A cold is characterized by an initial clear or white nasal discharge that often becomes thick yellowish or green by the 3rd day and crusty by the 7th day with varying degrees of cough, irritability and often a decrease in appetite. Young children may have a low-grade fever with a cold for the 1st 1 - 2 days. The average duration of a cold is 7 - 10 days. There is no remedy for a cold. Antibiotics are of no value since colds are caused by viruses and antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. The over-the-counter cold and cough remedies have been withdrawn for use in children under 7 years old. They have been proven ineffective and can cause serious side effects.

Since there is no cure for a cold, the main goal in treating a cold is to make your child more comfortable. You may want to check in with one of our nurses if you have any concerns.

The following measures are useful in treating a cold:

• Use a cool-mist humidifier to increase the bedroom's humidity. Humidifiers will help keep your child's nasal secretions more liquid and help your child clear them more easily.
• If the mucus from the nose is thick, you may use salt-water nose drops to help thin the mucus. Make salt-water nose drops by dissolving 1/4 teaspoon of table salt in four ounces of tap water. These nose drops are also available in your pharmacy. Put one drop in one nostril with an eye dropper and then aspirate with a nasal aspirator and then repeat with the other nostril. Using nose drops is especially useful in infants before a feeding because when a baby eats he must breathe through his nose.
• Sit your infant semi-upright in an infant seat. The nose tends to be stuffier when your baby lies down.
• Encourage fluids.

The following statements answer some misconceptions about colds:

• There is no harm in giving your child a bath when he has a cold.
• Tylenol has no effect on curing a cold. You may use Tylenol, however, if your child has a fever or is irritable (see section on "Fever").