Over-the-counter baby cold medicine is sometimes used as a practical solution to stop the pain experienced by your little one. In fact, giving Cold medicine for babies aged two years and under is not recommended because it can cause serious side effects.
In the first year of life, your little one can experience 6-8 colds. This is because their immune system is not yet fully developed and formed.
Flu can attack your child if he is close to an infected person or touches objects that are contaminated with the virus that causes colds.
Can I Give Baby Cold Medicine?
In fact, an influenza virus infection that causes your little one to get a cold cough can get better on its own within 5-7 days. So baby cold medicine is not always necessary.
Babies who have flu and fever are still allowed to be given pain relievers and fever such as reducers paracetamol or ibuprofen. Giving the drug aims to reduce discomfort due to fever when the baby has the flu.
However, don't expect your little one to recover from a cold after taking fever-reducing medication. This is because the drug does not work to eradicate the virus flu. A low-grade fever in babies is a sign that your little one's body is trying to fight off the virus.
Parents should pay attention to the administration of this fever reducer and the age of the baby. If your child is under 3 months old, paracetamol or the like is not recommended because the dosage guidelines can be confusing. Consult your pediatrician to find out the right dose.
Meanwhile, ibuprofen should only be given to infants aged 6 months or older. This drug is not an over-the-counter drug, so it should only be given according to a doctor's prescription.
What Should Be Done?
Instead of giving baby cold medicine, some of the actions below are recommended to parents when their baby has a cold:
1. Relieve your little one's fever.
If your little one is only 0-3 months old and has a fever, parents or caregivers are advised to immediately contact doctor.
Do not just give fever-reducing drugs that are sold without the advice of a doctor. If in doubt, contact your doctor to confirm the correct dosage.
2. Give drinks to prevent dehydration
It is important to maintain the baby's body fluids, regardless of the age of the Little One. If the baby is less than 4 months old, only breast milk or formula is needed, not other fluids.
If your baby is four months old or older, you can add a little water in addition to breast milk. Juice diluted with water may be given to babies aged 6 months and over.
3. Make your little one feel comfortable
In order for your baby to breathe better when he has a cold, try making your little one sleep with his head slightly elevated. To make this position easier, place a few towels between your head and the mattress.
However, do not position the head too high because it risks disturbing the baby's airway. This is at risk of causing the Little One to experience sudden death due to difficulty breathing.
To help your little one sleep and rest more comfortably, you can give a gentle massage or play slow music so that your little one can rest better.
4. Relieve nasal congestion
When you have a cold, the most annoying thing is a stuffy nose. So that the baby is not too tormented with nasal congestion, doctors recommend using a nasal aspirator or nasal spray that contains saline.
This is expected to relieve the throat from the flow of mucus and clear the nose from snot.
5. Make a warm steam room
Parents can also put warm water in the tub or turn on the hot shower in the bathroom. Accompany your little one sitting in the bathroom for a few minutes.
This is done so that the baby who has a cold can inhale the warm vapor that fills the room and makes it easier for him to breathe.
6. Take care of hygiene and air quality
Mother could also use a humidifier(humidifier) to maintain humidity and air quality. So that your little one can rest comfortably, while preventing the symptoms from worsening, it is recommended not to smoke or use air freshener in the house.
Although baby cold medicine is not recommended for consumption, you can still give cold medicine to your little one. However, only drugs from a doctor should be consumed. You should also call the doctor if your baby has a fever above 38°C.
In addition, babies who do not want to eat and drink, have a cough that does not heal for more than three weeks, are weak, lips turn blue, ears hurt, have difficulty breathing with wheezing, and have signs of dehydration are also advised to be taken to the doctor.