Coughs, Colds & Snotty Noses

To all the working mammas (and SAHM), you may find this article interesting.

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Since 6 months of age Camden has been going to a crèche  because Wayne and I both work unfortunately and from the minute he stepped foot in there he has been getting one cold after the other.

His Paediatrician referred to it as the crèche cold and she told me that it is possible for him to have the cold virus and get another one right on top of it - this seems to be the problem we are experiencing because just as you think he seems to be getting better he gets sick all over again?!

She gave me an article to read on Coughs, Colds & Snotty Noses from a website known as www.paediatrician.co.za .I found it extremely informative!

A child in the first year of life breathes through the nose. This means that the only way a child can breathe comfortably is if the nose is clear and not blocked. The nose connects to the 4 sets of sinuses and the ears by little tubes and this creates a structure of many little passage ways. This is important because this system helps to clean and humidify the air we breathe so that the air that gets to the lungs is clean and warm.

The nose and sinuses produce mucus that traps the dirty particles in the air and little hairs along the passage ways beat in time to clear the mucus.

The nasal passages of a child are very small and they find it difficult to clear even the mucus that is normally produced in the nose. They are also not able to blow their nose so they frequently sound like they have a blocked nose. Flushing their noses with sterile saline is safe and very useful to clear their little noses.

The Common Cold

This is a viral infection due to a virus called Rhinovirus and is very common especially in the winter months. The whole infection lasts about ten days and starts with a blocked nose and sore throat for about three days and then the nose starts to run, a cough develops and your child may develop a slight fever.

This continues for another five to seven days. The nasal blockage is usually worse at night when the child is lying down.

The runny nose usually starts when the cold is starting to get better. When the cold virus (Rhinovirus) first infects the nose and sinuses, the nose starts making lots of clear mucus. This mucus helps wash the virus out of the nose and sinuses. After two or three days, as the body fights back, the mucus changes to a white or yellow colour. As the bacteria that usually live in the nose grow back, they change the mucus to a greenish colour. This is normal, it does not mean that your child has an infection that needs to be treated with medicines such as antibiotics (As I was originally told by the crèche when they asked me to fetch Camden the one day)

Why not take antibiotics for The Common Cold?
Taking antibiotics that your body doesn't really need can be harmful. After each antibiotic your child is more likely to have resistant germs in his or her nose. If your child gets infected again, it's more likely to be with these resistant germs. Resistant germs aren't killed by the usual antibiotics. If your child gets infected with a resistant germ, it might be necessary to use more expensive and more powerful antibiotics or even antibiotics that have to be given in hospital. Since a runny nose generally gets better by itself, it's best to wait and take antibiotics only when necessary.

How can I treat The Common Cold?
Runny nose, cough, fever, headache and muscle aches may bother your child during a cold, but medicine won't make them go away faster. Using a cool mist vaporizer or giving your child an over-the-counter nasal decongestant in the form of a nose drop or nose spray may help. It is very important to note that the nasal decongestant must not be used for longer than a week at a time. Using them for longer periods of time will cause the nose to block up when the medication is stopped.

The most important part of the treatment is to ensure that those nose is clear and that the child is taking fluids and feeds.

The use of combination cough and cold medications are not safe in children under 2 years of age and they should not be used. They have no benefit in the treatment of a cold as they do not help your child get better faster. Over-the-counter cough and cold remedies have side effects such as disturbed sleep, unusual movements & Hallucinations. Check with your doctor to see which medications are ok to use.

Warning signs of the Cold being more than just a Cold:

• A fever of >38.5 degrees lasting for more than two days
• Poor feeding even when the nose is clear
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Difficulty breathing and rapid breathing
• Noisy breathing: grunting, whistling or wheezing
• Overly sleepy or listless

Hope you enjoyed the article as much as I did, I just thought it gave me a much better understanding of what has been going on with Camden these last few months and I feel more at ease knowing the the Paed says it is normal during winter for him to have up to 7 of these "colds"

Bring on SUMMER I say!