1: If your child looks sick: This is by far the most important point I can stress. If your child does not look well, you need to call your doctor. If you have to chase after your giggling toddler to wipe their runny nose, odds are that they are not that ill. However, if your child is lying around, not doing what he usually does, getting worse hour by hour, and is scaring you with his general appearance, it’s best to call your doctor.
2. If your child develops ear infection symptoms: If it’s several days into a cold and your child develops a fever, looks crankier, wakes up screaming, starts pulling at their ear, an ear infection is the likely culprit. This can only be diagnosed by your pediatrician looking in the your child’s ear, and it’s best to call your doctor.
3. If the cough has lasted longer than 2 weeks. It’s never normal for a cough to persist past 2 weeks. Call your doctor. If the cough gets a slightly worse at night and in the early morning after the initial symptoms have passed and it persists past 2 weeks, a sinus infection may be to blame, and may require antibiotics.
4. If your child has trouble breathing. If your child is consistently breathing faster than 35-40 times a minute (get a watch with a second hand and count over a full minute), or if you can see the skin between your child’s ribs and below the ribcage sucking in and out with each breath, call your doctor immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
5. Possible Dehydration: If your child is not eating as much, it’s par for the course for a cold, however, if they are not drinking or peeing normally, there is a danger of dehydration and you should call your doctor.
6. If your child is under 6 months. Young infants are much more likely to develop complications of common colds such as ear infections, wheezing and pneumonia. You may not need to bring your child in, but it’s best to at least touch base with your doctor. If your infant is under 6 weeks of age with symptoms of cough and runny nose should always notify your doctor.
7. If your child has a persistent or high fever. Since a cold is an infection, a fever may occur, but common colds do not usually provide high fevers. If your little one has a fever that persists beyond 2-3 days or if the fever goes above 102, call your doctor.
8. If your child gets very ill very suddenly. A cold should not hit your child “like a truck” all at once. It usually starts gradually with a slight cough and a runny nose and progresses over several days. If it starts out with a bang, it may be the Flu or something else altogether depending on your child’s symptoms. If it is the flu, it’s important to contact your doctor ASAP, because treatment with anti-flu medications may stop it in its tracks. These medications need to be started within the first 48 hours (preferably the first 24) to work.
A quick note about cough suppressants:
Studies have shown that cough medicines do not help the symptoms of a common cold. In my experience, it’s always the third cough medicine that helps, because by the time you’re on your third one, the cold is usually on its way out. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against cough medicine for children under two years of age. Most mishaps with cough medicines are when they are not given in proper doses, particularly when combination products are mixed and a child gets a double dose. If you are unsure whether or not a cough medicine is appropriate for your child, or how much to give, it’s best to call your doctor.