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Common Cold -- Babies

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Your pediatrician may say in her soothing voice, "It's just a cold," but when it's your baby suffering through a stuffy nose, cough, and fever, nothing about it seems common.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), babies catch an average of 8 to 10 colds or more in their first two years of life (babies in group childcare could catch even more). The good news? Colds should pass in a few days.

Like your own colds, a baby's is likely to be caused by a virus. How are they not like yours? Babies' upper respiratory tracts are so tiny that just a small amount of inflammation (swelling) and congestion has the potential to make her more...

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Apr 24, 2008 at 5:08:33 AM

Can you give your baby cough/cold medicine?

According to a new advisory by the FDA , *never* give cough or cold medicine to kids under 2 unless you talk to your doctor first. They mention it in the article above but it bears calling out because this advisory is so recent.

 

If my baby has a cold, do I have to take her to the doctor?

 

If your baby is under three months old, it's usually a good idea to call your pediatrician for a cold. If your baby is older than three months, a pediatrician visit is really only needed if your baby has a high fever (101F or higher), is lethargic, or seems to have trouble breathing. Otherwise, you can probably treat it at home by keeping the air moist with a cool mist humidifier, using a nasal bulb syringe to aspirate mucous from your child's nose, and making sure your baby gets plenty of fluids.

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FDA advisory
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