My almost 2 yr. old has a nasty cold!

[Bigsweetie]

Hi Dana,
My daughter Emily who is 21 months old has a nasty little cold. This is only her fourth cold but it's the yuckiest yet. She's not running a fever and she's acting happy and running around during the day, but at night it's a different story.

Obviously she hasn't mastered blowing her nose yet or understanding why I keep trying to get her to drink her water/juice all the time. She's got a stuffy/runny nose that's keeping her awake most of the night along with a cough. Her cough sounds productive, but she's just swallowing it back down and the runny/stuffy nose is making her gag.

I'm wondering what I should give her to help her sleep. I know that there's not much you can do for a cold til it runs it's course, but I need to ease her symptoms at least so she can get some sleep. I fear that she's just making herself sicker by being up all night long crying, dry heaving, etc.

My mom picked up a Vicks nighlight that emits a scent to help her sleep. She also got some baby Vicks vaporub stuff to put under her nose so she can breathe (the real reason she wakes up after only sleeping for 1/2 hour). Also, the pharmacist told her to give Em some Children's Dimetapp to help dry up her nose and give her some rest.

Which of these (if any) do you recommend I use? I just want to help her sleep... she's so upset and sad and tired.

Thanks Dana!

One confused/tired mamma

[Dana]

The Dimetapp should be fine for her. Usually they say for anyone over 2 y/o. 21 mo is close enough. Oral fluids are very important to keep secreations thin and moving.

Vicks is an old remedy. Recently read that it can be harmful to the lungs so I wouldn't use it for long, couple nights should be fine. My parents use to use it on my chest when I was little with a cold.... funny, I now have asthma???

Might also consider a humidifier in her room, especially at night. Don't forget the good old suction bulb. Little ones hate it but it works really well to clear the nasal secreations until they learn how to do it.

Wishing you BOTH restful sleep
Dana

[MQAAord]

I heart Dimetapp (The kid's stuff with the purple label.)

We've used it for years. I second the humidifier. My kids fought viciously against the snot-sucker, so I only had marginal luck with that.

Kids' colds suck. Hope she gets better soon We're all battling a cold here too.

[roz]

Ah, the 600 colds by age six situation...It's worse if they're not in daycare and not exposed to the 550 remining colds till age six! Oh, and the parents get them too! I know, I got them all!

I hope Emily is feeling much better now!

[Bigsweetie]

Thanks for the info everyone!

I had given her the Dimetapp on Sat. night but it just made her drowsy, but she still cried, coughed and gagged.

She was so bad we took her to urgent care Sunday morning and they sent her over to the ER. She has a mild case of Croup and an ear infection. They gave her some nebulizer treatments and a steroid shot and she did MUCH better on Monday. She slept great Sunday night and last night too! She's my happy girl again! We're still giving her a ton of prescribed medicines, but we're getting there.

This is only her fourth cold, but it was a doozy. I had two different medical professionals ask me if she was in daycare. Must be common there? I don't know... DH brought this one home.

Now i'm sick with it and so is my mom who's been here helping me with Emily since Kalitta has Eric down at the hotel waiting for a trip.

Thanks again everyone!

[av8rwyf]

Be wary of persistant symptoms w/ no fever! My youngest almost NEVER runs a fever w/ his ear infections and he suffers the same symptoms your little one does when sick. Thick mucus in the nose and a nasty phlegmy cough. He stays on the neb too! Only a couple more months left and hopefully we'll have a warm Spring! (yuh! right!) Best of luck!