SAFE COLD REMEDIES FOR MUMS AND BABIES
So it ’ s happened , you and your baby have come down with a cold . While nothing but time will cure a cold , there are some remedies that are safe for you and baby that will ease the symptoms and make you feel better . For pregnant women and young babies it ’ s always best to get advice from your GP , practice nurse , LMC or pharmacist before taking any remedy , but below are some tips to keep in mind .
Pregnant mums The best thing to do is get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids . Paracetamol can be useful for any aches and pains . If necessary , some nasal sprays can help with decongestion , but talk to your pharmacist about which ones are safe in pregnancy . Saline nose drops are an alternative or steam inhalations , but take care to avoid scalding . Avoid combination cold remedies as they contain some drugs which are not ideal for your baby . If you have a temperature , talk to your LMC and / or your GP at once .
Breastfeeding mums The same things that are useful for pregnant Mums will of course be OK if breastfeeding . Again , it ’ s very important to keep up with extra fluids and get plenty of rest . Generally , codeine and pseudoephedrine should be avoided but if you feel like you need something extra talk to your health professional who can advise you accordingly .
Babies It ’ s important to keep babies hydrated , but if baby has a stuffy nose they may have difficulty breathing while feeding so feeds may take longer and be interrupted . Feeds can help calm baby down and
feel loved and cared for , and the sucking can also relieve blocked ears . If you ’ re breastfeeding , let baby feed as often as they want . If baby ’ s formula fed , give extra formula and / or cooled boiled water . Small frequent feeds are often the way to go .
Use a nose dropper to put 1 -2 drops of cooled boiled water in each nostril before feeds ( this is probably a two parent job !). This will loosen any crusty build-up and may trigger sneezing to clear out a blocked nose . Saline nose drops are also a useful alternative . For slightly older babies Karvol
18 decongestant capsules can be obtained from the pharmacist — they contain pine oil and menthol .
Plasmids
Ribosomes
Chromosome
Cell Wall
Cell membrane
Flagella
Sprinkle contents into hot water , and place in the room a little way away from the cot to let the baby inhale the vapour but not be at risk of steam injury .
Baby Vicks can help with congestion and can be put on a cloth and pinned to baby ’ s clothes rather than put directly on baby ’ s chest or back .
For older babies , giving liquid paracetamol , at the correct dosage for baby ’ s age and weight , can relieve them of low grade pain and discomfort and help them sleep . Always follow the directions on the bottle and never give babies adult strength cold remedies .
Give baby lots of cuddles — it ’ ll