Scientists and naturalists alike continue to search for a cure for the viruses that cause the common cold. It may never happen, although the cold plagues us all year after year. For babies, it is perhaps the worst because as parents we know they are too little to understand why they feel miserable. But there are some things you can do to ease your baby’s discomfort, as long as you follow doctor’s orders.

For infants, even over-the-counter drugs should only be used under a pediatrician’s guidance. Baby Tylenol and Ibuprofen may be recommended, for not only controlling your child’s fever, but also for helping him or her feel better.

If your baby is over 3 months old, there are instructions on the bottles for dosing. Don’t use Tylenol for a younger baby unless the pediatrician instructs you to do so.

Make sure that you do not confuse the dose listed on baby drops versus children’s Tylenol because the infant drops are more concentrated, so dosage amounts will be quite different.

Ibuprofen is something you can use for babies 6 months and older. Again, as with the Tylenol for babies under 3 months, do not use Ibuprofen for babies under 6 months without a doctor’s advice to do so.

It is important to space out the doses as advised, to prevent harm to your baby. Your doctor may offer a schedule for alternating the Tylenol and Ibuprofen. Thus, keeping track of dosage times will be important for staying on top of your baby’s fever and other symptoms.









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So your baby isn’t feeling good. She’s crying, she’s got a runny nose, and perhaps a few other symptoms. How can you know if it is a cold or something else? Understanding the symptoms of the common cold in babies can help you distinguish between colds and other conditions, but if ever in doubt, it is always best to seek the advice of your baby’s doctor.

Starting with the runny nose, it is often the first sign of a common cold. A stuffy nose is a related symptom that could make it harder for your baby to nurse or bottle-feed.

When there is nasal discharge, it usually starts out clear, but as the virus progresses, it may change. The colors of nasal discharge common with a cold are yellow or green, but it should clear up within about a week.

A cold will often produce a low-grade fever in babies. This would be a fever around 100.4 degrees. But if a baby’s temperature gets much higher than that, it could be something else and even could become a problem itself.

Babies will cough and sneeze with colds. The cough may sound congested, but if it sounds like a seal bark, or becomes distressing or too frequent or intense, you should definitely have your baby seen by a doctor.

Finally, babies may have trouble sleeping and a decreased interest in food and milk with a cold. Encouraging your baby to drink his usual amount of liquid is important for preventing dehydration, but only by gentle coaxing. Make sure you bring any troublesome symptoms to the attention of your baby’s doctor.









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The common cold is not a serious event in the lives of most otherwise healthy babies. So much of the time, it is treated by parents at home, with simple home remedies. Even if the baby does need a visit to the doctor, there are things you can do at home to increase his or her comfort.

Thinning the mucus can help children breathe more comfortably. Simple saline nose drops or sprays can be purchased at almost any pharmacy and are relatively inexpensive. With babies, you can also suction the nose with a rubber-bulb syringe. Make sure to clean the bulb in-between uses.

Encourage your baby to drink the same amount of fluid he or she is accustomed to drinking. Breast milk provides extra protection and immune response, so nursing can help your baby recover faster.

Using a humidifier is a helpful way to moisten the air your baby breathes and thus assist in breaking up the mucus. Make sure you keep the water and humidifier clean and fresh to prevent mold. You can also sit with your baby in the bathroom, for a few minutes, with the hot shower running and the door shut to steam up the room.

To protect your baby from the next cold, wash your hands regularly. Make sure to keep sick people away from your baby as much as possible. Stay away from tight public spaces like buses. Finally, sanitize your baby’s pacifiers, bottles, and toys regularly. These preventative techniques should help keep at least some colds at bay.







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The common cold is highly contagious. With over 100 virus strains able to inflict the human body with the upper respiratory infection we call “the cold,” your baby could suffer from colds on a frequent basis. Being aware of the causes and risk factors of the common cold can help you protect your baby from some of these miserable bugs.

One of the causes of spreading the cold is air contamination. When an individual with a cold virus coughs, sneezes, or even talks near your baby, it can easily travel into the baby’s nose or mouth. When we open and move our mouths in any of these ways, micro-particles of saliva are launched into the air. These tiny droplets can stay up in the air for some time. So avoiding those who are currently infected is a good idea for your baby.

Direct contact is an obvious way for your baby to get sick. A child could go to touch your baby or hold your baby’s hand and if the child is carrying germs, this contact could get your baby sick. So, if other people have recently had or still have a cold, even if they are not coughing or sneezing, they should still give your baby some space.

When you take your baby to the grocery store and set him or her into the cart, it is wise to first wipe down the surfaces your baby can touch with the provided sanitary wipes the store offers. Germs can stay alive on a surface for a couple hours or more, so someone who has come and gone could still have a live virus left behind them.

In addition to causes of contamination, it is important to understand that your baby may have some risk factors that make him or her more vulnerable to infection. Exposure to other children, especially those attending school, increases your baby’s risk of catching a cold.

Winter is a risk factor, when people are more likely to get sick. And an immature immune system puts babies at higher risk than older children and adults. But, in the end, a cold is just a cold. And we all go through them. Unless your child is immune compromised, or has some other serious condition, you can be assured that a simple cold will help make your child’s immune system stronger and will pass within a matter of days.









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Acute sinusitis is a condition that often comes secondary to a cold virus. The cold virus causes inflammation in the sinuses, resulting in both swelling and increased mucous production.

What can sometimes happen is that the gathering mucous, warm and moist, creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Bacteria inhaled through the air can land in this environment and quickly grow out of control, causing a bacterial infection.

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