We’ve been getting lots of phone calls, and here’s what the CDC says:
The symptoms of flu can include fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). Cold symptoms are usually milder than the symptoms of flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose.
This handout can be helpful in managing colds this winter, and as always if you have specific concerns about your child feel free to call our office at 650.216.7794.
What to know
Q. How do I know if my child has the cold or the flu?
Most colds start with a sore throat and a stuffy nose, followed by other symptoms like cough, watery eyes, and a mild fever. The flu tends to come on more suddenly and severely than a cold, with a higher fever and chills.
Q. When can my child return to school?
Once your child is fever-free for 24 hours without medicine, she can usually return to school. If your child has a runny nose or is sneezing, be sure to send along plenty of tissues. Remind your child to dispose of them properly and wash her hands with soap afterwards.
Q. What are the signs it’s something more serious?
Call your doctor right away if your baby is under 3 months and has a fever over 100.4 deg F. If your child is older than 3 months and has a fever over 100.4 deg F for more than 2 days, labored or rapid breathing, or excessive tiredness or her cough doesn’t go away after a week, it’s time to see your doctor.
How to Manage Your Child’s Cough and Cold
Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers get about 7 to 8 colds a year. School-age children get 5 to 6 colds each year.
Cold symptoms usually appear 2 or 3 days after exposure to the virus. Most colds clear up within one week, but they can last longer.
More than 200 viruses are responsible for the cold. The most common are called rhinoviruses.
Colds are most contagious during the first 3 days of symptoms, but your child can catch a cold for someone who has been sick for up to 2 weeks.
Comforting a Child with a Cold
Relieve a stuffy nose:
Give your child plenty of fluids, which will help thin mucus. Use saline drops or sprays to help unclog a stuffy nose. A cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room will help thin mucus and ease congestion.
Ease night time coughing:
One teaspoon of honey at bedtime may help relieve nighttime cough in children ages 6 to 11. Give 2 teaspoons to children 12 and older and ½ teaspoon to children ages 1 to 5. Don’t give honey to children younger than a year because of the risk of botulism, a rare but serious kind of food poisoning.
Soothe a sore throat:
Have your child gargle with warm salt water– dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. You can also give her warm drinks, like tea, or cold foods, like frozen yogurt.
Don’t starve a cold:
To keep her body strong and help her fight the infection, be sure your child eats. If she doesn’t have much of an appetite for a couple of days, don’t worry. Just make sure she keeps drinking plenty of fluids.