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Symptoms & Conditions > Children's > Colds >
Children's Colds

Colds are caused by viruses that can be passed from person to person with a sneeze or a cough. In the first two years of life, most children have 8 to 10 colds each year. Most colds are caused by the rhinovirus. There are more than 100 strains of this virus, but each time children catch a cold, they develop immunity to that strain. By the time children reach kindergarten, they have built up their resistance, and the number of colds they suffer each year drops to five or six.

Most colds start with a sore throat. Sneezing and stuffiness may follow, and by the third day, a cough and a fever of up to 102° F may develop as well.

Symptoms of a cold:
  • Runny nose
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sneezing
  • Red eyes
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Stuffy nose
  • Slight fever

A child usually has a cold for three to five days. Though there's no cure, you can make your child more comfortable with lots of rest, extra fluids and over-the-counter medication to relieve the symptoms.

If your child is 6 months old or younger, you should call your child's doctor at the first sign of illness.


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Tips for Cold Relief
  • Be sure to give your child plenty of fluids, which can help thin mucus, relieve stuffy noses and soothe sore throats.
  • Use a cool mist vaporizer in your child's bedroom to reduce coughing, which often gets worse at night.
  • Use a nasal aspirator (a syringe that sucks mucus from the nostrils) to relieve stuffy noses in smaller children and infants. Your doctor may suggest using both the syringe and saline drops.
  • Older toddlers can be taught to blow their noses.
  • For smaller children, raise the head of the crib (with a book or pillow under the mattress) to ease congestion and coughing.

Tips for Cold Prevention
  • Make sure that your child and his or her caregivers wash their hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs.
  • Discourage your child from sharing food, utensils and toothbrushes with other children.
  • Wash plastic toys that children put in their mouths regularly.
  • Avoid touching nose and eyes. This will also help to limit the spread of germs.

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