Whenever the seasons change, babies are prone to catching colds. This is because babies have weak immune systems, combined with improper feeding, making them more susceptible to colds. Many parents do not know how to treat their babies' colds effectively.
Common Causes of Baby Colds
Babies under 1 year old have weak immune systems and are prone to catching colds, with about 80-90% of baby colds being caused by viruses.
1. Baby's own factors
The nasal cavity of infants is not fully developed, so they cannot adapt well to the external environment and have a lower resistance. If babies are premature or have congenital diseases or disabilities, their immune system will also be weaker, making them more susceptible to colds.
2. Feeding methods
Picky eating, selective eating, and loss of appetite can lead to malnutrition in babies. Calcium, iron, zinc, protein, and vitamin A are all essential nutrients for enhancing baby's immune system. If the nutrition is insufficient, babies are more likely to catch colds.
3. External environment
Poor home environment, polluted air, and smoking in the household can all trigger colds. Another reason is that parents do not timely adjust their child's clothing according to the temperature, causing the child to sweat and become cold, making them more prone to catching colds.
4. Lack of exercise
Many parents believe that young children do not need exercise, but the fact is that regular sweating and physical activity can improve the child's physique and strengthen their resistance, reducing the likelihood of catching colds.
Nursing Care for Baby Colds
1. Proper use of combination cough and cold medicine
"Combination" means that a medicine contains multiple active ingredients. However, combination cough and cold medicine only alleviate the symptoms such as cough and runny nose caused by colds, without eliminating the cause. Different pharmaceutical companies may produce combination cough and cold medicines with the same ingredients, but they are sold under different brand names in pharmacies, making it easy to overdose and cause poisoning.
2. Improve dry environment
Viruses and bacteria often adhere to dust particles several times larger than themselves, which enter the human body through baby's breathing, accumulating over time and causing severe damage. Dry air leads to dust flying, and the dust carrying bacteria is inhaled into the respiratory tract, causing respiratory infections and promoting the growth and reproduction of some viruses and bacteria. Japanese scholars have obtained quantified values: appropriate humidity can effectively inhibit the survival of influenza viruses. When the humidity is below 35%, the survival time of influenza viruses exceeds 24 hours; when the humidity is above 50%, the survival time of influenza bacteria does not exceed 10 hours. Therefore, as long as the humidity is appropriately increased and controlled above 50%, it can effectively inhibit the survival of influenza viruses and prevent viral invasion.
3. Maintain normal temperature
Appropriate temperature and humidity are important factors in keeping baby's respiratory tract clean. When the indoor temperature is too high and the humidity is too low, it greatly reduces the ciliary movement function of the baby's respiratory tract, weakens the respiratory tract's ability to resist bacteria, repeatedly exposes to pathogenic bacteria, and damages the respiratory mucosa, leading to persistent cough. For young babies, the most suitable indoor temperature is 18-22°C.
Preventing Baby Colds
1. Do not dress the baby too warmly, but be prepared to adjust their clothing as necessary.
If your baby is dressed too warmly, they may sweat when the temperature rises or when they are active. At this time, if they are exposed to cold wind, they are more likely to catch colds due to the chill. Therefore, it is best to choose breathable, sweat-absorbing, and lightweight clothing for your baby. At the same time, carry a thicker outer garment and put it on or take it off according to the situation.
When the baby is sweating from exercise, do not immediately remove their clothing. Use a dry towel to wipe off the sweat, and then remove one layer of clothing later. If the baby is not active or feels cold, quickly put back on the outer garment that was removed.
2. Increase the baby's outdoor activities and time spent outside.
After the long winter, when the weather is sunny and less windy, take the baby outside to bask in the sun and breathe fresh air, enhancing their ability to resist illnesses.
3. Pay attention to reducing the risk of cross-infection.
When the baby increases their outdoor activities, also pay attention to reducing the risk of cross-infection by avoiding crowded places. After returning home, remember to wash your hands as well as your baby's hands. Before family members and friends hold the baby, they should also wash their hands with soap and water. If a family member has a cold, ensure that the home is well-ventilated.
