5 Home Remedies For Cold In Toddlers, Causes And Treatment

Cold in toddlers is characterized by fever, coughing, and sneezing, along with a runny nose. It is a viral infection of the throat, sinuses, nose, or upper respiratory system as a whole and can be commonly seen in toddlers due to their weaker immune systems compared to adults. However, there are many home remedies for cold in toddlers. So, here we will tell you about the common cold in children, including its causes, symptoms, treatments, and home remedies. Read on.

How Common Is Cold In Toddlers?

Toddlers can catch a cold as many as eight to ten times every year before they turn two years old (1). It is most common in fall and winter. Colds may continue to occur throughout the toddlerhood frequently, and the frequency decreases after the age of six years (2)

Home Remedies For Cold In Toddlers

Toddlers can become irritable when down with a cold. You may help them feel better with the following measures (3) (4) (5).

• Let the child rest well. Although you won’t be able to restrict playtime completely, you may make sure that they take adequate naps and have some quiet time.

• Keep the toddler hydrated by providing essential fluids (such as warm milk, water, soup).

• You may use a cool-mist humidifier. Cool mist humidifiers may help make breathing easier for the toddler.

• Honey helps relieve symptoms of cough. But it should only be given to children older than one year.

• You may use saline drops from the chemist (the concentration then matches the body fluid function and it is less irritant) and a suction bulb to suck out mucus from the toddler’s stuffy nose. If you warm the drops to the body temperature before giving it, it can be less irritant to the young child.

Home remedies can help provide significant relief to the toddler. But cold can affect a toddler’s appetite, and it is essential to feed them right.

What To Feed A Toddler With Cold?

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you can feed the following food items to younger children with cold (6).

• Vegetable or chicken soup
• Broth
• Blended fruit chunks
• Soft fruits like bananas
• An assortment of fruits with easy-to-swallow pulp, like banana
• Applesauce
• Rice (boiled and mashed)

Cold may make swallowing painful. Therefore, give frequent sips of water to the little one to prevent the risk of dehydration.

What Causes Cold In Toddlers?

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 200 types of viruses that can cause cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common (3). Your toddler can catch a cold from you, siblings, other family members, playmates, or caregivers (at daycare).  A toddler can catch a cold virus:

• Through air: When a person with infection with cold sneezes or coughs without covering their mouth or nose, the expelled mucus and saliva droplets may be inhaled by the toddler.

• Through contact: When someone sneezes or coughs into their hands and then touches an object, the infection may spread through the object. A toddler may catch a cold when they touch the infected object and put their hands on their nose or mouth.

What Are The Symptoms Of Common Cold?

The symptoms of a cold peak in two to three days and include the following (4) (2):

• Sneezing and coughing
• Runny nose and nasal congestion
• Watery eyes
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Swelling in glands
• Trouble sleeping
• Sore throat (may cause excessive drooling or difficulty in swallowing)
• Fussiness or irritability

Initially, when the virus infects the nose and sinuses, the mucus is almost clear. However, after a day or two, the color may change to white, yellow, or green. This is normal. A few symptoms, such as a runny and stuffy nose and cough, may last for up to 10 to 14 days.

Do not self-diagnose these conditions based on the symptoms but take the toddler to a doctor.

When Should You Call the Doctor?

Consult your healthcare provider if the toddler experiences the following issues.

• Difficulty in breathing
• If the child can no longer drink because of a blocked nose or for other reasons
• Dehydration
• Fever (38-degree celsius or more) that has lasted for more than four days
• Symptoms have persisted and not improved in the past ten days
• Symptoms such as coughing and fever have returned or worsened after the initial decline
• Vomiting
• Bluish color around lips
• Drowsiness or difficulty in waking up from sleep

Can Cold Be Treated In Toddlers?

There is no cure for cold. It can get better on its own (3), and there is no need for medicine unless your child’s doctor prescribes it. Do not give any over-the-counter medicine to a toddler.  The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) states that children under the age of two years should not be given cold medicine or decongestant (5). If you seek medication for a toddler older than two years, then consult a pediatrician.

Do not self-medicate. You may follow some home remedies to help the toddler feel better.

How To Prevent Cold In Toddlers?

Parents can take the following measures to reduce the risk of cold in toddlers

• Avoid contact with those who have a cold or any upper respiratory tract infections. Avoid public transport or gatherings.

• Encourage good habits like washing hands after coming from outdoors and before eating food. While outdoors, you may use alcohol-based hand wipes and liquid sanitizers.

• Cover your mouth and nose while you are coughing or sneezing. Teach the toddler to do the same.

Basic hygiene is all that you can do to prevent colds in toddlers. There are times when the symptoms are similar and the toddler does not have a cold, but instead, another condition.

How Do Cold Symptoms Differ From Flu And Allergies?

The symptoms of cold are similar to those of flu and allergies. However, here is how they are different (7).

• According to the US National Institute of Health (NIH), the flu symptoms are usually more severe than that of the cold.

• Flu can cause headache, fatigue, body aches or pain, and a high fever that may last for more than three to four days.

• Allergies are the body’s immune reaction against a foreign allergen or a particle such as pollen, dust mites, food, mold inside a house, or pet dander.

• Allergens can cause your toddler’s respiratory tissues to swell, leading to a runny or stuffed nose. The symptoms persist as long as the child is exposed to the allergens.

• Allergies often cause itchy and watery eyes, which is less common in cold and flu. Also, allergies do not cause symptoms like fever, fatigue, weakness, exhaustion, or body ache.

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