Cold and Flu

Few illnesses are more common than the cold. It can affect people of all ages, but infants and children catch colds more often than adults. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make them feel more comfortable if you notice cold or flu symptoms. Children will typically catch 5-10 colds a year, with symptoms lasting around 10 days.39-41

Thankfully, coughs and colds in children are rarely serious, and most colds get better on their own without treatment.

What causes colds?

There are many causes and contributing factors such as:

• Viruses. There are over 100 varieties. The most common is the rhinovirus.40
• Direct transmission. Cold viruses stay active on the hands of a person with a cold for about three hours. If they touch another person, and the other person then touches their own eyes, nose, or mouth, the cold virus spreads.39
• Indirect transmission. Some cold viruses can live on surfaces such as countertops and doorknobs for up to two to three hours.40,42
• Inhaling viral particles. Viruses can be exhaled into the air by the infected person coughing or sneezing, and then inhaled by another person.39

The best way to avoid catching a cold is by frequent hand washing. It is also a good idea to keep children away from sick people and to clean household surfaces and toys with disinfectants.39,40

Tips to manage colds

When your child is displaying symptoms of a cold, making them feel better is your top priority. Here are four remedies that may help:

• Inhale steam from the shower. Avoid using a bowl of hot water as hot steam may burn the lining of the nose and the hot water can easily be spilled.41
• Try saline drops (saltwater nose drops) or a nasal spray (followed by bulb suction for infants) to ease breathing.43
• Make sure they drink plenty of fluids and get enough sleep.39,43
• Give them some soup – research has shown it may help with the inflammation in cold infections and temporarily clear nasal passages.41,43