Mostly… children often catch a cold, which is caused by a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. On average, a normal child has a chance of catching a cold 6-8 times per year and will have fewer colds as they get older. Common viruses that cause colds include Rhinovirus, Coronavirus, Parainfluenza virus, RSV, and Influenza virus.
Cold Symptoms in Children
Children may have symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea.
***A commonly misunderstood symptom is having green mucus. Generally, children have clear mucus on the first day, which may later turn green due to white blood cells releasing substances to eliminate the infection. Therefore, having yellow or green mucus does not always mean there is a secondary bacterial infection.
Care and Treatment for Colds in Children
Treat symptoms by taking fever-reducing medicine and wiping the body to reduce fever. Generally, colds will resolve on their own without the need for antibiotics.
When Should You Take Your Child to the Doctor?
- Children who are dehydrated, noticeable by dry mouth, reduced urination, inability to eat, lethargy, very high fever, especially children who have had febrile seizures.
- Having a cold for 7-14 days without improvement, requiring further history taking and physical examination to clearly differentiate the disease and provide appropriate treatment, such as:
- Sinusitis with chronic cold symptoms accompanied by high fever, headache, and eye socket pain.
- Allergic rhinitis with symptoms of itchy nose, itchy eyes, intermittent runny nose, or worsened symptoms when exposed to triggers.
- Middle ear infection where the child has ear pain and abnormal findings on the eardrum examination.
- Children with difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, chest retractions, flaring nostrils, or cyanosis.
- Children with a respiratory rate faster than the normal range for their age as follows:
- Age < 2 months: breathing rate > 60 breaths/minute
- Age 2 months-1 year: breathing rate > 50 breaths/minute
- Age 1-5 years: breathing rate > 40 breaths/minute
- Age > 5 years: breathing rate > 30 breaths/minute
If abnormal symptoms are found, such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea, these may be warning signs of a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. Parents should take their child to see a doctor to find the cause and make a clear differential diagnosis to receive appropriate treatment.
