Question
My daughter is three months old and will be three months old in three days. She caught a cold a few days ago after I changed her to thinner clothes when the weather warmed up. She’s been sneezing, coughing, and her voice has become hoarse. She cries and is restless at night when she sleeps. Last night, I changed her back to thicker clothes, and she sweated all night but didn’t have a fever. I’m not sure whether I should give her medicine and what kind of medicine to give her. Today, her condition is slightly better than yesterday, and I would like to ask how I should handle it.
Answer
As long as the baby is energetic, playing normally, and eating and sleeping as usual, parents should arrange for a quiet and comfortable environment for the baby, allowing her to rest fully and drink plenty of plain water to reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. If the baby has a stuffy nose, she can be placed to lie on her side at a 45-degree angle, elevating her head. If only one side of her nose is stuffy, she can take a side-lying position. Clearing nasal secretions in a timely manner will help maintain clear breathing. If necessary, you can apply a warm, damp towel to the forehead before feeding or before bedtime, or use 0.5% ephedrine nasal drops with one drop in each nostril. For breastfed babies, you can steam 50 milliliters of breast milk with 3-5 centimeters of scallion white for 10 minutes, then cool it to an appropriate temperature before giving it to the baby. This has the effect of clearing nasal passages. Avoid using nasal cleansers to prevent adverse reactions. If the baby’s body temperature is between 37.5 and 38.5 degrees Celsius, medication is not necessary; let the baby rest well and drink plenty of water.