Children and Colds

Children and Colds

why do I need to register or sign in for WebMD to save?

We will provide you with a dropdown of all your saved articles when you are registered and signed in.

Share this:

Font size:
AAA

Colds are the most common illness among children of all ages. Although this respiratory virus lasts only for a week or so, colds can make most children feel miserable. Need to know more about children and colds? Here's information you can use.

Understanding Colds

A cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. More than 200 different viruses can cause a cold, but the rhinovirus is the most common culprit. Because colds are viral infections, antibiotics, which treat bacterial infections, are not useful for treatment.
Except in newborns, colds in healthy children are not dangerous. Colds usually go away in four to 10 days without any special treatment. Because of the great number of viruses that can cause colds and because new cold viruses develop, children never build up resistance against all cold viruses.
Sometimes fatigue, stress, or the type of cold virus may cause a bacterial infection somewhere in a child's body, such as the lungs, throat, ears, or sinuses. The bacterial infection weakens the body's immune system and may require treatment with an antibiotic.

Cold Symptoms

With children, most colds begin abruptly. Your child may wake up with these symptoms:

• Watery nasal mucus
• Sneezing
• Fatigue
• Fever (sometimes)
• Sore throat
• Cough

Because of the postnasal drip, your child may have a sore throat and cough, symptoms that are common in children's colds. The cold virus can affect your child's sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes, and ears. With a cold, children may also have diarrhea and vomiting.
During the early stages of a cold, your child may be very irritable and complain of a headache and congestion. As the cold progresses, the mucus secretions from the sinuses may turn darker and thicker. Your child may also develop a mild cough, which could last for several days.

How Many Colds Do Children Usually Get Each Year?

Statistics show that preschool-aged children have around nine colds per year, kindergartners can have 12 colds per year, and adolescents and adults have about seven colds per year. Cold season runs from September until March or April, so children usually catch most cold viruses during these months.

How Can I Prevent My Children From Catching Colds?

The best way to prevent children from catching colds is to teach them proper hand washing. The common cold is spread mostly by hand-to-hand contact. For example, a child with a cold blows or touches his or her nose and then touches your child, who then becomes infected with the cold virus.
The common cold is also spread by infected objects that are good cold carriers, including door handles, stair railings, books, pens, video game remotes, and a computer keyboard and mouse. The common cold virus can live on objects for several hours, allowing time for your child to touch the object and then rub his or her eyes or nose.

How Can I Prevent My Children From Catching Colds? continued...

Studies show that proper hand washing does prevent the risk of catching a cold. Teach your child to wash his or her hands after every bathroom trip, before every meal, and after playing at school or at home. The CDC recommends singing "Happy Birthday to You" twice, as that's the length of time it takes (20 seconds) to slough germs off hands while washing hands with warm soapy water.
If your child has a cold, it's still important to protect others from catching the cold. If your child shows cold symptoms, it is wise to keep your child home from school and avoid contact with other children to keep the cold from spreading. You should also encourage your child to cover his or her mouth when sneezing and to use a tissue for nose blowing. If a tissue is unavailable, teach your child to cough in his or her sleeve. Stress to children the importance of hand washing after blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing to prevent spreading the virus.

How Are Colds in Children Treated?

Colds are self-limiting. They usually go away on their own without special medical treatment. Home treatments include the following:

• Making sure your child gets plenty of rest.
• Giving your child plenty of liquids.
• Using a humidifier in your child's bedroom at night. The humid environment will help to keep your child's nose and chest clear, making it easier to breathe.
• Using children's acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) to lower fever and reduce aches.

Do not give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever. Aspirin may increase the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare disorder that occurs almost exclusively in children under the age of 15. It can cause severe liver and brain damage.
Talk with your health care provider before giving any child under age 4 an over-the-counter cold or flu medicine. In very young children with congestion, you can use a nasal bulb to gently remove mucus. You may also spray three drops of saline nasal spray into each nostril.
Remember! Antibiotics do not work in treating a cold. Antibiotics kill bacterial infections, but colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria.

Are Cold Medicines Safe for Children?

In October 2007, an FDA advisory panel recommended that no cold or cough medicines be used in children under 6. However, the FDA and manufacturers now say that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 4. The cold medicines in question include four different categories of drugs:

• Cough suppressants (dextromethorphan or DM)
• Cough expectorants (guaifenesin)
• Decongestants (pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine)
• Antihistamines (such as brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine maleate, diphenhydramine [Benadryl] and others)

You might not recognize these drugs by name. But they are the active ingredients in many brands of kids’ cold and cough medicines.

Your Child's Cold: When to Call the Doctor?

You should call the doctor if your child is not getting better after a few days of symptoms. You should call the doctor if your child experiences a high fever, vomiting, chills and shakes, a hacking cough, or extreme fatigue. These may be signs of something worse than the common cold -- it could be flu or something more severe. In addition, if your child has asthma, diabetes, or other chronic health conditions, call your doctor to touch base about medications, cold symptoms, and managing your child's medical condition.

When to Be Concerned

Asthma can be a problem for children with colds. Other complications, such as viral pneumonia and Reye's syndrome, can occur, although these are not as common.
Children with asthma have a difficult time with a cold. That's because with a cold the airways are inflamed and can easily become constricted. If your child has asthma, be sure to talk to your child's doctor when cold symptoms begin. That way you can make sure asthma treatment is effective.
Viral pneumonia is an infection and inflammation of the lungs and is one of the most serious complications of the flu and, occasionally, the common cold. Symptoms of viral pneumonia include a low-grade fever (less than 102 degrees Fahrenheit), coughing up mucus, achiness, and tiredness.
Reye's syndrome is a rare but serious disease that can occur in children. While the causes of Reye's syndrome are unknown, it seems to occur when aspirin is administered to treat viral illnesses. Swelling of the brain and changes in blood chemicals because of liver damage can affect the entire body. Symptoms of Reye's syndrome include drowsiness, confusion, seizures, coma, and in severe cases, death.

What Is Croup?

"Croup" is the term used to describe the harsh cough that accompanies a respiratory illness. Croup is a respiratory infection that affects children under age 5, mainly during fall and winter months. Symptoms are most severe in children under age 3. Croup may last from five to six days, depending on the severity of the infection, and may have other complications such as ear infection or pneumonia.
Croup is most commonly caused by viruses such as influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial virus [RSV], measles, and adenovirus. Rarely croup can be caused by bacteria. This infection causes the upper airways to swell, making it difficult to breathe.

What Are the Symptoms of Croup?

The symptoms of croup include the following:

• A harsh or seal-like "barking" cough that often becomes worse at night
• Stridor, a harsh, raspy vibrating sound when breathing in
• Difficulty breathing
• High fever, up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
• Restlessness or nervousness at night or when it becomes harder to breathe

Although there are recognizable signs of croup, any illness that complicates your child's breathing should be evaluated by your child's doctor.

How Is Croup Treated?

Here are some steps you can take to help your child with croup:

• Do not allow anyone to smoke around your child or in your home.
• Give your child all medicines as instructed by the doctor.
• Use a cool mist vaporizer if your doctor recommends it. It will help to soothe dry and irritated airways.
• Allow your child to rest as needed.
• Call the doctor if your child's symptoms worsen or begin to return.

Cough medicines are usually not helpful in children with croup.
When severe cases of croup require hospitalization, care may include breathing treatments with aerosols; a cool mist tent; rest; and medications given by mouth, intravenously (IV), or by injection.

Can I Prevent My Child From Getting Croup?

Croup can be spread by physical contact or through the air. To help prevent its spread, do the following:

• Wash and dry your hands thoroughly after caring for your child.
• Try washing toys between each use.
• Encourage your child to cover his or her mouth and nose during coughs and sneezes.
• Keep your child home from school or day care when he or she is ill or if outbreaks occur.
• Throw away used tissues.
• Do not share food, cups, glasses, or eating utensils.

source:Web MD