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Narrator:
The voluntary withdrawal of over the counter cold and cough medications for babies two and under has focused attention on the safest ways to treat an infant's cold symptoms.
Kissing
Narrator:
Fact is, babies do survive colds without the miracles of modern medicine. Our parents and theirs often used old fashioned techniques like these with great success.
For coughs and congestion, fill the bathroom with steam and sit with baby for 10-15 minutes, 3-4 times a day. Caution! Never leave baby unattended!
Crying baby
Narrator:
For a stuffy nose, use 2-3 saline drops made especially for infants in each nostril. Then encourage baby to gently blow or use a bulb syringe to remove any secretions.
Crying baby
Narrator:
And make sure baby is drinking plenty of fluids to thin mucus and make it easier for the body to expel.
In fact, many pediatricians believe that today's parent is often too quick to act on the body's natural response to the cold virus. Take fever, for example.
Steven Parker, MD:
Many people believe fever actually helps to kill infections and so you get rid of the virus faster if you don't treat the fever.
Narrator:
Colds usually last 5-7 days, with symptoms improving after the 3rd. At times, they can progress into an ear infection.
Steven Parker, MD:
The way you'll know it is usually it hurts. And your child is going to be cranky and miserable,
especially when he's lying back because the pressure builds up in the middle ear when you're lying down.
It hurts less when you're sitting up. So your child may start crying at night. Obviously, if he starts putting his hand in his ear, you get a feeling something's going on there.
The onset of a new fever after having a cold for a day or two could herald the beginning of an ear infection also.
Coughing
Narrator:
Pediatricians encourage parents to call immediately if baby has trouble breathing, refuses to drink anything, becomes increasingly less responsive or irritable,
coughs up bloody mucus or has a fever if baby is under three months of age.
Babies fussing.
Narrator:
And remember, unless your pediatrician directly tells you to, never treat a baby with medications meant for older children. For WebMD, I'm Sandee LaMotte.
