HFD Team The cold spares no one, not even the newborn, and How to deal with it? Let’s see some remedies and some valuable tips.
The cold is as common as it is annoying; in the adult, it generally resolves spontaneously without complicating itself; in the child, however, especially in the newborn, complications are more frequent.
The airways and nasal cavities of the newborn are tiny, and this is, above all, the reason why a cold neglected in the newborn can become more easily complicated in bronchiolitis, bronchitis, otitis, and tracheitis.
Colds in the newborn, how to prevent it
As far as possible, it would be better to protect a newborn for a few days from the chances of contagion of colds, trying not to take him to crowded places, especially indoors.
Suppose the cold is already circulating in the house. In that case, it is important to follow some hygienic precautions, that is, wash your hands often and avoid leaving around the handkerchiefs with which you have blown your nose. It is easier for adults, but if there are older children, it is also important to teach these good standards to them.
What if the baby still catches a cold?
Colds in the newborn, the importance of nasal washes
A straightforward but effective remedy is represented by nasal washes, useful for both preventive and therapeutic purposes.
During the cold season, nasal washes should be performed regularly, for example, every other day, even when the cold is not present. The best time is in the evening, before going to sleep.
If the baby is already cold, it should be done at least once a day, preferably two. This simple cold remedy simply requires a syringe and a common physiological solution: withdraw 3 or 4 ml of physiological solution with the syringe, remove the needle and spray the liquid first in one nostril and then in the other, holding the baby’s head slightly tilted, first on one side and then on the other.
There are ready-made disposable vials; in that case, there is no need for the syringe, and it is sufficient to spray the physiological directly first in one nostril and then in the other.
Colds in the newborn, other useful remedies
In addition to nasal washes it can be useful, both to prevent and to treat colds:
- Humidify the environment in which you live;
- Keep the room temperature neither too hot nor too cold;
- Pay attention to sudden changes in temperature;
- Do not cover the baby too much or too little.
What about the drugs? Are there cold medications for newborns?
In general, the cold itself is not a disorder to be treated with drugs unless complications arise that make it necessary.
In the newborn, then, the use of drugs in case of cold is absolutely contraindicated, and if any complication should arise, it is very important to contact the pediatrician to avoid do-it-yourself.
Even the best-known natural remedies can be dangerous for a newborn; honey, for example, should not be administered before one year of age.
Also, beware of topical cold remedies; under the age of three, in fact, medicines containing camphor or menthol should not be used, including those to be spread on the chest. As for mucolytics, however, they should never be administered before the age of two, and even after, it is better to be careful.
And if in doubt, of course, contact the pediatrician.
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