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What To Do When Baby Gets Sick: 7 Solutions

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

It's very commom for newborn babies to get sick a lot - especially the ones in daycare. Having a sick baby is no fun, especially if you’ve worked so hard on getting her on a great sleep schedule and then it seems like you’re back to square one.

Contents

1. The Common Cold
2. The Flu
3. Ear Infection
4. Diarrhea
5. Conjunctivitis
6. Croup
7. Stomach Ache

Simple solutions for comforting kids when they fall sick-

1. The Common Cold

A cold is a minor infection in the nose and throat caused by any one of more than 200 viruses that your tot inhales or picks up from the things she touches. Young children get six to eight colds a year, primarily during fall and winter. Symptoms (a stuffy or runny nose and sneezing, coughing, and sometimes a fever) usually build for two to three days, peak for three to five, and then subside.

How to treat?

Try to avoid medicines. Run a humidifier in the baby's room while she sleeps as dry air worsens congestion. You can also drain her sinuses by elevating her head. Don’t put pillows directly under her head, however you can place books or pillows under the mattress while she sleeps. If she's not drinking breast milk or formula milk, give her water or an electrolyte drink, like Pedialyte.

When to call the doctor?

If your baby is a newborn, or if she has a high fever then take her to the doctor. A cold is normally not considered as serious, but when your baby is younger than 3 months, a cold can quickly turn into croup or pneumonia.

2. The Flu

It refers to a bad cold with a high fever (and occasionally diarrhea or vomiting) that comes on quite suddenly. This is a very contagious virus, which migrates fastly through daycares and families. An infected baby will be cranky and will lose interest in playing or eating. Then she'll develop a fever followed by a runny or stuffy nose and a cough. A flu-related fever can last three to seven days, and the kid can continue to feel cranky for a few days after that.

How to treat?

Give her plenty of liquids and watch out for severe coughing or breathing problems. To prevent a future bout, get your child vaccinated, which paediatricians always recommend for all kids over 6 months.

When to call the doctor?

If it is a flu season, say November to April, and your little one spikes a fever, see your doctor the same day. Also, visit the doctor if your baby is a newborn and sick, or if the symptoms don't improve within five days.

3. Ear Infection

The baby body language is tricky because sleepy kids often rub their ears. But if she tugs her ears and also has a stuffy nose and a fever, an ear infection might be the cause. Infants are especially prone to these.

How to Treat?

Try placing a warm, moist compress over your child's ear for about 10 to 15 minutes. Offer your child fluids often. Elevate your baby’s head.

When to call the doctor?

Your child care expert will look into your child’s ear to check for an infection. A severe, untreated infection can lead to a ruptured eardrum, and repeated ear infections can lead to hearing loss.

4. Diarrhea

Changing diapers especially if they are runny is not one of parenthood's joys. Watery and frequent bowel movements are often caused by a virus; but a bacterial infection, allergy, food intolerance, or medicine could also be to blame.

How to treat?

It usually lasts five to ten days. Give your baby lots of fluid to prevent dehydration. Offer her small, frequent doses of an electrolyte drink. Start with a tablespoon, slowly increasing the dose over time.

When to call the doctor?

If your sick baby has a high fever or bloody diarrhoea.

5. Conjunctivitis

It is also known as pinkeye. This condition makes your child's eyes look red and puffy. It usually affects both eyes at once but sometimes starts in one eye only. This occurs due to a bacterial or viral infection: yellow or green drainage signals bacterial; no tearing or pus indicates viral. Another way to differentiate: viral infections usually come with cold symptoms. Both are very contagious and spread quickly.

How to treat?

Gently wash the area with warm water to keep your baby's eye area clean. A warm compress will make your baby feel better.

When to call the doctor?

As soon as symptoms appear visit your doctor. Consultation will ensure the cause isn't bacterial and to get antibiotics if needed.

6. Croup

This is a simple cold, sometimes with a fever, until the coughing starts a few nights later. Croup almost always comes on after midnight. The raspy, barking cough and high-pitched whistle when the baby inhales are so distinct, doctors can often diagnose croup over the phone.

How to treat?

Keep your little one calm. Croup causes your little one's airways to get inflamed and narrow. Moisten the air by using a cool-mist humidifier to moisten dry air. Give plenty of fluids to keep him hydrated.

When to call the doctor?

If you hear the stridor whistle when your kiddo is resting, she's breathing rapidly, and you can see the skin near her ribs and throat pull in with each breath (called retractions), call the doctor.

7. Stomach Ache

Babies usually suffer from tummy aches. These are usually caused by eating too much or too little food, intestinal gas, or a mild viral infection. However, repeated stomach aches may result from colic, constipation, or urinary tract infection.

How to treat?

Some infants may have a so if you are breastfeeding your baby make sure you avoid eating milk, cheese, and butter for a week, and if you are bottle-feeding, try giving your child a soy-based formula as some infants may have a sensitivity to dairy proteins. Try massaging your baby. Rock your baby or swaddle her with a blanket in order to soothe her.

When to call the doctor:

A child who has recurring stomach aches should always be examined by a doctor.

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.

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