This period is favorable for diseases. The mornings are cool, around noon the weather gets warm and cold again at night. You don’t even know how to dress your kids for them to be little exposed. And you never get it right, you either dress them too light and it’s cold, or too thick and they sweat. And when the child is in a community, things became complicated: stuffy nose, runny nose, fever. Here are some tips to treat colds in children.
1. Keep your child home when he has a cold
Do you know how many parents bring their children to nursery, kindergarten, school when they have a cold? You better not or turn into such a parent. First, you need to take care of the health of your child, but keep in mind that of other children who, though healthy, would definitely become sick if they came into contact with your child. Even if he has no temperature, if you see him soft without energy, better keep him home.
2. Treat fever during cold
If he has a fever, it is the first sign that he is fighting an infection. If fever goes 38 degrees Celsius, in he is pain or has chills, you can start to give him acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Use the dosages recommended by your pediatrician. If the child is younger than 3 months and has a fever over 38 degrees or has between three months and three years and the body temperature passes 40 degrees Celsius, go immediately to the doctor.
3. Prevent dehydration in children
A good hydration helps your child recover faster. It can be water, tea, fruit juice, chicken soup. It is important to not lose more fluids from the fever.
4. Keep his nose sloppy
For older children, seawater sprays are recommended. For children, however, decongestant sprays and drops are indicated. They require saline. Clean the nose of children often. If they are bigger kids, make sure they blow their nose, or for smaller ones, use a nasal pump.
5. Treat skin irritation
Think about how much your skin stings when you catch a cold and you have to blow your nose a dozen times a day. As to prevent this irritation on your children, it is ideal to tell them to blow their nose into a handkerchief soaked in warm water.
6. Wash hands frequently
An essential rule that children must learn first: the more often you wash your hands, the more you keep away bacteria and germs. Every time they cough or sneeze and not necessarily before each meal, children (and adults) need to wash their hands. Or at least use antibacterial wipes or liquid.
7. Give them honey
Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year because it can trigger the risk of botulism, but for older children it does wonders for irritated throats and coughing.
8. Try a humidifier
A device that moistens the air is very good for nasal decongestion in a child. He can breathe better after the device is installed. Do not use device that releases hot steam, because they may injure children. Do not forget to disinfect your machine every two – three days.
9. Let your baby rest more when he has a cold
For a child to recover, he needs more sleep. By sleeping between 8 and 12 hours a day, the child’s body can prevent diseases such as colds. But if he is sick, he should sleep more than that.
10. Careful with antibiotics
Colds are not treated with antibiotics. These drugs are used to treat bacterial infections. And colds are infections with viruses. Besides the fact that the problem persists, the child will create immunity to antibiotics, and when he really needs them, they will not take effect.