Help with a Cold

Hi M.,

There has been some new research questioning using decongestant in kids so young especially in a potential allergy situation. My doc put my DD on OTC Claritin and that seemed to help more than any decongestant I tried. Also, warm baths and a humidifier.

I feel you pain and hope you both feel better soon.

I've had good luck with the "Little Noses" brand. It is at Wal-Mart. That way you are not give her medicine for symptoms she dosen't have. Hope she feels better soon!

Hi M. - sympathies are with you, definitely! No fun when you're sick, too. Well, never fun when our babies are sick, either..

My son had a lot of respiratory issues as an infant - colds, etc. I hated to medicate him, but did when necessary, I think starting at 6 months. If your daughter is very congested in her chest, one thing my pedi had me do was to clap him on his chest to start to break up the gunk. It startled him for sure, but I would just cup my hand and kind "thump" on his chest semi-hard. It did help break it up, allowing me to then suction the heck out his nose.

While you're waiting for a call from pedi, go ahead and call your local pharmacy and ask what they think is best to give a baby for a cold. As another mama said, Triaminic works awesome and is usually my brand of choice. But a pharmacist might make you feel better about giving her something.

And don't forget to take care of you!!

Good luck - S.

Hi M.,

She can use a decongestant now. I can't remember how old my daughter was when she started needing to use it, but it was before 7 months old. Your pedi will advise you on the doasage, which would be the lowest one on the dropper.

I hope she feels better soon!!

-Char

When my daughter was 18 months with a very bad cold, we were told to go into the bathroom and turn on the shower as HOT as possible. Obviously, you won't be IN the shower, but you'll be in the bathroom with all doors closed and the steam fills up the room. I went to our smallest bathroom with a shower, so it would fill up fast. We were also told to give her warm apple juice to sip on while she was in there and not milk. Course, our daughter was older than your child. But the steamy room from the shower should help her and you. I'll keep you both in my prayers...as I know that can be miserable and sometimes scary. Take care.

Triaminic makes these infant decongestant strips that are wonderful!! Esp if your daughter takes a pacifier, just stick one on her tongue, and then stick the pacifie in her mouth. You can ask the pedi or even the pharmasist for dosage, as I think it states under 2 ask a dr. and over 2 take 2 strips. It is best to go by weight though, so check it out. It was better to do than droppers of medicine for my son, so you might like it. Good luck, it will go away soon :) ~A.~

Decongestants have always been worthless for both of mine. Instead of just a sick baby, I would end up with a incredibly irritable baby who couldn't sleep and was still sick.
We simply push fluids during the day, avoid foods that will worsen congestion (dairy, orange juice), and use the appropriate dose of guafinasen (an expectorant) once or twice a day if necessary. Guafinasen is in most cold/cough medicines, so it's often paired with a decongestant. However, we no longer use decongestants in the kids, so I hunt down straight guafinasen when we need it. Triaminic and Robitussin make single ingredient cold/cough medicines.
At night, we'll use Benadryl if it's allergy-related or a cough suppressant if the cough interferes with sleep.
All that said, we use medicine judiciously. If the kid is eating and sleeping ok and not really complaining much, I don't medicate. But, if sleep is interrupted or they're coughing so much it makes them gag, I go to the medicine cabinet.