Cold Remedies

The best thing I found to work for my daughter when she was that young was A coolmist humidifier, pedia-care, and Johnsons&Johnsons baby vapor bath. I hope this helps. K.

The "it's a virus" seems to be all the doctors know how to say. I got that a lot when my daughter was that age. My only suggestions are a humidifier, switch cough medicine brands, and if she still sleeps in a crib, try putting a pillow under the mattress at the end she sleeps at. This will help prop her head up so she can breath better. They also make a baby vapor rub that I have found helps with breathing and coughs. Hope this helps, good luck.

First of all if your doctor makes you feel stupid then it's time to get another doctor...no doctor should make you feel stupid. Secondly, a virus normally lives for anywhere from 72 hours to 14 days. Now it is possible that as soon as one virus dies off, she's getting another. When she sounds congested, you know..that rattling in her chest and/or back when she breaths...lay her on her back and turn her head totally to the side...if you don't hear it, she's just sick. If you still hear it take her to the hospital as she may be having breathing problems such as RSV or asthma. RSV lasts much longer than 14 days...it will last usually the whole season. Things to watch out for are the lips and/or nail beds to turn blue, or sucking into her ribs when she breaths...in such an event, call 911 and have the ambulance to pick her up as they can start treating her on the way to the hospital. Any time that your doctor tells you something that you're not comfortable with, you can always go to another doctor for a second opinion and if the second opinion is different from the first then go for a third.

They also make a vapor bath that seems to help.

First, the common cold is a virus. But if you as a mother feel that you need to take your child to the doctor. Do it. I know I took my daughter to the doctor a few times, just for them to tell me it's a virus. But I felt better.

As far as home remedies. I'm a firm believer in vitamin C......juice, all the time! And even now, I follow my daughter around everywhere with kleenexes, making her blow her nose. Other than that, bundles up when it's cold. :)

S.,

My son has this same cold and he's had it for a while. You are right, a dr. acts like you are stupid when you take them in for coughing. Try the new Tylenol infant cold medicine. It is great. It really helps control their cough and it helps a lot with stuffy, runny nose. Jordan seems to feel a lot better after I give him some of it.

K.

Hi S.,

I understand you. It has happened the same thing to my 8 mo old baby. It started after Thanksgiving probably with many people coming and going.
My baby started with runny nose, coughing and sneezing, and just one night of mild fever though. Any at home couldn't sleep because my poor little guy felt so bad, he cried and his nose was so watery. Those nights he felt really bad, I just held him big part of the night for two nights! that way he could sleep better and felt perhaps more comfortable because the pillow under the crib did not work this time.
I just gave him tylenol for infants according to the pediatrician's instructions for the discomfort and the fever and that helped a lot. It seem like my babys' throat and nose were sensitive because each time he coughed or sneezeed, he cried. I made him to drink more water, I cleaned his nose very often and put some vaseline to avoid dryness. Your baby probably is not going to eat too much, but do not worry, it will pass as soon as she feels better, then she will eat normally do not force her to eat but her formula or breastmilk (it is going to be less than usual though). Be patient and hold her, this time she needs you, I do not think you will spoil her doing that. I did it and just a day before yesterday, my baby is sleeping through the night again. It is just discomfort.
Water, patience, Tylenol in the right amount and do not take her outdoors at least you see she feels better. I did it that way and it worked!
I hope this helps you..
Good Luck

Alejandra

Well, the first remedy I have is to change Pediatricians!! A MD should never make their patients feel stupid. I have a 13 month old AND an 11 y/o step daughter (which is one of the reasons I felt compelled to respond due to our similarities). I don't know if your daughter is in daycare or not but, unfortunately, having a runny nose and a cough is part of the daycare scene (if you will). However, if it is getting worse do not hesitate to take her to the Ped. Make sure you are humidifying her room at night and naps, use made for babies Saline and the suction bulb you should have received at the hospital. The Saline should allow you to suction out a lot of the mucus and therefore not allowing it to drain down the throat causing coughing. If she coughs more in the morning that is due to drainage. If it is a dry, unproductive cough then something else is going on, I would have to say.
I hope this helps. My main suggestion is finding a Ped. that does not make you feel stupid. My Ped. has never done that and when you call the office you can speak directly to a nurse with whom you can review symptoms and questions with. We patron Southern Indiana Peds (Dr Malone's office).

First let me say that sometimes the doctors make us feel bad for taking our kids in for minor things. The problem is, sometimes they aren't minor so never feel bad for taking your daughter. That is what we pay doctors for. Also, have you thought that maybe your daughter has allergies? We went through the same thing with my daughter when she was that age. She is two now but she still gets runny noses/cough and it is because of her allergies. Simple benedryl is all she needs now. Of course, I had no idea of that until we asked the doctor. This way, she feels so much better and it turned out to not actually be a cold. Just ask. It never hurts and it is your right! Hope this helps a bit.

Call the doctor and tell them what is going on. Don't let the doctors or nurses get to you. You are a new mom and you are leaarning. It is not easy being a mother and the hardest part is when they are sick. Good luck.

J.

Try a cool mist humidifier in her room at night. Also try Little Colds medicine.

I know how you feel about the Dr's acting like you are dumb.....but I also know I pay them for their knowledge dumb or real!!!! I have 3 kids and they have all had this....as everyone I think has. She has actually had the illness too long.....she needs an antibiotic. All 3 of my kids are on one right now. With kids that young they can't tell you things like ear infection???? Sore throat??? My child's Dr said that over 2 weeks is just time for treatment....it is hanging around to long!!! My littlest one has had it 2 1/2 weeks and finally I said enough....took him to the Dr...said lungs clear but said he pretty much has a sinus infection even though you can't diagnose that with him being so young. Then still no better....so took him back to the Dr. she said yep he has had it for 3 weeks he needs an antibiotic....so she said he should be a lot better by Monday...THAT WAS FRIDAY..Well he wasn't.....I am not a stupid as some of the Dr's think....I get treatment when I am worried!!!! So I called yesterday because I just knew that he had thrush from the antibiotic....and told them also that he sounded wheezy!!! So she said the Dr would like to give him a listen just incase and they would prescribe Rx for thrush when we came in.....So I took him yesterday and yep.....sure enough....well on the road to RSV!!!!! His O2 stats were 95...so a little low....but not bad enough to hospitalize yet.....now taking breathing treatments every 3-4 hours, antibiotic already, and now steroids, along with the RX for the thrush!!!! And if he is not better by Wed-Thurs they will hospitalize him....They said that RSV is so bad right now!!! She said that 1 child was in there on a Vent!!!!

Well.....I told you enough about my problems...but long story short......GET IT CHECKED EVEN IF IT IS NOTHING!!!! IT COULD BE ON THE WAY TO MAJOR....IF NOT ALREADY!!!!!! I think over-the-counter meds suck!!!! I hardly ever treat my kids with them....All they do is cover the problem with stuff to make them sleep!!! Not treating it....As with a regular cold anyway....it should go away in 7-10 days!!! Nothing will help until it runs its course!!!!

My twins, 15 months, also have had colds for seems like a month or longer. I run a humidifier in thier room every night, and give them Children's Dymatapp. The Pharmacist gave me the correct dosage according to thier weight. That seemed to work on the running nose, and the cough at night. But here's the hard thing, I too didn't want to take them back to the doctor for "no reason" and feel stupid. But last week, I noticed one of them playing with his ear quite a lot. Mind you, no fever, just runny nose and cough. So, I chanced it, took them in, and they BOTH had ear infections. Who would have known??? So my advice to you is this, Use your motherly instincts, and your gut feelings. Don't worry about feeling dumb at the doctor, it is better to be safe than sorry, right? As a mother, you will know. If you think you should take them in, then do it. Otherwise, try the humidifier and Dymatapp.

IF YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD IS SICK THEN DONT LET THE DOCTORS MAKE YOU FEEL BAD ...IF THEY CONTINUE EITHER GET A NEW DOCTOR (IF POSSIBLE) OR TALK TO THEM AND TELL THEM THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY SEE YOU ALOT BECAUSE YOU ARE A MOTHER WHO CARES AND WANT THE BEST FOR YOUR SICK CHILD.....EVEN IF IT IS JUST THE SNIFFLES BC IF YOU HAVE DOUBT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW YOUR HEART. AS FAR AS MEDS N THINGS THAT I HAVE USED FOR MY KIDS.....WELL MOST OTC MEDS ARE A WASTE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF USING THEM SO YOUR CHILD IS COMFORTABLE AND ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT LIKE THE COUGH SUPRESSANTS.....BUT MOST COUGHS NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP SO IF YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING WITH AN EXPECTORANT AS WELL THEN YOU ARE IN GOOD SHAPE....THERES THIS NEW STUFF CALLED VICKS CASERO....I BOUGHT IT AND GAVE ONE DOSE TO MY YOUNGEST WHEN SHE WAS SICK AND IT ONLY TOOK ONE DOSE TOO....BUT IN ADDITION TO AN OCCASIONAL DOSE OF MEDS I ALSO USE VICKS VAPO RUB............WITH A WARM MOIST TOWEL ON THEIR CHEST/NECK AREA.....ALOT OF LIQUIDS.....IT ALL SEEMS A LIL OLD FASHIONED COMMON SENSE BUT IT DOES WORK. YOUR DAUGHTER REALLY HASNT BEEN SICK FOR A VERY LONG TIME.....IT SEEMS LIKE IT BUT SOME COLDS CAN LAST FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS....BUT THE FACT THAT IT IS GETTING WORSE IS WHAT YOU WATCH FOR....GO FROM THE DAY YOU NOTICED EVERYTHING GETTING WORSE AND IF IT GOES OVER 2 WEEKS THEN TELL YOUR DOCTOR ...10 DAYS IS PROBABLY EVEN ENOUGH. USUALLY IT IS JUST VIRAL...BUT SOMETIMES DOCTORS SAY THAT LIKE ITS NO BIG DEAL...YES US MOTHERS KNOW THAT COLDS ARE CAUSED BY A VIRUS...BUT THOSE DOCS NEED TO GET THAT WE WANT OUR CHILDREN COMFORTABLE AND THAT OCCASIONALLY WE MAY RELY ON THE PEOPLE OF THE MEDICAL FIELD TO HELP OUT WHEN A KID IS SICK...IMAGINE THAT A DOCTOR HAVING TO HELP MAKE SOMEONE BETTER!!! WE ONCE HAD A DR TELL US THAT HE WAS GONNA TREAT OUR OLDEST FOR BRONCHITIS AND HE NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT HER...HE WAS SIMPLY TIRED OF US GOING THERE FOR THIS UN NEEDED VISITS.....WE SWITCHED DRS...TURNED OUT SHE HAD A SEASONAL ALLERGY THAT WAS CLEARED UP WITH SOME MEDS IN NO TIME......HOPE YOUR LITTLE ONE FEELS BETTER SOON.HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

If I were you I would take her to a different doctor ,they see no fever they dont like to treat anymore .but if she continues this much longer it could get worse and a fever will come ,so I would walk in and say my baby is miserable and I want something to help her .Just insist on care for her !wishing you and the baby the best ,hope she feels well soon .God Bless

My daughter had the same issues at that age and Pediacare would give her a horrible belly ache so our doctor prescribed a behind the counter medication called Donatussin (sp?). It helps them sleep and does real wonders for her colds. I still use it now.

My 3-year-old goes through the same thing... runny nose, cough, but no fever and no reason to see a doc. I have started using a humidifier in his room at night (Vicks cool mist - bought mine at Target). When he isn't sick, the moisture keeps him from coughing all night now that the air is so dry. When he does have a cold, I use the additive they sell that basically smells and acts like vapo-rub but puts it in the air so he breathes it all night and it really does seem to help. Good luck!

Well, I'm not sure what doctor you take her to, but I have always taken my child in for head colds. Especially, if she can't seem to get rid of it. There has to be something they can give her. I know that it is a big deal about treating kids to often with antibiotics, but if she has had it for this long, maybe it is gonna take an antibiotic to get rid of it. My daughter is 4 now, and I take her to doctor anytime I feel like she needs treatment. Don't let them make you feel stupid. It is perfectly normal to feel concern for you child if they feel bad. It is also the doctors job to assist you in times like this. Good luck and I hope your child gets better!!

Hey S. I have a 2 year old and almost the exact same thing happened. Make another appointment and try to get baby's pediatrician to listen and suggest that maybve it's an allergy. And here's a tip, Chicken soup!! It has always worked for my family and my kid. Also if her doctor will not listen then you NEED to get another doctor. I had to switch doctors with my kid and i'll also let you know that the relationship between a pediatrician the child and the parent should be a give and take as in giving info receiving info and both of you doing talking and listening. So try again hun and don't give up you will find a doc that will be perfect for you and your baby.