Tips on scientific care for babies with colds

　　Babies under 1 year old are prone to colds because their immune systems are not yet mature.

　　It’s very uncomfortable for babies who catch colds

　　It is relatively common for children to catch 5 to 6 colds a year. Typical symptoms of a cold include: runny nose, blocked nose, cough, sore throat, tiredness, loss of appetite, and fever. Babies under 1 year old often have fever (body temperature exceeding 38°C), cough, red eyes, sore throat, and runny nose when they catch a cold. Babies with colds often experience decreased appetite. Babies under 6 months of age often have difficulty feeding and breathing because they are not yet able to breathe when their nose is completely blocked.

　　duration of cold

　　Generally, a cold will last 7 to 10 days, and sometimes it can last about 2 weeks in babies. Cough is often the last symptom to go away, and it often lasts for several weeks. Babies who often play with older children usually have 6 to 10 colds in the first year; they may even have a runny nose throughout the winter.

　　When do I need to see a doctor?

　　If your baby is under 3 months old and has cold symptoms, you should take him to see a doctor immediately.

　　For older babies, you should take him to the hospital immediately if one of the following conditions occurs: the cold lasts for more than 5 days; the body temperature exceeds 39°C; the baby has ear pain; difficulty breathing; persistent cough; constant yellow-green, sticky nasal discharge.

　　cold treatment

　　1. Take your baby to the hospital. Doctors often ask your baby to undergo some examinations so that they can know the cause of the cold.

　　2. If it is a viral cold, there is no specific medicine. The main thing is to take good care of the baby and reduce the symptoms. Generally, it will be cured in 7 to 10 days.

　　3. If it is caused by bacteria, the doctor will often prescribe some antibiotics to the baby, and the medicine must be taken on time and in the correct dosage. Some mothers often increase the dosage of medication on their own in order to make their children recover from illness as soon as possible. This is absolutely unacceptable, otherwise it will backfire.

　　4. If the baby has a fever, he should take antipyretics according to the doctor's instructions. If the body temperature is lower than 38.5°C, there is no need to take antipyretics. Don't take cold medicine randomly. For babies under 1 year old, taking cold medicines indiscriminately often does more harm than good.

　　5. If the blocked nose has made it difficult for the baby to feed, you need to ask the doctor to prescribe some saline nasal drops for you. Drop the nasal drops 15 minutes before feeding. After a while, you can use a nasal aspirator to suck out the saline and mucus in the nasal cavity. Nose drops can thin out thick mucus and make it easier to clean. Never give your child vasoconstrictor or other drug nasal drops without your doctor's permission.

　　Tips for caring for a baby with a cold

　　1. Get enough rest

　　For colds, good rest is crucial. Try to let the child sleep for a while, reduce outdoor activities appropriately, and do not tire the child.

　　Take good care of your baby's diet and let your baby drink more water. Sufficient water can make nasal secretions thinner and easier to clean. Let your baby eat more fruits and juices rich in vitamin C. It is said that chicken soup can relieve the symptoms of colds. You might as well make some chicken soup for your baby to drink. Try to eat less dairy products, which can increase mucus production. For babies with reduced appetite, mothers should prepare some foods that are easy to digest and have good color and flavor.

　　2. Let the baby sleep more comfortably

　　If the baby's nose is blocked, you can put one or two towels under the child's mattress and slightly raising the head can relieve the congestion. Never let babies under two years old sleep directly on pillows or put pillows under mattresses, as this can easily cause suffocation or damage to the cervical spine.

　　3. Help the baby blow his nose

　　The baby is still too young to blow his nose by himself. The best way to help the baby breathe smoothly is to help the baby blow his nose. You can put a little petroleum jelly oil in the baby's external nostrils, which can often relieve the congestion in the nose; if the nasal mucus is sticky, you can try to use a nasal aspirator or twist a medical cotton ball into a small stick shape to remove the mucus in the nose;

　　4. Keep the air moist

　　You can use a humidifier to increase the humidity in your baby's room, especially at night, to help your baby breathe more smoothly. Don’t forget to clean your humidifier with white vinegar and water every day to avoid the accumulation of dust and germs.

　　5. Make a steam bath for your baby

　　Take your baby to the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water or shower, close the door, and let your baby stay in a steamy room for 15 minutes. Your baby's nasal congestion will be greatly improved. Don’t forget to change your baby into dry clothes immediately after bathing. If you let your baby play in slightly warm water for a while, it can also reduce the symptoms of nasal congestion and lower body temperature.

　　Special reminder

　　If your baby has no symptoms other than nasal congestion, you need to take your baby to an otolaryngologist for a nasal examination. Maybe you didn't know: Even very young babies can put things into their noses.

　　Five recipes to treat your baby’s cold

　　Dietary conditioning is an important method to prevent and treat colds. The following are 5 dietary therapy methods recommended by doctors for different babies.

　　1. "Yin deficiency" baby recipes

　　Lily and Wolfberry Pork Porridge

　　Babies with yin deficiency are generally thin, sweat a lot while sleeping, are easily upset, and are prone to thirst, red tongue, and less coating on the tongue. Such babies are prone to catching colds and colds due to excessive sweating. It is recommended to eat "lily and wolfberry meat slices porridge" to nourish them.

　　Ingredients: 20-30 grams of lily, 10 grams of wolfberry, minced pork and appropriate amount of rice.

　　Method: Boil the rice into porridge first, then add lily, wolfberry, and minced pork and cook until cooked.

　　2. Recipes for babies with “qi deficiency”

　　Yam and Pork Porridge

　　Babies with qi deficiency are generally fat and puffy, with thin tongue coating and red tongue. Such babies are also prone to colds due to their weak constitution. A suitable recipe is "yam and pork porridge".

　　Ingredients: 20 grams of yam (or raw yam slices), minced pork and appropriate amount of rice.

　　Method: First cook the rice into porridge, then cook the yam and minced pork together until cooked.

　　For babies who have caught a cold, they need to eat a light and nutritious diet.

　　3. "Cold cold" baby recipes

　　White scallion rice porridge

　　If your baby has the following symptoms in the early stages of a cold: cough, excessive and thin phlegm, runny nose, white tongue coating, white and dry stools, a lot of urine, and does not like to drink water, it is generally a cold cold, which is mostly caused by coldness and cold. At this time, the suitable recipe for the baby is "scallion and white japonica rice porridge." ”

　　Ingredients: 5-6 segments of white scallions (roots of scallions), 6-7 slices of ginger, appropriate amount of japonica rice.

　　Method: First cook the japonica rice into porridge, and add green onion into the porridge. When it is almost ready, add ginger and cook for 5-10 minutes, then turn off the heat.

　　Five recipes to treat your baby’s cold

　　4. Recipe for "baby with hot cold"

　　Mint and burdock porridge

　　If your baby's symptoms in the early stage of a cold are: unable to cough up phlegm, sore throat, thirsty for water, sticky nasal discharge, red tongue, yellow tongue coating, and faster than usual pulse, it is usually a hot cold. At this time, you need to cook "mint and burdock porridge" for your baby.

　　Ingredients: 6 grams of mint, 10 grams of burdock, and appropriate amount of japonica rice.

　　Method: Boil the burdock seeds alone for 15 minutes, take out the burdock seeds, and keep the juice for later use. Boil the rice into porridge, add mint after 10 minutes. When the porridge is almost ready, add burdock juice and cook for 5 minutes.

　　5. “Healthy Baby” cold-preventing recipes

　　Jade Ping Feng Powder

　　Ingredients: 10 grams of American ginseng or Codonopsis pilosula, 10 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, and 6 grams of Fangfeng.

　　Method: Boil American ginseng or Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, and parsnip root with water, and drink the juice as tea. You can also take Yupingfeng oral liquid, which can help your baby effectively prevent colds and improve immunity.