep helps the body repair, so don’t stop them sleeping if it is needed.
Your child may be running a temperature. Use Paracetamol and Ibuprofen* to help regulate their temperature and make them feel more comfortable. Always follow instructions on the medication and refer to the NHS website for further information before administering. *However, if you suspect that your child is coming down with chicken pox or if they have asthma, avoid using Ibuprofen as this may cause further problems for them – see the NHS website for further information on this.
Make sure that your child is having plenty of fluids. Drinking fluids helps to thin out the mucus so that your child can get rid of it.
If your child has a sore throat or is just not feeling themselves, they might not have as much of an appetite. Offering things that they like to eat and small meals / snacks little and often over this time is often going to work better than trying to stick to their 3 meals a day.
Try giving your child some chicken soup – as this article says, the key ingredients in a chicken soup include onions, garlic and additional vegetables that add flavour and phytonutrients which are vital for a well-functioning immune system. They can also help to reduce inflammation in the body, which in turn may help to ease the symptoms of a cold.
For children over the age of 1, try giving honey instead of medication to relieve a cough. Half a teaspoon for 1-5 years old should be enough to help relieve the cough symptoms.
Use tissues which are as soft and sensitive as possible for your little one’s nose to try to avoid making it too sore. A soft damp flannel can also help avoid a very sore nose. On sore noses try using something like petroleum jelly or (one of my favourites) lansinoh nipple cream - this is great on sore skin and cracked lips!
Giving your little one a warm bath can help to relieve the aches and pains that they might have.
Avoid having the house too warm, if your child is running a temperature or feeling all bunged up it can be made worse if the house is too hot.
Unblock!
And finally - unblocking those noses…!
Humidifiers can be a good option to have in your child’s room during the winter; we have the central heating on and the windows shut and this can make the air very dry. Having a humidifier in your child’s room moistens the air, helping to relax lungs and allowing more air to make its way through the airways. You can also put oils into some humidifiers - when your child has a cold, adding something like eucalyptus can also help to open up the airways. Just a note when using humidifiers, make sure that you clean the machine between uses to avoid any mould forming in the machine.
Putting a damp flannel with something like essential eucalyptus oil on it, on a radiator in your child’s room can help to ease a blocked nose. It is important that you do not put these products directly on the sheets or pillows that your child is sleeping on as this can cause irritation or more serious issues in relation to their eyes. Using things that scent the air are going to be more effective.
Nasal aspirators. These are not the nicest of things to use (you are basically sucking snot out of your little one’s nose!) but it can be hugely helpful for young babies who are not able to blow their own noses. Just always remember to put the aspirator together properly! ;-)
Saline spray or drops – these can help with loosening dry mucus in the nose providing relief for your little one.
Running a hot shower to create a steam-filled bathroom and then sitting in there with your child can help to clear the stuffiness.
For older children, when they are in a bed, think about giving them an extra pillow so that they are slightly elevated to keep the airway is clearer.
Believe it or not rubbing Baby Vapour Rub on your child’s feet and then putting socks on top at night, has been suggested by many as a way of helping to ease a chesty cough. It is important to note that there is no medical or scientific proof that this works. As with anything ensure that you check the directions for use on the product regarding the age of the child the product can used with and follow them carefully. As with anything that goes onto skin you should always do a patch test on a small area of their skin before trying this.
Go outside during the day even if it’s only for 10-15 mins. The daylight will help your child feel better and the fresh air will help with unblocking that nose. Make sure that you wrap up warm and don’t go too far, but even just a short outing to post a letter can help!
If you follow all of these tips hopefully the cough and cold season will pass by without having too much of an impact. Just remember Hygiene – TLC – Unblock and your little one should start to feel better very soon :-)
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