My 17 Month Old Can't Get Rid of Her Cold

Okay, it seems most responses are stay at home moms or have a stay at home mom watching the kids. My son is in day car and has been since he was about 6 months old. Yes, she will get sick at daycare, but it's either now or when she's five and in elementary school and misses out on more.

Anyway, you need to make sure your daycare is clean. That they clean the tables they eat on, they use plates to eat off of and they clean the room and sanitize the toys every day. Pop in unexpected and make sure they don't hustle and bustly befor they allow you back to the room.

My son is in Kids R Kids off of Indian Trail and though he was out for 8 months after his liver transplant he is now back in. He's 2 1/2 and even though he is on immune supressing medicine he is healthier than me and all of his 2 year old friends who aren't medicated or have not had a life threatening event in their lives.

He was sick in the 1 year old class, but his two year old class they are all barely sick in there. It gets better with age and the more they learn not to suck on toys or their hands.

A.

I'm writing because I feel like I'm going through the same thing with my five year old. He's been coughing for about a month now. I think he actually had two cold back to back because his symptoms got better and then he got all stuffy again before he was totally over the first one. I finally took him to the doctor earlier this week and they found nothing wrong. Even sent us for a chest x-ray since he'd been coughing so long. All clear. So she advised giving him claritin daily for a week and see if that helps clear up the lingering cough. Now, I don't know if you can give claritin to a 17 mo. old, but maybe the doctor would recommend something else? Basically sounds like you are doing all you can. Spring is coming, hopefully the germs will slow down.

First, just a reminder that any advice you get especially about medicine should be approved by your doctor!

Okay, Hi! I'm S. and mother to a six year old and a four year old. So, the latest research is that babies and children should not get cough medicine or cold medicine. Look it up on aap.org!

Also, I would be careful about giving Motrin every 6 hours. If there's no fever, I'm not sure I would give it. If my babies had a fever, I would give a dose of Motrin followed by Tylenol six hours later and flip flop like that to keep the fever down.

Running a humidifier is GREAT! I do it constantly all fall and winter long and well into the spring.

Something I keep on hand ALWAYS is saline nose drops. Little Noses makes them. They have decongestant and regular. I recommend just the regular kind. I use it for me and my girls. It's amazing stuff. Just put a couple of drops in the nostril and it really clears up little noses (thus the name, I suppose) and helps them breathe. They don't like drops of water in their noses but I hold them down and put two or three in each side. It really works!

I would avoid any foods that produce mucus...orange juice, milk, etc. I like Dr. Sears or Dr. Weil (both have websites) for advice on these things.

I just want to say that this season is producing some CRAZY bad bugs! My mother was sick for five weeks then got it again.

Finally, YOU are the best judge of your daughter's health. If you feel it's more than just a cold, keep taking her back to the doctor, ask for a specialist, etc. YOU are your child's advocate! Don't be shy about asking for another opinion etc. If you feel it's a cold she's not shaking, give it another week...I would take colds 14 days at a time because that's the length of the cycle.

Keep her hydrated, both of you get plenty of rest, and take care of YOU too!

First off, don't even think of not vaccinating your child. Anybody read about the recent measles outbreak. Children are by and far healthier today than they were before vaccinations. Second make sure you are cleaning your bulb syringe throughly after each use. You could be unknowingly reinfecting her. I always rinsed with REALLY hot water after each use and bleached daily after I realized I had reinfected my son with RSV when he was one. As for using Vicks, when my kids were this age I put it on a paper towel and put it in their pillow case or under the sheet if they didn't use a pillow. Worked like a charm.

Hey K., my Daughter is 23 but she has Down Syndrome and we have battled these problems for many years. I have found that despite what the Dr's might say. A vaporizer works much better for my daughter than a humidifier. I hope this helps. also the over the counter drug for her has always been Robitussun DM. they have come out with all this new stuff but it doesn't work on her and nothing else ever has. Hope this helps and your daughter is better real soon. J.

Hi K.,
I think you should call your pediatrician and take her in.This is flu and RSV (a respiratory disorder caused by a virus)season and you can't take chances. I would also if possible keep her home for few days she could be getting it from daycare (any sick kids at daycare?). Godd luck I hope she gets better!

N.

Hi K.!

We placed our daughter in daycare for a brief time around 6 months or so after having too many nannies that were kind of "flaky" in a row. We were not prepared for paying for daycare and paying for emergency nannies when my daughter repeatedly got sick. It was one cold after another!

We too, just suffered from a cold in our home, our daughter's colds usually run two to three weeks and they go through the runny nose stage and then to the cough and other stuff.....until it is done.

I will tell you that after our daughter was coughing for four nights with no relief, her pedi. did call in some antibiotics to help her kick it.
I think these colds go quickly to bacterial with the sinus stuff and the meds to help them get rid of it.

Our entire family was on Z Packs. And we don't even like or advocate antibiotics but believe me, we could not get out of bed.

Have you tried saline nose drops? Those also help to clear their nasal passage. My doctor recommends it and they are safe to use a couple of times a day. Since you can only suction 2-3x a day, using saline spray/drops helps flush out her congestion. When you change your baby's diaper, that is the best time to do it. Give her 2-3 drops in each nose while lying down, then sit her up. In a few minutes, it should drain and you should be able to wipe her nose with a tissue. Be sure to use the kind for infants - these brands are good: Entsol or Simply Saline. For the times you are to suction, give her the spray first, wait a few minutes and then suction.

I would also be careful about giving her Motrin. If she has a high temperature, then yes but if she doesn't have one, I wouldn't keep giving it to her.

There are several different herbs that you can give her. But what you could do is give her an extract called Kid-E-Well from www.herbsfirst.com. You could go to your local health food store and tell them what the problem is and they can direct you to something on their shelves. She obviously needs something to boost her immune system so her body can fight. (GNC is NOT a health food store...just thought I'd add that in there.)

Dear K.,
The obvious and best solution would be to take your child out of daycare, as IT is the culprit. That should not come as news to you.
If that is not an option, my suggestion is to try your best to support/boost your daughter's immune system, so she can overcome the new germs she's gotten bombarded with in Daycare. At this point you are only treating symptoms. Medicating q 6 hrs to make her feel better is (except for once at bedtime perhaps) a bad idea, in mho. This is why: she isn't actually better, yet it allows her to temporarily feel that way and expend more energy than she probably should, which slows down her recovery. So, give her body a chance: Plenty and timely sleep (the hours before midnight are very important), making healthy food choices (stay away from easy, sugary, and processed foods, even as snacks),lots! and lots! of clear liquids!(again: low, or no sugar, water is good:) and lots of mama-loving! Wash hands with soap and water, use handsanitizer sparingly (this has become another problem item!) If you're using a bulb syringe to suction her nose, boil the thing every day to sterilize it, but with good hydration, secretions will be thin enough so you can just wipe her nose. Children should be allowed to be sick from time to time - it's part of growing strong bodies. Hope this helps some.
AW

Hey, my 18-month-old isn't in daycare, he's at home with a baby sitter (and one big brother), and he's had a runny nose for about 4 months now. Yes, daycares have a plenty of germs, and if you can find an alternative, great. It's sometimes hard, though.

Do consider switching from Motrin (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen) instead of doing straight Motrin. (run this by your pediatrician,of course) Acetaminophen is processed by the liver and too much can be hard on the liver. Ibuprofen is processed by the kidneys, and if taken exclusively, it can be hard on the stomach and intestines.

We remember it by "Motrin at Midnight" 6am, noon, and 6pm.
And alternate with tylenol at 3 and 9. That's only for the worst of the worst, though. I don't do that for long, though.

Make sure it's not anything more serious - check with the doctor. Seriously, though, it's probably just her immune system learning how to fight.

I know it sounds old fashion, but I love vapor rub, J+J makes one for babies that is not as strong. Just a little on the chest goes a long way!

My son was in daycare around this age and seemed to have a continuous ear infection. We treated him with all different kinds of antibiotics and it just wouldn't go away. When I quit work and stayed home with my second baby, I finally got it to clear up. I think the kids just keep passing these things around over and over. At any rate, have you had her checked for an ear infection? Sometimes they manifest with a cough instead of ear pain. Also, we are dealing with a cough with my six year old that has been going on it seems for months if not a year. The most recent diagnosis was asthma that manifests as coughing. He's on steroids and a couple of different inhalers, which seemed to work for a little while but now don't seem to be working as well. Maybe this could be it too? I would take her back to the pediatrician and tell them that she's had a relapse and see what they say.

Unfortunately there is not much else to do...colds can last 14+ days. Keep her hydrated with natural things...water, milk, fresh fruit, veggies, etc...

Hi K.,

I have a couple suggestions. I use a herbal vapor rub on my 2 year old and swear by it! It works like a charm. I rub it on her chest/back and in between her toes, this really works and uses reflexology trigger points. I have a natural product, the vicks has ingredients you dont want to put on your child! A cough can last 2-3 weeks, normal. My daughter had similar episodes at that age, may be allergies or a result of the change in weather. The other suggestion is vitamins. I have another product (my business is natural health products and I have an excellent children's line). My daughter has not missed a day of preschool all year, knock on wood, since taking my new vitamins. It is a powder that you put in water or I put it in her milk. It is filled with vitamins/minerals and a superfood component that has 28 fruits and veggies. This boosts their immune system. My products are vegan certified and the vitamins are according to USP standards. You have to be careful with kids vitamins, some gummies were found to have lead in them! Also, you want to make sure your system is absorbing them, a lot don't absorb because they have so many fillers in them so they aren't effective.
Let me know if you want more information. The vitamins are recommended at age 2, so not sure your daughter could take but something to think about when she turns 2. I highly recommend them!

Hi K.,

My 4 month old had a 4-week lingering cold - from her first week in daycare. I talked to my pediatrician about it and she said that the first one always sticks around for a while. I think it just takes their immune system longer to fight off their first exposure to something.

Good luck and I hope she feels better soon.

First I would stop the Childrens Motrin, see the link below for a few of the reasons why.

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-health/articles/164/1/Mot...

Fever is not a bad thing, let her ride it out as long as it doesn't get too high. Read this.
http://www.mercola.com/2005/jan/5/fever.htm

Second give her a break from day care, the reason she is sick all the time is probley because she is being exposed to so much from all the other kids, this usually happens when anyone goes to a day care they are a sesspool of germs.

The other problem may be if you are Vaccinating her is that you have weaked her immune system and she is busy dealing with the chemicals you are having injected into her and can't fight off a simple cold. Yes what I am saying is contrary to what your doctor is telling you, if you are Vaccinating her you are hurting her and her immune system, read the information on the link below.

http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/1/mass_vaccination.htm

Hey K.,

My 11-month old baby girl has RSV. In adults, this is just a nasty cold virus. In little ones, though, it's a little bit more problematic. As my pediatrician explained, given that this is a viral bug, there isn't much to do except keep them comfortable and hydrated. The cough, I am told, can hang on for several weeks.

Hang in there. She'll likely be just fine.

E.

It could be a sinus infection. My pediatrician said they consider it a sinus infection if the runny nose doesn't go away in 10-12 days. My daughter (also 17 months) gets sinus infections after almost every cold. I can always tell it's a sinus infection because she'll go from having a runny nose (clear, moving fluid) to a green, sticky nose. The other telltale sign for us is that her breath smells very funny (a result of the backed up mucus in her sinuses). I hope this helps.

Hi K.

I have twin 16mth olds and when we get colds...everyone gets them. Our doctor told us to elevate their heads at night. She suggested putting a towel or small blanket under their crib mattress where their heads are. AND IT WORKS!! It allows for the mucus to drain rather than just lying flat at night and they would breathe sooo much better at night. I also use a hot mist humidifier. I put menthol oil in it for that extra boost. That combination has saved us during this cold season. Our kids would get a cold, but it never developed into anything more, thank goodness. Also, there was a time frame where they had something for over 2 weeks! It was just a lingering cold that all of our friends' kids got as well and for the same length of time. I hope this helps!

Hey. I am a mom of four, and my youngest just had the same thing. Number one, suction the nose only at night or before nap time. If you do too often, the nose will continue to run. I know it sounds crazy. The best thing to do is to get it out naturally. Run a very steamy shower, and go into the bathroom with the door closed. Do NOT put the baby in the shower, simply stand into the room with it running for a few minutes. Then, go out, and watch the snot pour. Actually, if you go out on your porch right then for about two minutes (make sure the baby is wrapped up) the cold air outside helps relieve that sinus pressure too after the steamy shower. Gently wipe the nose. Then apply a small amount of Johnsons Vapor rub under the nose, and on the chest. See how it works. I hope it does the trick.
BTW, I would like to mention that kids do tend to get nasty colds when they start daycare. My oldest was sick his entire first year (I since quit my job with the other three), BUT, I can honestly say, he has the strongest immune system of all four. I would evaluate the daycare thing though, if she continues to get sick without a break in between. Also, remember if she isn't acting right (eating, playing, peeing, pooping), DO take her into the doctor. It really could be RSV. Again, though, monitor her behavior. That is the easiest indication if they have something more... Hope it helps!

Expect every kind of infection whether viral or bacterial (ear infection, croup, runny nose). Unfortunately, that is just part of kids being around kids. They put their hands in their mouths and touch other kids. Buy Benadryl (dye free to prevent clothing stains) for runny nose, Tylenol or Motrin for fever or teething pain. Utilize your pharmacist for correct dosing and frequency. Humidifiers are a must. Invest in a high quality cool mist humidifier. They are easier to use and clean.
A lot of times cough is due to nasal drainage. U can use Benadryl and saline nasal solution with the bulb syringe to suction the nose. Keep tissues everywhere! Good luck

No offense K., but its the daycare... You've must have heard rumors about the icky germs there that your kid can pick up from the other children at daycares. Well my advise... (mom of an almost 10 month old at 21) Do what I did find someone weither it be a friend of yours or close friend of the family or even one of thier friends... Someone you can trust haggle a price and there you go. It really works. About your daughters heath issues keep away from other children for a while scrub you house top to bottom dont just feel her up with different medicines let her own immunities fight it. It will be hard and difficult, but it'll work... Hope this helps!

Hi K.,
First of all, tis the season. I know a lot of people suffering this year. Are you sure it is a cold and not allergies? Have you tried a cough syrup or antihistamine. Motrin is really for fevers and aches, but you want to tackle the mucus! My son is 2 1/2 and he has had to take this stuff on and off since he was an infant because of allergies and sinuses. Does she have anything besides a cough?

Hope she feels better.

S.

My kids eat garlic like candy and I give them vitamin C everyday. Garlic is great for the immune system. Get the gel capsules. See if she will chew them up, if not pop a small hole in them and squeeze them into her mouth. My kids love the Odorless kind and do not like the regular. My kids rarely get sick and when they do get sick, it doesn't last long. They also go to the chiropractor on a regular basis. I have 3 kids under the age of 5. The youngest turning 2 this month.

K.,
I work a lot with children who have lower immune systems and have a hard time fighting off colds and flu's. If you would like to look and read more about what we do, please visit our web page and or you can call or contact us with your questions.
Many blessings,
Dr. Heather Wyant
www.acfamilychiro.com

Hi K.,
I've read the other advices you've gotten to see if it was similar to what I'm about to say... I've always been recommended to switch between motrin and tylenol every 4-6 hours for fever. Both my five and two year old went through the flu that's going around and this time, the doc gave them this stuff called Rondec Syrup. It helps dry up the nastiness going on inside their head. It helped my two year old allot because she had fluid in her ears from all the drainage and she won't let me suction out her nose! You can't use Rondec if you use a cough syrup but it's something worth trying and the vicks on the bottom of the feet have worked for my coughing five year old. I know you've been seeing the doctor but just a thought that came to me... make sure it's not croup and/or even just allergies. That nasty sinus drip can make a person cough until they gag or puke! Teach the little one to do ALLOT of hand washing. I know the fever can be scary but sometimes, if the fever isn't too high (101 or below) I will not give them any medicine. I think too much meds can slow down progress. I know that's allot but you've just gotta learn what works for your kid even if that means keeping her out of daycare long enough to let her little body recover... maybe with a relative or something if you can't get the time off work. Good Luck!

J.

I had the same situation when my daughter first started daycare. Unfortunately, since your child is in daycare, they will stay sick constantly. I was actually told by my doctor that that is a good thing since it will help build up their immune system for when they get older. But, if your child start to seem that they are wheezing have them check your child out for asthma. It turned out that my daughter has asthma and her colds appearead to be worse and last longer because her asthma was flaring up. They may call it bronchitis for awhile and then change the diagnosis to asthma when she gets older. (Didn't understand the reasoning behind the diagnosis changing with age). But if it's not that, what I do is rub my baby down with Vicks Vapor Rub after I give her a bath in Johnson's Vapor Bath at the first sign of a cold.

Hi K.,

This sounds really familiar! When our baby started daycare, she had a cold constantly (with a few days break here and there) for about 3 months. I know that sounds discouraging, but it was just hard for her little immune system to get used to being around all those kids/germs. I think there is only so much you can do, and just recognize that she'll be sick for a while and you do what you can to help her be comfortable. Sorry if this is discouraging! But she'll eventually get better and have a strong little immune system.

Good luck!

S.

I don't have any words of wisdom. Both of my kids in daycare are just constantly sick throughout the winter - coughs and runny noses. I've just come to expect it for the 3-4 winter months.

My 13 mth old grandbaby has the same problem. I took her for the weekend and now she is better. This might help you. Make sure she has clean clothes on at all times,even after you take her outside because the season is changing.What ever toys she puts in her mouth makes sure you wash them all the time. If you have tables make sure they are wiped down all the time. Keep all floors clean. Give her Tylanol Cold & Allergery every four to five hours and lots of Oj, because of Vita C. Vita C fights colds. Milk is probably making her more congested. Feed her items that have vitamins in them, which will help to build her system up to fight colds. Hope this helps, it did for me.
Sincerely
LAM

You are doing all the right things. The saline drops should help - even if you don't suction it helps with congestion. My DD has had the same thing. The bug that is going around is really nasty (DH and I got it too) the cough can linger for 2-3 weeks. It stinks, and it really stinks to see your LO sick. As long as she is breathing well I wouldn't worry.

Daycare can be tough with all of the kids- but as some of my more experienced mom friends and my ped has said: it is sick now or sick later. I really hope they are right and that they are building up their immune systems and will be healthier later on.

I would suggest getting her off the motrin asap! Let her body work a little on its own. A fever is a sign that the body is working and 'killing' the bad bug your tring to get rid of. If you keep suppressing it then your only going to get the same result. I would also say take her to get adjusted by a chiropractor and work on improving her little immune system. Your chiropractor can order Standard Process products, a great one is called Immuplex. This really works wonders for boosting the immune system. Also pay close attention to her diet and really pound the fluids. Use water, and juices with no added or artifical sugars. Stay away from hydronated oils too. They are found in MANY foods and are really trash for the body, espeacilly one thats fighting off something. I would also say look into the vaccine issue. My child is not vaccinated and her immune system is excellant. If you really do the research, it will prevail over what your getting from your ped. Best of luck to you and your little girl. I'm a single mom too so I know how frustrating it can be! Hope it helps!

She may just be coughing up all the mucus she has swallowed. I'd let it run it's course and if there aren't any other symptoms, she's probably fine.

K.,

Hugs to you and your little one. I know this is a hard thing to deal with because she's so little and you just want to fix it. Unfortuantely, colds are persistent and tough to get a handle on before they end up with secondary infections like sinusitis or brochitis. Also, what your daughter is experiencing is something that happens to many children when they enter school, whether pre-school or elementary school. Suddenly, they are exposed to many more germs than they ever have before. Although tough now, her immunity system will build up over time.

How long has the cold been going on? When was the last time she saw the pediatrician? If the advice you were given is not working, call their office and ask them how long you should keep up the recommended regimen before returning for a follow up visit.

To me, it sounds like she has a lot of sinus drainage in her throat which is causing the coughing. I think I would ask the doctor for his or her opinion on a saline nasal spray and a product like Mucinex which thins the mucus. Zicam is another great over-the-counter product to use at the onset of a cold. The nasal swabs work best and the active ingredient is zinc. All of these things work very well for our family but we have teenagers and I don't know if this will work for a 17 month baby. Hope this helps, S.

Hi K., sorry your little girl isn't feeling well. I don't know what to tell you as there could be any number of reasons she is still sick: Allergies, virus, bacterial infection. You just never know. Viruses usually only last about 72 hours. Sometimes, if they don't go away on their own, they can turn bacterial. Don't be scared, that's not as bad as it sounds. She may just need a regimen of antibiotics. Ask the doctor to test her T-cells, if they are elevated, she is fighting off an infection.
However, if her mucus is clear and the cough is only superficial, I wouldn't worry too much. Could just be allergies. 'Tis the season for running noses, watery eyes, and constant hacking.
Oh, and one more thing. If you find that her mucus is clear, but she has a deep barking cough, do get that checked out also. A good rule of thumb for the future: If she hasn't improved within a week, it's usually a good idea to see the doctor. Good luck ladies. Hope she feels better soon!

Our pediatrician said he has seen these colds lasting for 3-4 weeks this season! My 10 month old son doesn't even go to daycare and had a cold the whole month of January (it really did last almost 4 weeks!). I would just keep suctioning and using the humidifier, like you are doing. Just monitor her and if she gets worse, then take her back in. Otherwise, you just have to wait it out! Sounds like you are doing a great job!

Hello,your Daughter could have allergies.I know my daughter was going through all that and I took her to a allerge doctor who told me alot.The first thing you can do is go to wal-mart or k-mart and get a the name has went from my head but it cleans the air in the room.At wal-mart it is located near the paints area.It is not costly at all get a small tower for her room(40.00)Keep it running and in about two days you will notice a big change.I did with my daughter.She started sleeping better also.I know have a large one in the living room and in the other childrens room.Daycares also are not that clean and the children there are going to past the grems around.I hope this works for you.

Did her DR test her for RSV? If not, might be a good idea. It's viral and has to run it's course but is very contagious and easily caught in a daycare setting. If that has been ruled out then how about allergies? It is tree pollen time and can get the best of anyone, even little kids!! Or she could be allergic to something in the room that she is breathing in. Cleaners, air freshners or even a poor ventilation system can cause a constant runny nose.

Just some thought!!

S.

Hi K.,

My son always had colds as a baby too. If the cold lasts for more than 7-10 days then it has probably turned into a sinus infection & she probably needs an antibiotic. If he has a fever for more than 24-48 hours then it could be something else like an ear infection or the flu. I would call your pediatrician.

Hi K.! I have a four year old and a 7 year old. They recently have had horrible coughs and what has worked for us is putting Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of their feet before bedtime and putting socks on over that. They cough a few times when they lay down, but then it stops and they have slept great the rest of the night.

Since your child is only 17 months old you may want to check with your doctor to make sure the Vicks isn't harmful to her. I know when my kids were little the doc said not to put the Vicks humidifier drops in the kids humidifier. I'm not sure why, but I just remember that being said.

Hope this works for you!!

H.