Clear Runny Nose, Cough, 5 Month old..help

everytime my son has cold i give Cold and Cough Infant's Tylenol... it works really good, and my son doesnt have a problem! lol

I know it is hard to sometimes use but a nasal aspirator does a lot of good. Also, along with the aspirator, try some saline nasal drops. Let them sit for the recommended amount of time on the bottle and then aspirate his nose to suck out the nasal secretions.

Also, Johnson and Johnson makes a vapor rub just for small kids and infants. I believe that Vicks now makes one specifically for small infants and children, also. This can help to break up the congestion and allow it to drain a little better. Also, Johnson and Johnson makes a vapor bath. The regular Vicks Vapor rub is not recommended for children under 2.

If you child is now having foods other than formula, you can try my family's home remedy for congestion. Mom says to peel and onion and put it into a pot with plenty of water. Boil the onion until it is soft. Then take the broth that has formed from the onion and the water and put it into a bottle with a little sugar to sweeten it. The onion helps to clear the congestion in the nose as well. This has been used in our family for generations.

You can check with your doctor to see if there is anything that you can give your son to help with the congestion. The reason, though, that they have changed the recommendations is that they found that the cough and cold medicines are not really effective at all. Plus, some of the side effects can actually make them worse. So they recommend other things like the saline nasal drops, aspirator, and vapor rubs.

Good luck and I hope this information helps.

K.,

Heather's idea is an awesome one. And it's true that decongestants do not work for infants. It really sounds more like allergies to me. Keep him clear with nasal saline and an aspirator. the coughing is probably from the post nasal drip.

Sorry to hear your little guy isn't feeling well. Get better ;)

Blessings,
Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

Hi K.,

It sounds like you got hit by the same criticizing person that responds to me!
I'm not so sure that there IS anything you can give him for the runny nose. If it is clear, then there really isn't anything to worry about. However, if there is a cough, I'd definitely get him back to the doctor. If it has been driving you crazy, then I'm sure he's had it for at least a few days. If the pediatrician doesn't seem to take you seriously, then find another one. A persistent cough in a child that young is something to be concerned (though not always worried) about. You say that he is contantly sick. It could be environmental. There may be something in your home that he is allergic to. Do you have pets? Smoke? Lots of plants? Could this be another complication of the virus you spoke of? I wish I had an easy answer for you. But be firm with your doctor and if youare uncomfortable, definitely find another one. If you don't like what your doctor says, go to a children's hospital (NOT AN ER!!!!!!). Remember, your son is too young to have received vaccines yet against things like pertussis and whooping cough (I think those might be the same thing?). I hope that this helps you some. My daughter had a runny nose this time last year. She was only 3 weeks old, but it was the weather changes and we think pollen in the air. But she didn't have a cough.
Good luck and take care.

K.,
I wanted to let you know that you have gotten a lot of great advice. I don't think I really agree though with people trashing the pediatrician. I don't think he would turn you away if something was really wrong. I rely on my pediatrician so much, I'm always calling. I'm such a worry-wart and I know that a lot of other mom's are just like I am. I think if he continues to do bad, call the doctor's office and speak to them again about the symptoms. I freaked out the other night because my 18 month old (I have twins, but only 1 of them was really sick) coughed so hard I thought he was throwing up. I was wrong, but I still panicked. It was 9:15 pm on a Saturday and I called the office and the answering service got a hold of hte doctor and he called me back within 15 minutes and just told me some different things to try, which I had already done and gave me some signs to look for in case it would turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. It was such a huge help to know I was doing good and that these colds now are lasting longer and that unless vomiting, diarrhea, or high fevers occur, there really isn't much to worry about. Just keep them as comfortable as possible by following some of the suggestions you were given.
I wouldn't flip about the doctor quite yet, just call them if you are really worried or upset and I'm sure they will see you and try to sooth you if you are already doing everything you can. I know it's heartbreaking when you are a new mom and are first dealing with this stuff. My husband stays at home during the day and works weekends and some nights during the week and so they don't have to be in daycare, yet here I am bringing colds and stuff home from my office. It's such a helpless feeling when you have a little sick guy, but again, just make him as comfortable as possible and unless he gets worse, I wouldn't worry about it. Keep us updated on how things go!

I don't think there is anything you can give for the cough. I was always told to use the saline spray for the nose! I have noticed that nothing over the counter seems to work for my kids. You may want to ask if it could be allergies! Also, try switching the formula to soy if you are not already using that. If you are really dissappointed with your Peditrician, go to someone else or a general practitioner! I know some pediatricians think that first time moms tend to over react! I don't agree!!! I hope this helped!!

I feel your frustration! My now 9 mo daughter had a terrible cold at 5 & 1/2 months and it seemed like the sleepless nights from her being unable to breathe and the nose wiping would never end! We raised the head of her bed, used a cold mist humidifier (we still use it to prevent her nasal passages from drying up...cold viruses love dry noses!)I bought the plug-ins for children that have the lavender and menthol, and used the saline drops and aspirator. This really helps before bedtime to help get them to sleep. I also put her in her bouncy seat and brought her into the bathroom with me when I took a shower. The steam helped. Against the doctor's recommendation that you don't give anything to a child under 6 months, I used a tiny bit (like a 1/3) of the Triaminic nasal decongestion strips during the day only and sometimes a few hours before bed because they made her too hyper to sleep at night. It only worked part of the time. For some reason they don't really work well with infants. I only gave them to her on the days that she was REALLY BAD. I would DEFINITELY try to use remedies that don't require medicating her. If you are totally at your wits end, call your doctor and tell them that you are planning to give him something (name a medicine like Triaminic) and you want to know how much of a dose he should get. Don't ASK if you can give it. It may change the response that you get! Good luck and I hope your little guy gets better soon!

My 2-month old had a runny nose & horrible cough a few weeks ago. My doctor said he was too little for medicine, but told us to use saline drops... 2-6 drops in the nose before eating. It worked! I feel your pain - I hate seeing my kids when they are that uncomfortable.

the cough could also be from the dry air get a humidifyer and place it in his room it could help with the cough at night and help him to sleep better if your peditrician wont take his cold serious it may be time to find a new doctor or if its that bad and has persisted for more then a week then take him to the hospital at least there they will take his symptoms more serious and could give him a shot of antibotic like they did my son and he was only two weeks old

K.: You are the mother and please know you know your baby best. No one else you, not a doctor no one!!!! Hear that first. If you don't like what your doctor is telling you then you need to switch doctors. I have 3 children and my husband has always had sinus problems and my doctors give me such a hard time about giving them antibiotics to clear it up. My one daugther coughed and coughed because they said it was allergies however when she got antibiotics she wasn't coughing anymore. I started making them send me for xrays to prove they had sinus infections. If I were you I would go into the doctors office and say this isnt' clearing up, they arent' sleeping and I would like an antibiotic and see if that will clear it up and if it does than great if not you know you need to find out what is going on. I even had the kids tested for allergies and they weren't allergic to anything and they still insist it's some kind of allergy. They have outgrown it but I'm telling you you have to stick up for your baby.

Best of luck to you!! I truly hope this helps.

Hi K.
I know how frustrating it is when your little one is sick. I dont recall the age of your infant, but I do know that I gave both of my kids infant type cold meds when they were little. Sometimes they helped, sometimes not. If his nose runs alot, he could have allergies and the cough could be asthma. Do you hear anything rattling around in his lungs when he breathes? As others have said if your pediatrician isnt taking you seriously, Id consider switching. After all "first time mom" or not, a mother knows their child better than ANYONE !

Good luck to you and I hope your little guy feels better soon !

A. R