help...my baby is sick

[Jen]

Dear all,

I need help. DD is 7-week-old. She coughs and stuffy nose these two days. I
thought baby under 3 months won't be sick; however, I suspect her has got a
cold. Should I bring her to the family Dr.? Or should I give her any over
counter medicine? How can I tell if she is sick since I am not sure? What
should I do?

Please give me any wisdow words.

Thanks in advance

Jen

[andrea]

> Dear all,
>
> I need help. DD is 7-week-old. She coughs and stuffy nose these two days.
I
> thought baby under 3 months won't be sick; however, I suspect her has got
a
> cold. Should I bring her to the family Dr.? Or should I give her any over
> counter medicine? How can I tell if she is sick since I am not sure? What
> should I do?
>
> Please give me any wisdow words.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Jen

Hi Jen,

Does she have a high temp/fever? If not she may just be doing what all new
babies do. My Kamron coughs now and again and it sounds like he has a stuffy
nose, but a Dr once told me that they are just reacting to all the things in
the air like dust, that their little noses aren't used to.
If her coughing is excessive then she may well have a cough/cold. I was told
by my Dr to give a2.5 ml of Calpol (baby liquid paracetamol), only if there
is a high tempreture, as for babies this young a high temp can be dangerous,
and to use saline drops in the babies nose to help clear it. I got the
saline drops from a pharmacy, but I am sure there is a way to make your own,
someone here may know.

If she has a fever and appears unwell, especially if she refuses her feeds I
would take her to see your Doctor, just to be on the safe side.

--
Andrea mom of -
Peter 7, Ellie 5, Alden 3, Joseph 21 mths & little munchie man Kamron 6
weeks weighing 13 lbs!
Married to David since 2000.
"Jen" > wrote in message
...

[Naomi Pardue]

>I need help. DD is 7-week-old. She coughs and stuffy nose these two days. I
>thought baby under 3 months won't be sick; however, I suspect her has got a
>cold. Should I bring her to the family Dr.? Or should I give her any over
>counter medicine? How can I tell if she is sick since I am not sure? What
>should I do?
>
If she has a fever do bring her to the doctor. Any illness in a baby under 2
months old can be serious.
If it's just a little stuffiness and she seems ok otherwise, I'd just watch
her. (I wouldn't give her any OTC medicines though.)
Trust your instincts. If you think she is sick she is probably sick and you
should bring her to the doctor. If she is acting normal, despite the little
cough and stuffiness, she probably just has a little cold or is a little stuffy
(babies can get that way sometimes).



>Please give me any wisdow words.
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Jen
>
>
>
>
>
>


Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

[Astromum]

Jen wrote:
> I need help. DD is 7-week-old. She coughs and stuffy nose these two days. I
> thought baby under 3 months won't be sick; however, I suspect her has got a
> cold. Should I bring her to the family Dr.? Or should I give her any over
> counter medicine? How can I tell if she is sick since I am not sure? What
> should I do?

As already said: if she runs a fever, consult a doctor. They may look at
you like 'what are you here for, it's just a common cold', but you are
better safe than sorry at this age. Also, a fever can occur really sudden,
and be gone very quickly, so don't get too worried if she suddenly has
a very high temperature. Just cool her down with some cold wet washing
clothes and go to a ped.

Next thing: except for tylenol/paracetamol don't give her any medicine.
FWIW: you are probably more bothered by her cough and stuffy nose than
she is. You can help her by taking her into a shower which is nice and
steamy, or give her a (not too) hot bath. There are some bathing oils
especially for newborns with a cold, that contain aromatic oils that
help them breathe.

DS has had quite a number of colds, and infected us with it. It usually
took us at least twice as long to get well again as he did...

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD