How to Help a Child With a Cold

The common cold afflicts children of all ages every year. When it hits, a child may develop symptoms that include--but are not limited to--headaches, a stuffy nose, chest congestion and sore throat. With the new regulations on cough and cold medicines for children, many parents are left scrambling, trying to find a way to ease their child's discomfort. However, there are certain steps you can take that will make your child more comfortable and help her sleep better at night.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drinking fluids
• Throat lozenges
• Chicken noodle soup
• Cup
• Salt water
• Pain relievers, like Tylenol or Motrin
• Saline nasal spray
• Nasal bulb syringe
• Cool-mist humidifier
• Distilled water
• Blankets
• Pillows
• Towels

1. Increase fluids. By making sure your child increases her fluid intake, you're helping to thin her nasal secretions. Fluids also help prevent dehydration. Warm fluids like water and juice served at room temperature are often recommended because they also help relieve nasal congestion, whereas cold fluids don't work as well.

2. If your child is old enough to eat hard candy, then a throat lozenge may be given to relieve sore throat pain.

3. Give your child chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup contains ingredients that work as an anti-inflammatory and aid in the movement of mucous in the nasal passages.

4. Have your child gargle salt water. A salt water gargle can help a dry, scratchy, sore throat.

5. Give your child a pain reliever, like Tylenol or Motrin. If your child has a headache or sore throat, a pain reliever can help with those symptoms. It also helps with other aching body parts.

6. Give your child a warm bath or shower. The moisture from the bath or shower can help soothe your child's nasal passages.

7. Spray saline nasal solution into nasal passages. The saline spray helps with nasal congestion. If using on a younger child, you can use a nasal bulb syringe to remove the solution and mucous a few minutes after use.

8. Use a cool-mist humidifier in your child's room. The moisture will help your child breathe easier.

9. Elevate the head-portion of your child's mattress with blankets, pillows or towels. By elevating your child's mattress, you'll help prevent any post-nasal drip that your child may experience. Post-nasal drip can cause breathing difficulties.

10. Get plenty of rest. A sick child needs to rest in order to let his body recuperate from the illness. If he doesn't want to lay in his bed, let him lay on the couch and watch a cartoon or read a book.

Tips & Warnings

• The best kind of water to use in a humidifier is distilled water, which can be purchased at any grocery or department store, like Wal-Mart. If your child still likes to cuddle, snuggling with her under a warm blanket may help her relax and feel more comfortable.
• When using a humidifier, make sure to change the water daily to avoid buildup of fungi or mold. Never combine any pain reliever with other medications that contain pain relievers in them. It could result in an overdose.

Resources

• Cold Remedies: What Works, What Doesn't, What Can't Hurt
• Common Cold
• Colds
• How to Prepare for Cold and Flu Season
• How to Avoid Summer Colds

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[babblebubble]

on 11/15/2009 This is a great article. I never thought of the 'mattress thing'... Thank you! 5*