7 Week Old with Head Cold

Hi H.,

There are no over the counter cold or sinus meds for infants. I'd definately try Little Noses saline spray. It helps thin out the mucus. Also, use a vaporizer in his room. Worked great for my son. Congrats on your new little one and good luck!

Hello H.! Sucking all the mucus out is good. Getting a vaporizer will help. With little ones its hard to give them anything overthe counter because they are so young. My son is almost 4 and my daughter is 16 months. There is still alot of medicines my daughter can't have because she is so young. Lots of fluids for your son. With the mucus being clear that is usually a good sign that its going away. I know when my kids are getting over a cold its clear. They make baby vapor rub for their chest. You can get some of that. Just put a little bit on his chest at night when he goes to bed. Its hard when little ones get colds because there really isnt anything you can do but what you are already doing. You can always call your pedritcian but they will probably tell you to do what you are doing. If you need anything let me know. Good luck!

S. T.
CEO MOMS
www.always4myfamily.com

Decongestants cause the blood vessels in the sinus and throat area to constrict which causes the inflammation and mucus formation to reduce. This also raises the blood pressure, that's why so many people can't take them that have high blood pressure issues. Therefore if a little one gets even the tiniest bit too much there can be serious issues.

You want his drainage to be thin and not get stuck in his little head because it can turn into an infection. Using the suction bulb is the best thing you can do at this point. You cannot give any medications the doctor doesn't prescribe. Keeping the mucus thinned is important too. The moist air, using Vicks on the tummy, can all help to do this. Holding the baby in your arms face down, head just a bit lower that his bottom, and patting him gently on his back can help keep the drainage going out his nose and from going down his throat into his lungs.

You still need to take the baby in to the Pediatrician. Ask them to test for RSV and the flu virus at the very least. I can't tell you how important it is to make sure these medical issues are caught in time.

NEVER EVER EVER give any type of medications, even over the counter meds, to an infant!!!!

If you want to use something to ease his discomfort, use baby saline solution. This would be the only product the doctors would prescribe for him anyway.

His sinuses are draining out the toxins in the form of heavy thick mucous. Be thankful for that! All is working well within him. What are you feeding this infant? That's something to look at. Where are you taking him and is his face uncovered when out in public places? Also something to consider. At this time of the year there is alot of pollen floating around in the air. Babies, especially such young infants, should never be out without having their entire bodies covered. For one thing, the sun is much too harsh for their young skin! Secondly, the pollen in the air that they are breathing wreaks havoc on their young systems. Third, the breezes occasionally occuring will create colic in babies because they suck in too much air.

I know most doctors nowadays don't mention these things. And most moms do not think about them. However, these are very important factors which must be taken into consideration when one has a new baby. It is no longer about YOU, how you feel, your desire to show off your newest family member, etc. Your infant's health is at stake here and is far more important than making his/her little faces known to the germ-filled public! Their tiny systems are so vulnerable at this time, which is why mother's milk is the best form of nourishment and medications of any type are strictly TABOO!

Good Luck and God Bless you and your fmly!

I hope this helps you in making a decision. By the way, I've raised 3 babies from their births into adulthood with my youngest being 26 yrs old now! If you were to chat with their pediatrician you would see that there is almost no records on file for any one of my three children. They remained quite healthy throughout their lives seeing the physician for only the regular checkups and immunizations. The middle child had ear infections and an allergy to milk but that soon passed as he grew into toddler age.

take care and be thankful for your blessings!

sincerely,

D.

A vaporizer at night is very helpful.

Our little girl got her first cold at around 11 weeks (she is 18months now) and our pediatrician made it clear to me that it best to let the cold run its course with providing comfort care type things to our daughter...
1) we were instructed not lay her down completely flat while she was congested so she sleep in her bouncy seat/swing combo by our bed (or on my chest with both of us propped up for the 2 worst nights of the cold since I was very nervous as a 1st time mom)
2) we used saline drops. While they are small and you are able to hold the baby at a bit of a slope with the head down you can just drop a few drops into the nose--no need to spray it forcefully
3) use a bulb syringe to suck out the mucous
4) keep a cool-mist humidifier running at all times in the room with the baby.

Our pediatric group does not suggest giving medications to itty bitty ones unless absolutely needed--a bacterial infection or the like, but talk to your pediatrician and their nurse.

Good luck!

Hi H.,

I'm sorry to hear that your baby is sick--it's so hard to watch and feel like you can't help!

I always used the saline spray (though I felt like I was torturing her while doing it) but wondered if it really worked. Then I tried it once when I was sick, and it made a huge difference! It was better than any decongestant (though the effects probably didn't last quite as long). I was pretty picky when choosing one--I looked for one without preservatives and other weird stuff and one that was either seawater or had the same make-up as seawater since that's what has been used in most of the studies. I don't know if just washes everything out, but it seems to help dry things up, too. I use it everytime I get sick now, too, and I don't have to choose between suffering and that shaky decongestant feeling. I can't remember if I used it when our daughter was that young, but I would recommend looking into it.

Good luck!

L.

NO MEDS. for the baby. The baby saline is good to help thin the mucus. Also, you can get in your smallest bathroom, turn on the shower and let the steam help bring up the mucus. stay until the hot water runs out. babies this small don't have very much of a sinus so things go to their chest very very quickly. watch for fever and wheezing. It won't be loud like an adult but very faint. Occasionaly but the babies face to your ear and listen for the slightest wheeze. Good luck, I know it's scary. Don't be afraid to call your pediatrican.

H.,

Sorry for the quick note, but call your pediatrician.
They need to look the bby over and make sure inner ears are not red, etc. They can then give you a prescription for something like JTan D, ZCough or Periactin.... there are many others. These were just 3 of the meds I remember giving to my little one after doctor's visits. Not sure which ones where started at that age, but know the periactin is by far my favorite med and that we still give it at the start of sinuses or runny nose. I think we were on it as a very young infant. The periactin is antihistamine, so it always dried my little one out and got things from getting to the point of an infection. Whatever you do, you never want a baby to get a fever as this means a trip to the ER and a spinal tap(very painful). Call your pediatrician soon,and hope your little guy is feeling better soon.
Best Wishes,
-MB

Before suctioning, do nasal drops: 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved into one cup of water (google "nasal drops salt water" to find which it is). Let it cool first before administering, of course.

Also, use a humidifier, and take baths with him and keep that moisture in the bathroom. This will help a LOT.

These things will help at least as much as any medicines, and if it were me, I wouldn't put a drop of anything into his tiny body at this point. Much better that he be a little under the weather than have, say, liver or kidney damage for life (or a life-threatening situation).

Other than that, I would ask his doctor if offering cooled boiled water is a good idea, and how much - it is extremely important to avoid water toxicity (too much water). Just a little to us can be way too much to such a young baby.

Hang in there. Sleep when he sleeps! Let the house be a mess! Just be there for him and take care of yourself, too.

Oh, and I can't believe I almost forgot: if you nurse him, lay off the dairy and eggs till he's better. If you formula feed him, try soy instead of dairy formula, at least for now. Dairy (and eggs) make mucus much, much worse. The difference is *incredible*! You'll see a dramatic improvement within half a day or so.

L.

H.,
My son had his first cold around that mark as well (thanks to my "generous" husband who brought the germs home...wasn't he thoughtful?? hee hee). I called our pediatrician a bunch of times, and was basically told that I just needed to keep track of the symptoms. If your son gets a fever, then definitely take him in. If he doesn't have a fever, then all you can really do is try to make him comfy and ride the cold out! I used the bulb syringe, I also had him sleep at an incline (we weren't using our crib full time yet, so I had him sleep in a carseat or swing that had him propped up quite nicely). I also had two different cold mist humidifiers going all the time in the main room to try and help keep his nasal passages moisturized (with so much of the syringe, runny nose, and sneezing, my son's poor little nose started to bleed a bit, but nothing too bad).

I hope your son feels better soon!!!

You can use little noses or any other nasal saline nose drops. It can be used 3 to 4 times a day. Hope your LO feels better soon.