My 6 Months Has a Cold

Make some echinacia tea and give it to her in a bottle. (Whole Foods Market carries a great array of teas and medicines for kids) A steam shower would be great, with tea tree oil and/or eucalyptus oil to inhale. If not, just steam. She doesn't even have to be in the shower, just in the room, but I believe the warm water helps. Another tip: Make warm salt water about the same taste as tears.(This is what saline solution is) Put a few drops in each nostral. This will loosen any mucas and then try to suction it out with a bulb syringe. You basically want to keep her sinuses as clear as possible and keep the mucus from settling on her lungs. If you get a chance to shoot up to Whole Foods, ask the people in the health and vitamin area. They are full of information. I have three kids, my youngest just had a cold at three weeks old. He had the same symptoms, and this was what I did, minus giving tea through a bottle. I breastfeed, so I just took the tea myself. I hope this info helps.

Hi Angie,
My daughter is also 6 months old. She just had her first cold, I called my pediatrcian and she said to start out just putting the baby saline drops in her nose and running the humidifier. So I did and then a few days later she started running fever, so I took her to the Dr. and she had the begining of a sinus and ear infection. So my advice is to watch her closely and if she starts fever then take her to the Dr., Hope this helps, J.

well i wanted to tell you about the lil' noses and cough.. it is really great for infants.. youcan get it at just about any drugstore or HEB.. so anyway i hope that help.. also if you want a more homeopathic remedie use nettles and eyebright(herbal medacine) tutaloo S.

Isn't it great to be able ot stay at home with your children. I know I love it.

As far as the cold thing you should be able to get infants tyneol/motrin and it be safe for the baby. If there is no fever it may be more allergies/viris type thing. I have three children adn i would go to Wal Mart or where ever you shop and get something for infants either motrin or tyenol that helps with cold systoms. I prefer motrin for fever and tyenol for other symtems. You can also put a huimidifire in her room or even a vapor thing to help here while she is sleeping.

Hope this helps!
D.

I have a little boy 7 mos. He had the same symptoms a couple of days ago. I have a book that my ped. gave me it gives remedies to do without calling or going to the doc. It suggested and I used Triaminic. Triaminic makes an infant strip that you just put on their tongue. It works great! I hope this works for you!

Hello, yes take her to the Dr.as soon as possible. She could get pnemonia and have complications.Her broncial tubes are probably so stopped up, it`s hard for her to breathe.What if you had a real bad cold, wouldn`t you feel bad? Well imagine how a baby feels and can`t tell you about it.

H. C.

Angie,
Your pediatrician has probably given you guidelines on when to call, but absent a rule here the general is:

Go to the doctor if: 1. The stuffiness is interfering with feeding 2. A cough becomes progressively worse 3. The baby's skin takes on a bluish tint 4. You see retraction when the baby is trying to breathe - for lack of a better description, like her lungs are trying to suck her skin in between her ribs 5. A cold lasts longer than 7 to ten days or gets better, then becomes worse again - a sign that bacteria has set in where the virus has set up house.

The guidelines are a little different if your child is a preemie, has had rsv, or has been diagnosed with asthma.. then you automatically go to the doctor until you learn the warning signs particular to your child.

The dosiing on medicine goes by weight, not age - but a general dose for a "regular" 6 month old is 1/4 to 1/2 tsp triaminic every 4 to 6 hours.

Any time you're in doubt, you should ALWAYS be able to call your pediatrician.

If she doesn't get a fever, then it probably is just a cold. If it lasts longer than 10 days, I would recommend going to the doctor (maybe a sinus infection or something like that).

They have over-the-counter decongestants, but I will tell you from experience that these usually just make the kid hyper and don't work real well. I would recommend that you use the "Little Noses" drops in her nostrils and then suck out the excess stuff with a bulb syringe (aka booger-getter!). Also, keep her very hydrated with more water than normal in a bottle or sippy cup to help clear it out.
At night, those plug-in vaporizers work the BEST at keeping her nasal passages clean. you might also elevate her a litte by lifting one end of her crib up or by placing a pillow or towel under her head. This helps with the drainage too, so she won't be up because she can't breathe from the stuffiness.

If it is a cold, it really is best to ride it out unmedicated with lots of fluids and keep cleaning her nose out - that's my opinion anyway!

if you run hot water in the shower, put a towel under the door and sit down (not under the water but in the reach of the steam) with the baby it will help loosen up the phlegm. if it has been going on for more than 3 days then take her to a dr. or if she gets a fever dp the same.

Humidifier definitely, but I use Rescon DM -- which you have to request from the Pharmisist even though it's not an RX. It's the best stuff - no dyes or sugars added! Another great thing for stuffy nose is the Little Noses decongestant drops, they're great, especially at night.

Good luck! Poor baby.

i know when my boys were under a year old the doctor gave them a prescription for pediatex-D or brovex-D. its actually for hayfever and other allergies but it helps with the cough. hope that helps. a humidifier and vicks rub will help alot too.

I WOULD CONSULT YOUR PEDI FIRST!!!!!!! IT IS ALL OVER THE NEWS THAT GIVING COLD MEDICINE TO CHILDREN UNDER TWO IS NOT RECOMMENDED. JUST CALL YOUR BABY'S DOCTOR AND SPEAK WITH A NURSE. I WORKED IN A PEDATRICIANS OFFICE FOR 5 YRS AND THE NURSE'S USUALLY WILL LET YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR BABY IN OR NOT.

I just finished reading an article saying you shouldn't give your children over the counter cold medicine if they are under age 2. There is no approved dosage and many children have ended up in the emergency room due to overmedication.

I would take your daughter to the doctor.

I have found that when my girls were sick, like you're describing, a humidifier worked to help them get over the cold.

I would put a humidifier in her room for starters...When my little girl had a cold last winter we gave her triaminic cold and cough. You can always call your nearest pharmacy for the recomended doses. They can also tell you whats good to give her. they are so informative usually more than the doctor.

I have a 2yr old. She has been a child with lots of cold and so one. When she was 6months old I took her to the Dr. and found out that she had RSV. I always wave to the side of take to the dr no matter what moms know best. I have seen a dr two times this week and she has had 2 ear infections and a blister on her ear drum.. The worst pain is seeing her sick. I also found out her has asthma. I know i have said more but take her to the dr.

J.

Hi Angie,

I'll have your daughter in my prayers.... My daughter is now 2, but when she was that age, both my husband and I were worry warts! We didn't want her to be sick and when she was we told ourselves she would be fine! But our rule was if she's still sick after the thrid day (second night) we would take her to the doctor first thing in the morning. We found out that if we waited to taker later during the day on the thrid day she would seem find and the doctor would just give her tylenol or a congestion med. But if it was in the morning and she looked sleepy and had a stuffy nose they would give her more tests and be more thurough, which is what we wanted. So take my advice and take her to the doctor. And make sure you tell them it's been 4 days and all the symptoms she had, even if it's just she didn't want to eat her mid-morning snack or she urinated one time less than usuall or her nap was a bit longer, you know everything you noticed that was unusual.

Good luck,
CJR

you can give her just about anything that is for infants. just read on the package and make sure that it is for her symptoms. don't give her anything with a pain killer/fever reducer (tylenol or motrin) in it because she does not have a fever. if she develops a green runny nose, a horrible sounding cough, or if you can hear her breathing because she is so congested take her to her doctor because he can give her something better for that. if she still has it after taking over the counter medicine then take her to the doctor so he can give her something stronger.
kids get colds all the time. it is best to stay stocked in cold medicines, pain killers/fever reducers, diarrhea medicine, and bandaids. i also have allergy medicine because my kids get allergies really bad. hope she gets better soon.

My 2 month old also has a cold. Use a vaporizor in her room and saline drops to help with the congestion in her nose. This time of the year with heater running the air in the house is very dry and makes little noses stuffy.

Hello Angie, I have found that the medicine that is over the counter only masks the cold. A warm bath with methal baby wash is good. I don't know if you breastfeed or not but if you do, you can also take some breast milk and but it in a injector and put alittle up you childrens nose. I know it sound wierd but it works. That has worked for me I hope it works for you.

My daughter is 9 months and she is now just getting over something similar. She has a small respiratory virus. The doctor put her on a steroid to break up the chest congestion and a nebulizer to help her breath better. I would just take her to the doctor. You can always give her tyenol cold or there is a infants pedia care for the cough... that worked real well with my daughter. But i think you should take her to the doctor just in case.

Angie,
I am a Pediatric nurse and I think you need to get your daughter in to see the dr. With RSV, that is in season, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Hi Angie.
With a child that young, I would visit the doctor's office. Over the counter medications should be monitored by a doctor. You should have her "cold" verified to make sure it is a cold. There are many allergens in our air right now, such as cedar and the smoke from the compost fire, which could also be a possiblitly for her symptoms. It's always best to find out exactly what your child has, whether it be bacterial, viral or environmental.
Take care!
D.

tylenol makes medicine for 6 month olds. vicks is not recommended for ones that little, you cant put it on their skin it is too strong, but i think they make a formula for babies now. if she doesnt have a fever you dont need to go to the doctor unless something more serious happens. try bringing her into a bathroom with a warm shower running. the humidity helps clear the congestion. good luck

Breastmilk! You can put a few drops in the nasal cavity & it'll clear it right up. It sounds strange, but it works. The antibodies in your milk will take care of the stuffiness. The cedar is high right now, maybe it could be allergies? Also, try a humidifier.

Hi there,

Have you taken her temperature? If it is a bit on the high side I would give her baby Tylenol and use some saline drops(little noses) to clear up her nose. I would also put a humidifier in her room when she sleeps as this will make breathing easier for her. I hope this helps and good luck.

My son is also 6 months and just got over a cold that lasted more than 3 days...i wasn't gonna take him to the doctor but he wasn't getting any better so i did...i honestly think you should take him to the doctors and see what's going on with her because it might be more than just a cold

Hi Angie,

Sorry to hear about your daughter. She is still so small, I would at least contact your pediactrics nurse or call the nurse at your doctors office. Better safe than sorry when they are that small and congested. Good luck. M.

my daughter had the same thing, congestion, cough, runny nose. i took her to the doctor all he said to do is wait.he prescribed some dimetapp and that was it. thats pretty they much what doctor is gonna tell you. as long as theres no fever. just try giving her some cough medicine, i used tylenol cold and cough for infants before i took her to the doctor. if you feel its not getting better take her to the doctor.

Whenever your child is ill, you should conult a doctor. If you do not have one, you can usually call the ER at your local hospital and ask to speak to a nurse. Never treat your child with medications you are unsure of.

L. G.

I give my son Triaminic Thin Strips for infants. It helps him get the stuffiness out. Unless she developes a fever or is extra fussy and seems like she doesn't feel well, there isn't much the Dr can do any way. My son has a history of ear infections, so I'm pretty quick to take him in. But without any sort of history, just a little TLC should be fine.

Sorry to hear your little one is sick. Mine is too. I would put a call into your pediatrician/nurse. I called and mine said to give her Infant Pediacare (which by the way I've only found at HEB - not at Walmart or Walgreens) and use a humidifier. Also use some saline drops in her nose to clear it out. The plug-in vaporizers are great too. Colds are viral and there's really not much you can do but them run their course. We used to give our child Pediatex (someone mentioned that here) but as of a few months ago our pediatrician said the FDA has not approved it for children under 2 yrs of age, so she said to throw it away (our daughter is 11 months). Good luck - I hope she gets better soon!!

When my son had a cold and was totally congested the ped told me to buy a humidifier or if I didn't have $ for it to steam up the bathroom and let him play in there. The steam really helped him. Also our ped prescribed a cough/cold medicine called Ceron, i think. I hope this helps.

Hi Angie,
My son is 10 months old and is just now recovering from his first cold, too! I didn't want to take him to the doctor, because a cold is a virus and there's nothing that they can do for him there, and I would spend an hour in a waiting room with other sick children while my baby's immune system is already compromised. So I understand how you feel!

I did several things that helped my baby a lot to relieve his symptoms and make him more comfortable.
1. Tylenol makes some infant drops for cough/colds and stuffy noses. It is not the same as the regular infant Tylenol, it is a different medicine. That helped a lot to clear his congestion.
2. I also put a humidifier in his room to prevent his nasal passages from drying out.
3. I used Little Noses saline drops in his nose, then used the bulb syringe to clear his nose. He absolutely hates it, but as soon as it's over he feels a million times better.
4. Lastly, I give him a bath every night with Johnson's Vapor Bath, with very warm water in a hot bathroom. It is very soothing and helps to clear his little nose.

I hope this helps!

My daughter is almost 4 months old and has a cough that sounds like she is congested really bad and her pediatrician said to give her some of those PediaCare infant drops. A nurse also said that having a humidifier would help her as well by keeping some moisture in the air. I hope that helps you some. :-)