Colds - helf all you mothers!!

[Aliya]

MsA has a cold, slight fever, not bad, runny snuffly nose, sneezing and a bit of a cough. Her runny nose was clear but is now going a bit of whitey colour. She is still being really active but not that hungry as from today and is quite tearful, needing lots of cuddles esp at night.

I am monitoring her and at the moment am giving her panadol for fever, lots of water and a bit of Prospan which is an ivy leaf extract that my paed says is great for stopping coughs settling on chests as she does sometimes get bronchitis. At this point it hasnt got to her chest. At night Vicks on her feet and chest and eucaplytus oil in her bath and vapouriser in her bedroom.

She hasnt been sick since she was about 6 months old (White Collar Boxing night, sigh) but I was an asthmatic child who got lots of colds so tend to get quite nervous when she is crook.

Can anyone tell me if I am doing the right thing or add any suggestions? She has been going for her walks everyday as usual cos fresh air is good for her, not molly coddling her but you know, first baby, bit nervous that I am doing something wrong, yada yads.

[cromasaig]

Can't think of anything else. I put a couple of drops of Olbas Oil on a handkerchief and put it between the sheet and the mattress to help hem breathe.

Just one thing. Vicks on her feet? [smilie=oo.gif]

[Tack]

Sounds like you're doing fine.

[Lili Von Shtupp]

I don't know, Aliya, it sounds like you have all the bases covered. Can try chicken soup too! At least chicken broth to help give her a little strength if she isn't eating solids. Poor thing - hope she gets well soon!

ps - yeah, I'm curious about the Vicks on the feet too!

[Tack]

Probably a Kiwi thing. Their cricketers don't know which way is up at the moment either!

[Aliya]

Next question - Panadol for babies or Calpol - is there a difference?

Oh yeah vicks on their feet, apparently the pores on the feet absorb vicks best that way - my mum told me so it must be true.

Tack, at least we are still thrashing England at Rubgy

[Tack]

Have a look at ingredients A

Only when it doesn't count

[Aliya]

What are the better ones?????? Both say for colds and fever - is either better than the other?

[baloo]

ah, this thread has reminded me...

I got the first "Help, come home, BBIII has hurt himself and is bleeding everywhere" call last night. The story of split lips, broken noses etc didn't gel with the babbling contented baby noises in the background.

Anyway, got home an sure enough BBII has a big fat lip, swollen nose and cuts/scratches on his face. I was quite proud of the lad. he managed a full on face plant landing face first into a concrete wall without losing any teeth.

[Kooky]

My mother used to slather me in Vicks (and I have a tub right now, as it's kinder on my skin when I have sinus problems than Tiger Balm, although not as effective) but I've never heard of putting it on the feet. I thought the idea was the child breathes it in; if so the chest should be all that is necessary.

[BFG]

ah, this thread has reminded me...

I got the first "Help, come home, BBIII has hurt himself and is bleeding everywhere" call last night. The story of split lips, broken noses etc didn't gel with the babbling contented baby noises in the background.

Anyway, got home an sure enough BBII has a big fat lip, swollen nose and cuts/scratches on his face. I was quite proud of the lad. he managed a full on face plant landing face first into a concrete wall without losing any teeth.

Well done BBIII - good effort...

[Kooky]

Are the photos up yet?

[baloo]

Nah, tonight if I get time. It was tough getting a good looking photo of the damage because he's been trained to smile whenever he sees a camera pointing his way. That must be the japanese half of him coming out.

[Kooky]

Wait 'til he starts the Peace sign.

[Fat Bob]

I reckon she's just getting the flake excuse in nice and early.

[Morrolan]

i'd suggest not too quick with the Panadol as fever is the body's way of fighting viruses (viri?) and infections, an increased body temperature will kill many foreign bodies that thrive in 37C. baby's often have very high fevers without any problems; the doctor at Children's Hospital told us not to worry until the fever got to 41C.

it's not the fever that is cause for concern, but what is causing it.

[Possum]

Sounds like you have everything under control and all bases covered. Just keep an eye out for rashes and bob's your uncle. I have a really good book somewhere that covers all childhood illnesses with some really useful flow charts...will dig it out

[Possum]

Its another Dorling Kindersley...The British Medical Association CHILDREN"S SYMPTOMS
It is a total "must have"

[azzam]

i'd suggest not too quick with the Panadol as fever is the body's way of fighting viruses (viri?) and infections, an increased body temperature will kill many foreign bodies that thrive in 37C. baby's often have very high fevers without any problems; the doctor at Children's Hospital told us not to worry until the fever got to 41C.

it's not the fever that is cause for concern, but what is causing it.

I was always told that the fever was also a problem, but better to get it down with cool sponges etc rather than medicines.
I wouldn't suggest letting her sleep in air con though.

edit: Having said that - babies get colds and she'll get plenty more. It's just heart wrenching, because when they're so tiny their breathing tubes seem to get clogged up so easily and it's hard to watch. She'll come right, with you watching her so closely. I reckon your instincts as a mother are usually spot on. I can remember my mother fighting tooth and nail with the doctor because she wanted my sister admitted to hospital. The doctor said she was just panicking, but my parents ignored him and it turned out my sister had Maningitis....Menigitis. ( Maningitis is what I've got.) So go with your gut. 9 times out of 10 you'll be right.

[Morrolan]

Oh yeah vicks on their feet, apparently the pores on the feet absorb vicks best that way - my mum told me so it must be true.

eh?

please correct me if i'm wrong but:

1. there's nothing to absorb when it comes to Vicks, just the vapours that help open up the airways
2. pores don't absorb anything, they extrude. if pores would absorb, you'd fill up with water every time you take a bath or go swimming.

so putting it on feet sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

oh, and of course you use Baby Vicks, not normal Vicks?

[Burbage]

You can absorb stuff through the skin, but not through pores. Any molecule which is lipophilic is able to be absorbed into cell membranes and then get passed between cells. Heavily keratinised skin will be less able to absorb stuff though. Hydrophilic molecules are kept out. Eucalyptus oil is lipophilic (in Vicks it's dissolved in petroleum gel) so it can pass into the skin. What it does there is anyone's guess. I thought the purpose of vicks was to keep the airways clear when you have a runny nose. My mum rubbed it on my chest.

[Morrolan]

Burb: Vicks also contains camphor which is potentially dangerous for small children. can that be absorbed?

[azzam]

I like having Vicks rubbed on my chest.

[Burbage]

Burb: Vicks also contains camphor which is potentially dangerous for small children. can that be absorbed?

I presume it is also lipophilic.

[Aliya]

Baby vicks.
Most rubbed on chest and a bit under the nose.
Some on feet with socks.
My mum always swore by rubbing it into the feet and there was some medical research on it a while back which appeared to support it.