Cough & Cold Season: Natural Remedies

02/09/2014

My daughter was only 3 months old when she got her first cold. Of course, as a new and nervous parent, I was anxious about it. Was I a bad mother? Should I/Could I have done more to protect her? What can I give her? Should I let her body fight it out?
My husband, who I know was only trying to help, asked me if she had pneumonia. My friend, was only concerned, when she asked me if she had whooping cough. (*Side note: Never, never give that additional anxiety to a new mother!)
I specifically remember calling our pediatrician’s office and describing the symptoms to the nurse. She was very calm and listened very patiently. When I finally finished explaining every inch of detail about her mucus/cough/temperature, she quietly asked me if this was my first child. She went on to say that when the next child comes along, I probably won’t even notice this type of cold.
Well my daughter, she made it through and went on to have four more colds in the first year of her life. It was another bad mother moment when I counted how many times she got sick. I secretly scolded myself for not keeping my child out of harm’s way more.
But, in speaking with naturopathic doctor Stephanie Andrews, I realized I might not be the world’s worst mother after all.

“There is a stigma when babies three months and under get a cold. It is very normal for a baby to get a cold, especially depending on the time of year. If you have a baby during the winter months there’s a higher likelihood of them getting a cold. In the summer it is less, but if you have lots of air conditioning, there’s a chance they could also get a cold from that. It doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.”
Halleluiah, I didn’t fail my daughter in year one.
So when it comes to babies, what can you expect when it comes to a cold? Here are the symptoms according to Dr. Andrews:
• Small babies typically get more nasal congestion – they don’t usually get strong coughs when they have a cold
• You’ll have help reduce congestion because it’s tough to feed with a blocked nose
• Babies 6 months to a year might have stronger coughs but it will still primarily be congestion and possibly a forceful cough
• If your baby does have a strong cough – it’s a good time to go and see a doctor

She says that infants and toddlers get about 6-8 colds a year.
“The younger they are, the more immature their immune systems are. They’re exposed less when they are infants and are at home more often. Once they get to the school age, they’re immune systems are getting better, but you can still expect 6-8 colds a year because they are surrounded by so many other children.”
What about the dreaded ‘f’ word … Fevers? I must have 3 thermometers for our daughter, and I find they don’t work that well. I have to find a better one, because I typically don’t check if she has a temperature. But what is the protocol when it comes to a child with a fever?
First let’s distinguish between the cold and the flu. The main difference between the two in adults, is that with the flu comes a fever. Children, however, can get a fever during a cold, but mainly because their immune systems are too immature and their primary method for killing viruses is to develop a fever.
(Just to be clear – a fever is anything above 38 degrees.)

If your child does have a fever/cough or cold, Dr. Andrews says the rules have changed lately:
“Health Canada has banned most cough and cold medication for children under the age of six. The only thing left on the pharmacy shelf is Tylenol cough & flu or Cough & Cold for kids. And if you look at the ingredients, it’s just tylenol.”
She suggests the following remedies to help:
• If they have a cough and cold, use a cold mist humidifier – moisture is helpful for respiratory tract
• Essential oils – tea tree oil, eucalyptus oils – will help kill the virus (put it in the humidifier – eucalyptus specifically, helps open the bronchial tubes to breathe better)
• Properly hydrate your child – keep breastfeeding but don’t force
• Older kids you can try to give them popsicles (healthy home made ones) that way they can get the fluids and the proper electrolyte mix

• Boiron specializes in homeopathic remedies for children – among their line of products is Coryzalia which helps with infants/children who are conjested with stuffy noses, runny noses. She highly recommends this as it has NO preservatives or colours
• Herbal teas, chamomile tea, mint or sage tea, even a few teaspoons is helpful
• Rest! Rest! Rest! Important they are getting lots of sleep, extra sleep if they can
• If you have a baby who cannot blow their noses, you can aspirate with very small saline drops to help soften up the mucus in the nose or suck it out with an aspirator. (Hydrasense has a very good aspirator!)
The last option, sucking the mucus out of your babies nose, was a hot topic in one of our Mom & Baby classes. The ‘snot-suckers’ do have a shield that prevents the snot from going into your mouth, so it is completely sanitary. However, it’s getting past the idea of what you are doing that was the issue for a few parents. Whatever the case, most children don’t learn how to blow their noses until they are three, so you’ll have to find a way to do it.

One of the reasons Dr. Andrews always suggests Boiron to her patients is because it helps the child’s body to handle the condition on their own. The ingredients are dye free and have no preservatives which helps keep things more natural.
Finally, some words of wisdom from Dr. Andrews:
“Getting sick is natural. This is how a child’s immune system learns. If a child is not getting sick, it means their immune system is not working. It’s tough to hear, but it is a good thing for them and their bodies to get colds so they can begin to build immunity as they grow up.”
Good thing because my daughter currently is getting over another cold. So far this is the first one this year. One down, 5 more to go.
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