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| Parenting Tools & Tips
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Cold Feat
Parents are distressed When their baby catches a cold in her first year. We've put together some quick tips to relieve your little one’s breathing troubles.
By Shaan Moledina
Newborns need to breathe through their noses as they don’t switch easily to breathing through their mouths when their noses are blocked or stuffy.
A baby’s nasal membranes are very sensitive and excessive suctioning from the aspirator can temporarily cause them to swell or bleed, which makes breathing even more difficult. |
It’s a good idea to protect your infant from friends and relatives suffering from the flu till she is about 3 months old. It’s not only heartbreaking to see your little one with the sniffles, newborns need to breathe through their noses as they don’t switch easily to breathing through their mouths when their noses are blocked or stuffy.
But don’t fret if she catches colds from her siblings. The upside is that being exposed to cold viruses in her first year means that your little one will be less susceptible to these viruses later on. It also helps her immune system function correctly.
Still, treating a baby’s cold isn’t as simple as offering a teaspoon of Rhinathiol syrup. It is not advisable to give babies under 6 months any cold medication, as some may suffer adverse effects, such as making your child hyperactive instead of helping her sleep better.
Help your little patient get through this uncomfortable period by following these steps: Run hot water in the bathroom till it’s steamy, then carry her in and let her breathe in the steam to relieve her congestion. If she’s uncomfortable, use a nasal aspirator to clear her nose. It’s a good idea to do this before feeds.
Follow these steps:
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1. Place your baby in a sitting position. Either carry her in one arm or strap her into her car seat so that your hands are free. |
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2. Tilt your little one’s head back and put a few drops of saline solution into her nostril. This relieves her congestion and helps the suction process. |
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3. With her head upright, squeeze the bulb of the aspirator, placing the tip of the aspirator into one nostril. |
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4. Slowly release the bulb and remove the aspirator gently from your baby’s nose. |
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5. Squirt the mucus from the aspirator onto a tissue and repeat for the other nostril. |
Be careful not to aspirate the nose too often. A baby’s nasal membranes are very sensitive and excessive suctioning from the aspirator can temporarily cause them to swell or bleed, which makes breathing even more difficult.
See a paediatrician if:
1. Her mucus is bright yellow or dark green in colour This could mean a secondary infection.
2. Your baby’s nose is constantly stuffy She may have a food or skin allergy that is causing her respiratory problems.
3. Your baby’s cold leads to a ear infection As mucus accumulates in the sinuses and drains into her Eustachian tube that connects the throat to the ear, ear infections sometimes result.
4. If a fever accompanies the cold Or is causing your baby to be extremely sick.
If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg
- Mother & Baby
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