Dab petroleum jelly on the outside of the baby's nostrils to reduce irritation.This will clear the mucus out of the baby’s nose and allow the baby to breathe and suck at the same time. Suction out the liquid and mucus a few minutes later with rubber bulb. About 15 minutes before a feeding, use some over-the-counter saline (salt water) drops to loosen up the mucus in the baby’s nostrils. Since most babies cannot blow their nose until about age 4, these methods may help ease the baby's stuffy nose: At 6 months, the baby can also have some water. For babies 6 months or younger, let them drink breast milk or formula. Do not give the baby over-the-counter cough and cold medicines unless the doctor prescribes it. Sometimes, children may develop complications from bacteria, such as an ear infection or pneumonia, and antibiotics may then be used to treat these illnesses. Most colds go away on their own after about seven to 10 days and do not turn into something more serious.Īntibiotics cannot be used to treat colds. Not eating or drinking, possible dehydration.Difficulty breathing (especially if the baby’s nostrils widen with each breath), wheezing, fast breathing, or ribs showing with each breath.These symptoms could mean that the baby has something more serious than a cold: If your child has any of the following symptoms, call your doctor. How do cold symptoms differ from flu symptoms, or some other illness? Increased drooling because of sore throat and difficulty swallowing.Runny nose (the discharge may start out clear later, it becomes thicker, and may be gray, yellow or green).What are the symptoms of the common cold in a baby? That’s because children are indoors more and in close contact with other babies and caregivers who may have the cold virus. Most colds are seen in the fall and winter. Before turning 2 years old, a baby can get as many as 8 to 10 colds a year. Babies have not yet built up their immune system to fight all of these germs. There are more than 100 different cold viruses.