How to Treat Baby Illness
It’s difficult to see your infant feeling under the weather but it’s also inevitable at times. Occasional fevers and infections are normal and every baby will experience them at some point. At your baby’s age, common colds and fever are generally not as worrisome as they are when a baby is three months or younger, but knowing what is normal and what is not can help you feel more confident in treating your baby.
The following guide will shed some light on common illnesses your baby may experience, how to treat them and when to call a doctor.
Constipation. When an infant is constipated, the stool in their intestine has backed up more than it should and they will have difficulty passing it. The most common causes for infant constipation is when their diet changes or they are dehydrated. Signs of constipation include infrequent, hard stool that appears painful to pass. To relieve constipation, there are a few things you can do:
- Massage your baby’s belly. Place your fingertips just under your baby’s navel and rotate them clockwise. Pressure should be gentle but steady and this area should be massaged for about three minutes.
- Encourage exercise. Your baby may not feel like much activity but you can help him along by placing him on his back and gently moving his legs for him. Use a pedalling motion that brings his knees to his chest as his legs ‘bicycle’ in the air. This motion applies pressure to the abdomen and can help to relax the rectum.
- Lots of liquids. Increase the amount of liquids your baby is drinking. If dehydration is the cause of the constipation, then the added liquid will help promote softer stools that your baby can more easily pass. Prune juice is often recommended: dilute it with water at a ratio of one to one and give this to your baby twice a day.
- Bath time. A warm bath may help relax baby, which can lead to him passing the stool.
- Change baby’s diet. You may want to avoid rice, bananas and apples, which can be constipating. Encourage your baby to eat plums, apricots, prunes, peaches and pears, which can help get things moving again.
Although most babies suffer from constipation at some point, it is important to speak to your doctor about your baby’s symptoms in order to rule out an underlying medical problem.
Dehydration. This is often caused by diarrhea, which can drain a baby’s body of its small fluid reserves. Symptoms include: a dry mouth, crying without tears, less elasticity in skin, eyes or the soft spot on your baby’s head seem sunken, your baby is not producing his normal amount of wet diapers. To treat: increase your baby’s liquid consumption and contact your doctor, who may recommend an oral rehydration solution (ORS).
Diarrhea. It is most often caused by a viral or bacterial infection, but could also be due to something he ingested, a course of antibiotics or a parasite.1 Most cases of diarrhea are not anything to worry about, as long as your baby is hydrated throughout. If your baby’s diarrhea is accompanied by a fever or chills, blood in his stool or vomiting, contact your doctor to find out whether the diarrhea just needs to run its course or if it is more serious.
Colds. Most babies will have colds a number of times per year because their immune system is immature and because they tend to touch everything around them, making the odds that they will pick up a cold virus greater. Symptoms include nasal congestion and a runny nose, sometimes accompanied by a cough. Your baby may also have a low-grade fever (37.8°C).2
Usually your baby’s cold will go away on its own. Give your baby lots of liquids during this time and perhaps infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve fever or saline nose drops to help clear a stuffy nose. Contact your doctor if baby seems to have ear pain, has an oral temperature higher than 38.9°C for one day or higher than 38.3°C for more than three days, coughs hard enough to induce vomiting, has difficulty breathing or has thick nasal discharge that’s green, gray or yellow, or if his appetite changes significantly or he refuses fluids… or if there is anything else that concerns you.
Fever. This is generally a healthy way in which the body fights infection and it is very common in babies. Monitor your baby’s temperature and contact your doctor if baby’s oral temperature is 38.9°C or higher for more than one day or higher than 38.3°C for more than three days, or if your baby shows any other symptoms that worry you such as vomiting or loose stools. Give your baby plenty of liquids and try to bring down the fever with infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen.