Cough and Cold

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Coughing is the body’s natural way of clearing infections.
Unfortunately, coughs and colds can continue for weeks before they get better. In addition, over the winter, children are likely to get one viral infection after another, which can make you think that
they are never well. Things will get better in the summer months!
Most of these are likely to be caused by a virus, which means that antibiotics are of no benefit and may actually result in side effects such as rash, vomiting or a runny tummy. It may also mean that they might work less well the next time your child needs antibiotics (antibiotic resistance).
Having green snot, a wheeze or a noisy chest does not mean that your child has an infection requiring antibiotics.

What should you do?

To make your child more comfortable, you may want to give them paracetamol (calpol) and/or ibuprofen. Read the instructions on the bottle.
Babies may not feed as well as normal – try smaller feeds but more frequently.
Babies are often more unsettled when they have a cough/cold, especially at night. You could try saline drops for comfort.

If your child has any of the following:

Has blue lips
Is unresponsive or extremely drowsy
Has pauses in their breathing (apnoeas) l Has an irregular breathing pattern
Is under 3 months of age with a temperature of 38°C / 100.4°F or above (unless fever in the 48 hours following vaccinations and no other red or amber features)

You need urgent help go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or phone 999

If your child has any of the following:

Has decreased feeding (less than half of normal feeds)
Is passing significantly less urine than normal
Is not keeping down fluids
Is 3-6 months of age with a temperature above 39°C / 102.2°F (but fever is common in babies up to 2 days after they receive vaccinations)
Has breathing that is becoming more laboured l Seems to be getting worse or if you are worried