Common cold in babies

It’s upsetting to watch your baby suffer his first cold. He’ll be uncomfortable, snuffling and may have trouble feeding. But there's a lot you can do to ease your baby's discomfort.

Remember too, it's called the common cold for a reason. Your little one may get seven or more colds before his first birthday (NHS 2018a, WebMD 2018, Whelan 2017). Colds can come on quickly and the symptoms are often at their worst in the first two or three days (NICE 2016).

Colds tend to hang around longer in babies than adults, but your little one's symptoms should clear up within about two weeks (NICE 2016). A mild cough may go on for up to three weeks (NICE 2016). It's not a serious illness, but it may mean a lot of tissues and a few long nights for you and your partner (NICE 2016).

What causes colds?

A cold is an infection of the mouth, nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). It can be caused by one of many different viruses (NICE 2016). Babies tend to get a lot of colds because their immune systems are still developing (NHS 2018a).

Colds can be spread when someone with a cold sneezes or coughs, transmitting a virus into the air to be inhaled by someone else.

Colds are also spread through contact, especially hand-to-hand contact (NICE 2016). So always cover your mouth with your elbow – not your hand – when you cough, or cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (NHMRC 2012). If you use a tissue, throw it in the bin and wash your hands straight away. Also wash your hands after blowing your nose (RCHM 2019).

If you’re at a playdate with another baby who has a cold, avoid sharing toys. This will help prevent spreading a cold virus (NICE 2016).

Experts aren't really sure why colds are so much more common in winter than in summer. People tend to spend more time indoors with windows closed in the winter. The close contact and lack of fresh air make it easy for cold viruses to be transmitted from person to person.

There’s also a theory that being cold and breathing in cold air makes it easier for the common cold to develop, but we need more research to be sure (NICE 2016).

A cold is different to the flu, which can be a more serious illness. Find out more about flu in babies.

How do colds affect babies?

If your baby has a common cold, you may notice some of the following symptoms:

• general restlessness and irritability
• a runny or stuffy nose
• sneezing
• coughing
• fever
  (NICE 2016)

Find out what to do if you think your child may have coronavirus.

Your baby may be having trouble breathing through his nose if he's all stuffed up, so feeding may be difficult (NICE 2016).

If your baby has previously been sleeping through the night, you'll be reminded of those first few weeks of his life. He may wake up several times because his nose is stuffy (NICE 2016). Giving him plenty of cuddles will help him feel better.

Sometimes, a bad fit of coughing may make your baby throw up (NICE 2016). Although this can be distressing to see, it's usually nothing to worry about (Sambrook 2017). If it happens a lot, or if you have any concerns about this or any other symptoms, speak to your GP.

Sometimes, colds can cause ear infections in young children (NICE 2016). Find out what to do if your baby gets an ear infection.

If your baby has a stuffy nose without any other symptoms, check that he doesn't have something stuck in his nose. Even young babies are capable of putting things up there.

How do I treat my baby’s cold?

There’s no cure for the common cold, but it should go away on its own within a few weeks (NICE 2016). In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to ease your baby’s discomfort:

• Make sure your little one gets plenty of rest (RCHM 2019).
• Sit him upright when you can, as this helps him to breathe more easily (Whelan 2017).
• Offer him extra breastfeeds to keep his fluids up. If he’s formula-fed or on solids he can have extra drinks of water – just be sure to boil and then cool the water first if he’s under six months (NHS 2018b).
• If your baby has a fever and is miserable or irritable, infant paracetamol or infant ibuprofen can help relieve his fever and make him more comfortable (RCHM 2018, 2019). You can give your baby paracetamol if he’s one month or older. You can give him ibuprofen if he’s three months or older (RCHM 2018). Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure about the correct dose to give your baby.
• Your baby is too young to blow his own nose, so help him breathe more easily by wiping his nose for him. If your baby is having trouble feeding because of a stuffy nose, nasal saline drops (sterile salt water) may help unblock his nose (RCHM 2019). You can buy these from your pharmacy. Apply one or two drops to each nostril 15 minutes before a feed (NICE 2016).
• An infant vapour rub may help your baby breathe more easily (NICE 2016). You can buy a suitable one from your pharmacy, but make sure you check the manufacturer’s age guidelines, because vapour rubs are often only suitable from three months. Apply it to his chest and back, but don’t put it on his nostrils because this isn’t safe, and will sting.
• If the skin around your baby's nose is starting to become irritated, you can dab a little petroleum jelly on to soothe and protect it (WebMD 2017). Use it sparingly, though, so he doesn’t breathe it in or eat it.

Don’t give your baby any over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. They’re not suitable for children under seven years old because of the risk of side-effects, and there’s little evidence that they work (NICE 2016, TGA 2012).

Also avoid home remedies containing honey, which isn’t safe for babies under one year old (Sambrook 2017).

When should I take my baby to the doctor for a cold?

It’s always worth taking your baby to the GP if you have any concerns about his health. If nothing else, your doctor can help put your mind at rest and give you more tips on caring for your baby at home.

When your baby has a cold, take him to the GP if:

• At the first sign of illness if he’s younger than three months, and has a temperature of 38 degrees C or more (NHS 2016), looks listless or isn't feeding normally.
• He’s between three and six months, and his temperature is 39 degrees C or more (NHS 2016).
• His symptoms are getting worse rather than better after about five days (Sambrook 2017).
• He’s had a cough for three or four weeks (NHS 2018a, Sambrook 2017).
• He's rubbing his ears and seems irritated. This could signal an ear infection (NHS 2018a).
• He's been producing green, yellow or brown mucus for 10 days or more (Sambrook 2017).

If at any point your little one becomes listless or inactive, or more unwell than seems normal with a cold, see your doctor. And if he seems to be having trouble breathing, take him straight to your nearest hospital emergency department (NHS 2018a).

Why won’t my doctor prescribe antibiotics for my baby's cold?

Antibiotics can't fight your baby's cold because it's been caused by a virus (RCHM 2019). Antibiotics don't kill viruses, they kill bacteria.

This means that antibiotics only work against diseases and infections caused by bacteria, such as scarlet fever or impetigo.

Antibiotics are important medicines, but may do more harm than good if they’re taken when they're not needed, because:

• We all carry bacteria up our noses and in our digestive tracts. Some of these bacteria are helpful to our health. But when we take antibiotics, the antibiotics kill these helpful bacteria along with the harmful bacteria.
• Bacteria are clever. They can change and develop resistance to common antibiotics, making the antibiotics useless against them. The resulting superbugs are even more difficult to kill. So a baby who is treated too often with antibiotics can develop resistant organisms that are very hard to get rid of when they make him ill.
• Antibiotics may cause diarrhoea and allergic reactions. Diarrhoea can happen when antibiotics wipe out the protective bacteria in your baby's body. Allergic reactions may happen if your baby is often treated with antibiotics.
• Using antibiotics unnecessarily may have harmful effects on the wider population. As disease-causing germs become more resistant to antibiotics, bacterial illnesses become increasingly difficult to treat.

Can I help prevent my baby from getting colds?

If you’re breastfeeding, try to continue because this is one of the best ways to protect your baby's health. It passes antibodies to your baby that will help him fight infections. It isn't a foolproof way to protect your baby's health, but breastfed babies are better at fending off colds and other infections (NHS 2017).

You can also protect your little one by trying to keep him away from anyone with a cough or a cold. Or ask them to wash their hands thoroughly before holding your baby or touching his things (NICE 2016).

When your baby does have a cold, make sure everyone in the family washes their hands often to reduce the risk of it spreading (NHS 2018a, NICE 2016).

More about colds in babies:

• Learn the difference between the common cold and flu.
• How long will your baby's cold be contagious? Find out.
• Think you know how to identify and treat a common cold? Test your knowledge with our common-cold quiz.