Children and colds: what to expect

The average preschooler can get 6-12 colds a year. Sometimes, especially in winter, it might seem that your child is sick for weeks at a time, barely getting over one cold before getting another one.

Colds are also called upper respiratory tract infections.

Young children get a lot of colds because they haven’t had a chance to build up immunity to the many viruses that cause colds. As your child gets older, they’ll gradually build up immunity and get fewer colds.

What causes colds?

Most colds are caused by viruses. In fact, there are over 200 types of viruses that can cause colds.

The viruses that cause colds are spread by sneezing, coughing and hand contact.

Cold weather doesn’t cause colds, but colds are more common in the winter months. This is for a few reasons:

• People are in closer contact with each other because they stay indoors.
• Cold viruses stay in the air and on surfaces longer in cold, dry environments.
• Your body’s ability to fight cold viruses is reduced at lower temperatures.

What are cold symptoms in children?

Symptoms vary from child to child and from illness to illness. They can include:

• stuffy or runny nose
• sneezing
• sore throat and ears
• cough
• headache
• red eyes
• swollen lymph glands
• occasional fever.

Often, your child will lose their appetite, and they might even feel sick or vomit. Your child might be irritable too.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell the symptoms of cold and flu apart. When people say they have the flu, it’s more likely that they have a cold. People with flu might have muscle pain and chills.

When to take children with cold symptoms to a doctor

Almost all colds get better by themselves.

When to see a GP

Your child:

• won’t drink fluids
• vomits frequently
• is unusually tired or sleepy
• has a fever that doesn’t improve in 48 hours
• has a cough that lasts more than 2 weeks
• has noisy breathing, breathing difficulty or wheezing
• has asthma or other chronic lung disease.

Also see your GP if your child has a cold and doesn’t seem to be getting better after 48 hours or if you’re worried about their symptoms.

When to call 000 or go to a hospital emergency department

Your child:

• is younger than 3 months and has a fever
• complains of an intense headache
• is pale and sleepy
• is having increasing difficulty breathing or is breathing faster or harder than usual
• has a rash that doesn’t disappear when you hold a glass pressed against the rash.

Most children with colds don’t need any tests. Sometimes your GP might do tests to rule out other conditions. Very occasionally your GP might order a blood test or throat or nasal swab or take a urine sample. Rarely, your GP might order a chest X-ray.

How to treat a cold

There’s no cure for the common cold. There’s also no specific treatment that can make a cold go away more quickly. The best thing is to treat the symptoms.

It’s very important to make sure your child is drinking enough fluids so they don’t get dehydration. Our article on preventing and treating dehydration explains how much fluid children of different ages need and how often they need it.

Children of all ages: tips for comfort

• If your child has a fever and is in pain or discomfort, give them paracetamol in the recommended dose and frequency. You can also give ibuprofen to children aged over 3 months.
• Let your child eat according to their appetite. Your child might not be hungry while they have a fever. Their appetite will come back as they start to feel better.
• Try giving your child saline nasal drops, which might help to ease a blocked nose.
• Try one teaspoon of honey at night, which might help to reduce coughing. But don’t give honey to children under 12 months because it can increase the risk of infant botulism.
• Encourage your child to take things easy, but there’s no need for them to stay in bed or inside. Just let your child decide how active they want to be.
• Let your child have dairy products if they want them. Dairy products have no effect on mucus.

Things to avoid, unless recommended by a doctor

• Cough medicines – your child is coughing because their windpipe is irritated or has a lot of mucus, and cough medicines won’t help with either of these issues.
• Decongestants like Benadryl, Bisolvon, Demazin, Dimetapp, Duro-tuss, Logicin, Robitussin and Sudafed – these can cause side effects like rapid heart rate, jitteriness and insomnia. These medicines can also increase the time it takes to recover from a cold.
• Antibiotics – colds are usually caused by viruses, so antibiotics won’t help and can even cause stomach upsets and diarrhoea.
• Steam baths – inhaling steam can cause burns if your child does it incorrectly.
• Alternative medicines and treatments – these probably don’t help children, and some can even have harmful side effects. For example, inhaling eucalyptus or other essential oils can irritate or even burn some children’s airways.

Ask your pharmacist or GP if you aren’t sure about what medicines or treatments are best for your child.

Don’t give aspirin to children under 12 years unless it’s prescribed by a doctor. Aspirin can make children susceptible to Reye’s syndrome. If you’re giving your child any over-the-counter medicines, check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure these have no aspirin.

How long do colds last?

Cold symptoms usually last anywhere from a few days to a week or more. Your child will usually recover fully without any problems.

Can colds lead to complications?

Very occasionally colds can lead to complications like ear infection, laryngitis, croup or lower respiratory tract infections like bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

Can you stop your child from getting colds?

There are simple things you and your child can do to reduce your child’s chances of getting a cold or passing on a cold:

• Wash your hands with warm soapy water after sneezing, coughing and blowing noses, and before eating.
• Cough into your elbow to avoid getting germs on your hands.
• Don’t share drink bottles, cups and utensils with people who have colds.

Supplements like vitamin C and echinacea don’t stop children getting colds. And there’s no evidence that vitamin C or echinacea has any effect on how long or how bad colds are in children if your child starts taking these treatments after they get a cold.

There’s evidence that probiotics can reduce how often you get colds and how long they last. But probiotics aren’t as highly regulated as prescription medicines, so not all probiotic products will work the way they’re supposed to. It’s best to talk with your pharmacist or GP about the product you’re interested in.