What to Do When Your Baby Has a Cold

Aagh! AB just caught his first cold of the season. The poor little guy is so miserable!

When I'm sick, I head straight for the drugs! I get such bad post-nasal drip that I literally can't sleep without NyQuil. However, we can't do the same for our kids. I hope everyone knows by now that you should not use cold medications for children (MommyDocs). They don't work in children and worse, they are dangerous. If you have any children's cold medicine (like cough supressant, or nasal decongestant) lying around (have you been living under a rock?), you should go and get rid of it right now.

Here's what we are doing to keep AB comfortable:
For sleeping:
* Saline Spray - one spray in each nostril right before going to bed
* Snot Sucker - wait a few seconds after the saline spray and suck up all the snot. Most babies (AB included) HATE this! But it will really help them sleep better.
* Use a humidifier in their rooms. We have the Kaz PersonalMist Humidifier in all our bedrooms. The reservoir only holds enough water for one night - which is a good thing - because water doesn't stagnate and grow nasty mold. It also doesn't have a filter which is just another word for "mold growing medium". Just rinse out with some soapy water every few days to keep it clean.
* Use the Vicks Soothing Vapors Plug-Ins. To my surprise, it really does reduce the congestion and he seems to sleep much better.

Overall:
* Make sure they get extra sleep. Put them down 30 min to 1 hour early for bed. You may notice them getting tired earlier anyway. Extra rest will help them fight off the cold faster.
* Give them extra fluids to keep them well hydrated.
* Put lotion on their faces. AB rubs the snot all over his face which causes his skin to get chapped much faster than usual.

Note 1/17/09: There is a new warning about Vics Vapor rub being unsafe in children under age 2 (safemama). This is for the Vics Vapor rub that is directly applied to the body. I am not sure if this also applies to the plug-in vaporizers. Please consult your physician before administering any medication (prescription or over the counter) to your baby.

Related articles:
Tips for avoiding catching colds (Parent Hacks)