Education & Family :: Kids |
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Dealing With Your Toddler's First Cold |
| How to react and how to deal with your toddlers first cold. |
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There is no doubt about it. Your toddler’s first cold is hard to watch as your toddler
snuffles and tries to breathe through his stuffed nose. You won’t be able to give
him medication for his first cold since he is too young. There won’t be much that
you can do while your toddler gets over the cold except be there to soothe what will
likely be a grumpy, uncomfortable infant.
Your sick toddler will more than likely have a fever to accompany that cold,
anywhere from 38 degrees C to 101 degrees F. There might be a cough, sore
throat, runny nose, and red/watery eyes. Your toddler will be irritable and grumpy
because of his stuffy nose. If your toddler is under six months old he won’t be able
to breathe through his nose if he is all stuffed up so he will be having some
trouble eating and breathing. Your toddler won’t yet be able to blow his nose so
there will be the added misery of the runny nose. You can almost be assured
that if your toddler was sleeping through the night before the cold hit that he will no
longer be that doing that after the cold. He will probably be up several times
during the night because of his inability to breathe.
Your toddler’s cold may last for two to 10 days. If your toddler is very young the cold
may linger for up to two weeks. Your toddler will have from between six to 10 colds
by the time he is two years old. And each cold is just as hard on you and your
toddler as the first one.
If your toddler is under three months old when he gets his cold you should contact
your doctor. If your toddler is over three months old you only need to contact your
doctor if the fever gets too high, the cold lasts too long, or you suspect your toddler
may have an ear infection, cough, or other secondary problem from his cold.
Until the cold disappears there are several things that you can do to ease your
toddler’s discomfort during his cold:
• Make sure your toddler gets lots of rest.
• Give your toddler plenty of liquids, especially if the cold is accompanied by a
fever.
• Elevate your toddler’s head if he is stuffed up and congested. You can do
this by putting a pillow or two under the crib mattress at one end.
• Since your toddler cannot blow his own nose you will have to wipe it gently
to help him breathe easier.
• Use a cool mist vaporizer to keep the air most.
• Give your toddler extra cuddles, love and patience.
By Sarah Ashley
Sarah Ashley is a mother of 3, professional writer/reseacher and the author of the soon to be released "Meaningful Play: Super Fun Toddler Activities for Developmental Acceleration". For more information check out http://www.toddlerplaytime.com.
Article Source: www.activehowto.com
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Posted 2006-04-27 19:54:28 By Sarah Ashley
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