7 Mos. Old Son's Cold Won't Go Away- Advice?

Hi M.. There probably isn't any reason to worry. Colds can actually last up to 2 weeks. I have 2 little girls and they both had really bad coughs that lasted that long. If he gets a fever that lasts for more than a few days then you should probably bring him back into the dr. Otherwise putting his mattress on an incline and running a cool-mist humidifier in his room is about the best way to keep him comfy til it passes. Hope he feels better soon!

Colds can and usually do last 2-3 weeks. Coughing and drainage are usually the longest lasting symptoms. If it continues after that time, I would take him back to be seen again. A humidifier in his room or in the house would probably help too.

Hi M. - my 9 month old is on her second ear infection in 2 months. For the first one, she received 2 different antibiotics that did not work. The doc finally gave her a shot of antibitiocs which is a stronger dosage. This helped within 2 days. Her cough stopped and her nose stopped running. My daughter must have a high tolerance for pain b/c her mood was geat the entire infection. I went back on my own to make sure the runny nose was still not draining into her ears. That is when they gave her the shot.
Now that we are on our second infection, she was prescribed stronger antibiotic and I will be back within a week to make sure it is clearing up.
I would maybe go to the doc to follow up and make sure it has really cleared up in that ear.

hi M.,

Those double ear-infections are really hard on little ones, I am glad you caught it and the Doc gave him antibiotics. My son used to get ear infections frequently when he was young and it was not unusual for him to go right from ear infection into a cold (or have the symptoms simultaneously with the cold hanging on longer).

The antibiotic likely cleared the infection - but the cold bug is still probably hanging on.

I know you'll keep an eye on his symptoms - and call the doc again with any temperature. Sometimes a lingering cold would cause my son's ear infection to set in again and we would have to do a second round of the antibiotic - but that always knocked it right out.

If it keeps up it might be allergy - are his eyes red and itchy and is he sneezing a lot?

It's always so hard to see our little ones sick - if we could be sick for them we would, right?

cheers,

W.

Babies that get ear infections tend to be prone to milk allergies. Also, many studies out there said if the ear infection is in the middle ear, giving antibiotics is useless. If you are b/f, eliminate dairy from your diet, it takes up to 5 days for it to be out of your system, another 5 days out of his system. There are other alternatives to dairy, rice milk, etc. Also, if he has had a dose of antibiotics, he needs to get on some probiotics to help rebuild his good bacteria in his system. Whenever anyone takes an antibiotic, it not only kills the bad bacteria in the system, but the good bacteria as well. With each dose it gets harder to build back up, thus making one more prone to sickness and illness. You can purchase a high quality baby probiotic at www.smartbomb.com called FloraBaby by Renew Life. I gave my daughter a round after she was ready for a bottle at 4-weeks, since she was a c-section baby, she missed many of the good bacteria that gets passed in the birth canal, making her pronet to illness. If you are b/f you can also take some probiotics as well, a good double dose will be great for him as well as your immunity. Good luck

My son had temporary tubes put in his ears when he was just over a year old and the ear infection problem was a thing of the past. That is only if he is continually getting ear infection

As far as his cold in concerned try a cool mist humidifier in his room. Must be cool mist no vaporizers, they are breeding ground for bacteria. Try sprinkling odorless and tasteless 100% garlic on some apple sauce a couple times a day. Eucalyptus in a bath is great for a cold. If his cough is really bad the doctor should suggest a decongestant. We alway just got one from our health food store to clear up the mucus.

Hi-
My 10 month old son has had a cold, mostly the runny nose, for over 3 weeks. our peditrician said that this year colds are not only lasting longer but kids (and adults) are catching multiple colds so one might be almost gone and they catch another one. Spring will be here soon and he'll be better!

I have heard that taking the child to the chiropractor to get adjusted will help w/ the draining!

M.,

I want to tell you that I empathize with you. My daughter struggled with ear infections and upper respiratory issues after her bout with RSV at two months. The other moms are right that the cold symptoms do last longer than the ear infection itself...which can be extraordinarily frustrating because you are constantly fighting the drainage. One thing I learned is that you cannot suction too much because this makes the body want to create MORE mucus! I did not realize this until my daughters physician told me this during her hospitalization for RSV. Just make sure he is lubricated with with saline and this should help throughout the day and help keep the mucus moving.
Another thing that was helpful for me... Dr. Sears' website because it gives so much helpful information and here is the link to info about coughs, colds and sinus infections http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081000.asp.
Try not to worry too much about allergies or other things at this point. Just take it one step at a time and hopefully you have a good working relationship with your son's doctor and you feel you can turn to him/her at anytime you have questions.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

H. Simpson

I would ask your doctor about allergies. My son was diagnosed with them fairly early on. My sister's son, too. They're both 2. My sister's youngest is 6 months old and we've known for some time that he has allergies. He breaks out and gets a runny nose, etc. I'm not sure when they start kids on allergy meds, but it is something I'd look into. Hope this helps!

We are in the same boat. This is my 3rd and I believe his teeth are coming in. Both my girls had cold like symptoms when they got their teeth. Your little one may be a gooey ooey mess for the next couple of months while those teeth come in.
Also, my Dr. does not like the nose sucker outer. She says it can irritate the nose and cause a sinus infection...just some food for thought.
Good Luck!

M., my 19 months old got the cold symptoms with every ear infection (he's had 4 so far) and always got croup right after the ear infection. His runny nose would usually last about 2 weeks and teh cough would go on for almost a month. It's a good time of year though, take him out on walks, just make sure he's buddled. The cool air really helps. We also run a humidifier in his room (turn it up when he's got the cough and runny nose) and we did steam showers right before bed (turn the water as hot as you can and sit in the bathroom for 10-15 minutes-we usually red a book during that time to keep occupied).
That seems to help my little guy through each one!

Hi M., I know it stinks, but colds can last up to 14 days! If it lasts longer than that you should let your doctor know, also if his ears still seem to be bothering him or he runs a fever. But it sounds like you are doing all the right things to help it out! Running a humidifier in his room also might help.

Hi M.,
I think colds can last this long, but keep an eye on it. My son had a lingering cough that we chalked up to environmental allergies. Turns out it was a food allergy (he had a cough that wouldn't go away for a very long time).

I would say that if its still another week, look at what he is eating to see if anything could be linked. If you are breastfeeding, look at what you are eating (dairy?) to possibly be triggering anything.

B.

I have an 8 month old and it took a good 3 weeks for all of his cold symptoms to go away..It helped him to take him into the bathroom with the door shut and run a hot shower to let him breath in the steam..We sat next to the shower in a sitting position to let it all drain..I did it a few times a day..Hope this helps..

Maybe he has an allergy. Cold nowadays last much longer than usual and often come back again. Keep in contact with you doctor if it doesn't clear up and have him tested for allergies. It could be from a dog if you have one, it could be the dust or carpeting in your home. Allergies can come from a lot of things. Good luck

I can understand your concern My son had this and it lasted awhile too. my son was diagnosed with asthma. He was about 6 months and he is now three and we haven't had problems for awhile. But as long as the baby's lungs are clear you should be ok. Just make sure to keep cleaning out his nose and the cool mist humidifier will help too. Just be sure to keep in touch with the doctor if it gets worse to make sure it doesn't turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. This is all going around and Spring probably won't be better do to allergies but It will get better.
Good luck

Here's been our family since the night before Thanksgiving.....(Jordyn is nearly 2 and Morgan is 3)

Jordyn gets the flu the night before Thanksgiving...
That Sunday she's better but now I have it and lasts three or four days...
Monday Morgan gets it, it lasts a week on and off...
My husband gets a touch of it that same week...
The week after, we all feel better, but not 100%, and now the girls both come down with congestion and coughs...
My husband and I then get the congestion and coughs...
The girls get a couple of light fevers...
After a week of the congestion, Morgan is diagnosed with a double ear infection...
Jordyn is diagnosed with the Croup later that same week...
I lost my voice and couldn't shake the cough, which would send me into coughing fits...
Morgan finishes the antibiotic for her ears, but it causes a yeast infection, sending her on another antibiotic...
Jordyn's Croup gets better, but now she's not sleeping through the night well after a month's worth of illness...
January wasn't too bad, but the doctor put me on three antibiotics in fear I had walking pnemonia...
Mid-January the girls got more runny noses/congestion/coughs...
I finally started feeling better but that only lasted about a week because then I caught this new cold the girls had gotten. By now I'd lost 8 lbs!...
February gave us a bit of relief, but the runny noses never really went away. Doctor says to expect it, winter is a "snotty" season. The dry, cold air and dry, heated house will naturally create the body's need to produce more mucus...
Now we're in March and Jordyn has more nasty, green, thick snots and isn't sleeping well b/c she coughs throughout the night...
Morgan is only dealing with the same runny nose she's had since February...
I still have a slight cough but it's getting better...
My huband is finally back to normal...

The fact is, it's EVERYwhere, unfortunately. My parents both talk about how many people have been out sick at their work this winter. All of my friends' kids are getting sick with one thing after another. My husband has three young siblings and all of them have had strep about twice this season, two of them had ear infections and my mother in law can't shake her sinus infection. Our pediatrician says it's a terrible season...the colds just won't let up.

The good news is that when spring hits and the weather is more constant and we can open the windows up and let fresh air into the house, these colds should go away. But, just remember.... kids get sick and get colds, sometimes one running into another. That's just what they do...which actually is a GOOD thing because this is the time where they build up their immune systems. Kids are snotty, just the way they are, but illnesses like our family has experienced and what you're experiencing with your child is a winter thing, too.

Hang in there.... He'll get better! My only advice is watch out on the saline drops. They clear the mucus, but then the body immediately realizes it needs to make more b/c the mucus it produced is gone. It can be counter-productive. I wipe my girls' noses w/ wipes when I have to wipe them a lot during the day b/c it's more soothing and doesn't rub their little noses raw. We use Vapor Rub for kids on their chests and prop their mattress up to help with breathing and drainage. Other than that, we ride it out.

GOOD LUCK!!!