What to eat for a child with a cold?

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on September 03, 2024
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If a child's cold is considered to be caused by a viral infection, it is important to monitor the baby's temperature and mental response, among other factors. If the child does not have a fever, or only has a low fever and is in good spirits, simply monitoring the baby’s condition and ensuring they drink plenty of warm water and eat light, easily digestible foods is sufficient, with no other special requirements needed. However, some colds, such as those with persistent high fever, lethargy, and poor responsiveness, are more serious and require immediate attention. It is crucial to visit the hospital for further diagnosis and treatment in these cases. Sometimes, the impact of a cold should not be underestimated, as diseases like myocarditis and intracranial infections can initially be triggered by a cold. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis is necessary to make a judgement, and treatment should proceed under the guidance of a doctor.

Other Voices

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Is cold with yellow phlegm caused by a wind-cold cold or a heat cold?

Cold with yellow phlegm is generally classified as a wind-heat cold in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Colds are categorized based on the different pathogenic factors involved: wind-cold colds and wind-heat colds. A wind-cold cold is primarily caused by exposure to pathogenic wind-cold, characterized mainly by coughing up white phlegm, feeling chilly but not hot, and a reluctance to drink water. On the other hand, a wind-heat cold follows exposure to external wind-heat pathogens. Its symptoms include feeling hot instead of cold, coughing, yellow phlegm, yellow nasal discharge, sweating, irritability, and constipation. Therefore, the presence of yellow phlegm typically indicates a wind-heat cold. There are many medicinal treatments for wind-heat colds, particularly those that clear heat and detoxify the body, all of which can be used to treat a wind-heat cold.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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How to take care of a baby with a cold

When a baby has a cold, it indicates that the baby has an acute upper respiratory infection. Over 90% of colds are caused by viral infections, and 10% are caused by bacterial infections. When a child catches a cold, in addition to administering medication, nursing care is very important. First, the child should be allowed to rest, sleep more, drink plenty of plain water, and avoid vigorous activities. It is important to monitor the child's temperature and promptly manage any symptoms if the child develops a fever. Additionally, ensure that the child's diet is light and easy to digest; it's better to drink more soups and avoid fatty meats or sweets. Also, under the guidance of a doctor, administer symptomatic medications to the child, and always follow the instructions carefully when using medications to avoid taking too much or too little, as either can be inappropriate.

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Written by Huang Kun Mei
Pediatrics
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What are the symptoms of a baby's cold?

Babies with a cold often experience symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and fever. If the child's cold lasts no more than three days, you can treat it with some antiviral traditional Chinese medicine, as most initial colds are caused by viral infections. In terms of diet, it is important to ensure that the child consumes plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, avoids overly greasy food, and eats light, easily digestible meals. If the cold raises the child's temperature above 39°C, timely fever-reducing treatment is necessary. If the temperature does not exceed 38.5°C, physical cooling methods can be used to help reduce the child's fever. Additionally, it is important to ventilate the room for two hours every day.

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Written by Zhang Ying Ying
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Can you take medicine for wind-heat cold when you have a wind-cold cold?

The main symptoms of a cold caused by wind-cold are a significant chill and heavy feeling, mild fever, absence of sweating, headache, sore limbs, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing up white, thin phlegm. The primary treatment method is to disperse wind-cold using pungent and warm herbs. For treating a cold caused by wind-heat, one should use cooling herbs to disperse wind-heat. Therefore, the medicines for wind-heat cold should not be consumed during a wind-cold cold, as their treatment methods are completely contrary and would only worsen the symptoms.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What should I do if I have a cold, nasal congestion, and vomiting?

A cold, commonly referred to as an upper respiratory tract infection, often occurs due to a decrease in immune function, leading to symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing due to viruses entering the respiratory tract. Clinical symptoms like fever and cough are most common. Some patients may also experience varying degrees of nausea, vomiting, and even loss of appetite. These symptoms are primarily considered to be caused by a gastrointestinal type of cold. Therefore, for such patients, it is first necessary to conduct relevant auxiliary examinations to determine if the symptoms are due to a viral gastrointestinal cold. Once confirmed, timely antiviral treatments and detoxification should be administered. Additionally, patients are advised to follow a bland diet, eat smaller, more frequent meals, and consume easily digestible foods. As long as the cold symptoms are effectively controlled, the symptoms of nausea and vomiting will also alleviate.