You will be amazed how often a baby or small child can be sick, and there is not enough soap or hand sanitizer in the world to prevent every occurrence. Truthfully, the immune system needs exposure to bacteria, viruses, and other germs to work as designed. However, here are some tips for at least preventing a few sleepless nights and days of missed work with a sick child.
For newborns
- Do not allow people to hold or touch your baby until they have washed their hands.
- Avoid kissing baby on the face, especially if you have a cold.
- Keep a newborn baby away from crowds, especially indoors.
- Don’t let anyone smoke around baby.
- Limit the time that preterm and high risk babies spend in a day care center, especially late fall to early spring when respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – a highly contagious virus that infects the respiratory tract – and other illnesses are most prevalent.
For older babies
- Teach your child and all caregivers to wash their hands frequently with soap and water for twenty seconds. Sing the Happy Birthday or ABC song if you are having difficulties reaching twenty seconds.
- Wash your child’s hands before eating and after trips to public places, despite protests and squirming. Roll up sleeves to the elbows to prevent unintended clothes changes.
- During peak cold and flu season, “detox” after day care. Wash baby’s hands, take off her shoes, and remove all clothing when you get home.
- Use hand sanitizer, if soap and water are unavailable, but don’t substitute triclosan-containing products for regular hand washings.
- In cold weather, bundle up the kids and go outside instead of hanging out in densely populated indoor areas such as malls, play gyms, and indoor playgrounds. Remember, germs are not just spread through direct contact. The flu virus spreads easily when respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze move through the air to the mouth or nose of others in close proximity.
- Teach your kids to sneeze into their elbow if they don’t have a tissue handy.
- If you know someone is sick, politely skip your visit or play date, especially if he or she has a fever.
- Clean and disinfect highly used surfaces. Studies have shown that the cold virus can survive up to two days on household surfaces:
- Telephones and cell phones
- Keyboards (including iPads and your mouse)
- Doorknobs and cabinets
- Refrigerator and microwave door handles
- Light switches
- Remote controls
- Bathroom and kitchen faucets
- Dishwasher handles
- Sponges
- Salt and pepper shakers
- Toothbrushes
- If baby has a cold, wash plastic toys in soap and hot water. Put cloth books and plush toys in the laundry. Wrap stuffed animals in a pillowcase for protection.
- Do your best to keep siblings’ toothbrushes separate, since as many as 10 million germs and bacteria can be found on a single toothbrush. The American Dental Association recommends replacing toothbrushes every three to four months.
- Keep a sick child at home until at least twenty-four hours after a fever has subsided, and he/she has no yellow or green mucus in the nose.
- Try a smart combination of remedies to treat minor illnesses at home:
- Plenty of fluids: soak baby’s nose with saline drops and suction out mucus before feedings
- Plenty of rest
- Plenty of love and attention
- A warm bath: the steam from the warm water should help clear congestion
- A vaporizer or humidifier: a vaporizer heats water until it turns to steam and a humidifier creates a cool mist (either one should help baby breathe easier as long as it is kept clean, though warm-air vaporizers do carry the risk of scalding)
- Be judicious when caring for your baby’s first illnesses, but be aware of first time parent “fever phobia.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) notes that fever is not an illness, but rather a physiologic response that is beneficial for fighting infection. Fever in and of itself it not known to endanger a generally healthy child; rather, fever may be beneficial.152
- Talk to your doctor about accurate medicine dosing and careful use of infant pain relievers. The AAP has recommended a milliliter-only standard to reduce the high incidence of parent medication errors.153
- Always use the medicine dispenser that came with your medicine.
- Double check all labels and double check your measurements.
- Never use a kitchen utensil to dispense medicine to your child.
- Follow through with all prescriptions. If you receive an antibiotic for your child, give it to her in full. Don’t stop it when your child is feeling better or he could get ill again.
- Never give a child expired or unused medications.
- Note your child’s weight, since dosages for most nonprescription drugs are based on weight, not age.
- Do not give any type of medicine to a child under age 3 months.
- Do not give ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin, to a child less than 6 months old.
Sources
152. Sullivan, J.E., et al., Fever and antipyretic use in children. Pediatrics, 2011. 127(3): p. 580-7.
153. Yin, H.S., et al. Unit of measurement used and parent medication dosing errors. Pediatrics, 2014. 134, e354-61 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-0395