Baby Cold Symptoms and How to Give Care

Remember how miserable you felt when you last had a cold? Can you imagine what your baby must feel when he experiences a cold for the first time?

Viruses are responsible for causing colds. Infected people spread the viruses when they sneeze or cough nearby healthy people. The virus gets into the nose and throat where it multiplies.

What Are The Symptoms?

When your baby has a cold, there will be a number of symptoms. He will be sneezing and have a runny nose. He may have a sore throat and it may be difficult for him to swallow. His glands may become swollen.

He may not feel like eating much and he could become irritable. A cough may develop. He may get a slight fever or have a body temperature of 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit.

When to Seek Medical Advice

If your baby is three months old or less and has cold like symptoms, you should contact a pediatrician immediately. Cold like symptoms in a baby three months old or less are misleading and could lead to a serious ailment.

On the other hand, if your child is more than three months old you should contact a doctor if you notice that he is breathing loudly and his nostrils expand out with each breath. His nails or lips are becoming blue. His mucus is thick, runny and green. He has a cough that hasn’t gone a way for more than a week. His ears ache. His temperature is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit. He has become more drowsy or grouchy.

How to Care For Your Baby

Medical experts tell us there is no cure for the common cold. However, there are ways to alleviate the miserable symptoms your baby undergoes.

Make sure he gets plenty of rest and extra fluids. If he has a fever, give him acetaminophen or if he’s older that six months he may take ibuprofen (but don’t give it to your baby if he is dehydrated or continuously vomiting).

If your child has a cough and is under three years old, don’t give him a cough suppressing medicine unless it was prescribed by a pediatrician. Coughing rids the lower respiratory tract of mucus.

If your baby has nasal congestion, you can use a rubber suction bulb to draw out the mucus from his nostrils. If the mucus is too thick, you can apply saline nose drops to soften the mucus before extracting with the bulb. A humidifier can also be used in the baby’s room to help liquefy the nasal secretions.

Concluding Thoughts

The best way for your baby to avoid a cold is to not have him near people who are infected. But if your baby gets a cold, the best thing you can do is make it comfortable for him. Soon his cold symptoms will disappear and he’ll be back to health, that is, until the next episode. But by now you’ll be ready for that, won’t you?

To learn more about newborns and what you can expect during your baby’s first year visit: http://www.firstyearbabyadvice.com

Don’t Hibernate! Some Ideas for Family Winter Outdoor Fun

(ARA) - This winter season don’t let your family hibernate inside. Why not put all that fresh snow to good use? Bundle everyone up and participate in some fun activities the whole family will enjoy.

There are all kinds of ways for kids and parents to enjoy the outdoors together in the winter. Along with the typical winter sports, there are also games and creative projects that children really enjoy -- and the exercise is good for them too.

Here are some ideas from the experts at Wham-O to help get kids off the couch and outside for interactive snow play this winter:

* Head for the sledding hill. Now with so many sledding options, the whole family will have a blast whooshing down snow-covered hills. In fact, kids and parents can ride together on the huge, double-walled Turbosaucer Snow Saucer. Or cause a storm of excitement with the 43 inch SnowBoogie Thunder, a super-light, shock absorbing foam sled with an ultra-fast SpeedSlick bottom, sure to produce thunderous applause and crowd-pleasing cheers all winter long.

* Don’t leave the little tots in the “snow” dust. A Baby Sled is a great way for parents to safely introduce their young toddlers to sledding, while smaller sleds, such as the Sledz Racer Jr. and the Snowboogie Racer Jr., let younger kids hit the slopes by featuring lightweight foam designs to absorb shocks and a Speedslick bottom for maximum fun.

* Build a cutting-edge snowman with a Snowman Kit. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they build a snowman sporting a Mohawk, earring, nose rings and sunglasses. The Snowman Kit, which contains weather-tough plastic components, also comes in a traditional version with a black top hat and scarf, for a more classic-looking snowman.

* Build a classic snow fort -- all you’ll need is snow. Create a big mound and pack it down by stepping, jumping and even rolling on it. Once a solid, round pile has been created, make a doorway and begin tunneling into the mound. Continue to shovel snow out of the center and pack it on top. Once inside, use a smaller shovel to make a space inside. You can cover the floor with a straw mat and poke holes through the ceiling and sides to make skylights and windows. Snow fort walls should be at least one foot thick.

For more information about WHAM-O’s outdoor products visit www.wham-o.com.