Baby with cold. Temp of 38. Can't feed cos can't breath thru nose. Advice?

[Magscat]

DD is nearly 7 months. SHe can't bf or bottle cos she can't suck as she is breathing through her mouth due to being full of snot.

She is on some solids so I'm giving her them thoug understandably she's not got much appetite.

Any ideas on how to feed her milk? She's had a tiny bit of ebm from a beaker but not much.

Just taken her temperature - 38.1. Given Calpol & waiting to see if it comes down.

She's been like this for past 24 hours. Temp seems to go up & down (we weren't measuring it yesterday but her head felt hot sometimes & ok other times).

Any advice? How long do we carry on like this before going to emergency GP & what could they do anyway?

[jampots]

I personally wouldnt worry about a temp of 38 and I'd be inclined to stay in a steamy room a few times during the day to help hte snot come down out of her nose/sinuses. You could add her milk to the foods you're giving her

[stacijc]

if its really bad u may be able to get saline drops fromn boots/bigger chemists

[Magscat]

What do the saline drops do? Are they for clearing her nose?

[share]

It's worrying when they are so young and can't tell you how they feel. A decent GP wont knock you back so if you need to call them do. I do agree with jampots though and this is ONLY because of being over the stages of having a 7 month old. Otherwise I would have been on here writing like you. If you continue to see no change then help to ease your anxiety by calling your GP.

[ScrewballMuppet]

The main thing I think is that she's getting fluids, is she able to drink from a beaker? she maybe able to have sips of something that way.

[Magscat]

Thanks. I've just read this on Babycenter website:

How can I tell if my baby's fever is serious?
More important than the actual temperature is your child's behaviour. If she has a fever of 104 degrees F / 39.7 degrees C, is feeding well, responsive, and easily comforted, you have less reason to worry than if her fever is 102 degrees F / 38.7 degrees C, she's crying inconsolably, and she's limp and unresponsive.
Call immediately if:
? A child older than six months has a temperature that reaches 103 degrees F / 39.2 degrees C

? Any fever lasts more than three days.

She seems ok (grumpy but not listless or inconsolable) so I I'm not too worried if it doesn't get any worse.

Any ideas on getting some milk down her or do you think it's ok for her to just have water as often as poss?

[Magscat]

Yes, she's having water from a beaker but not lots.

[NotQuiteCockney]

I'd try a steam room to clear her nose. Or some of those eucalypus-based goops that you put on a kerchef near them? SnuffleBabe?

I've heard of mums sucking the snot out of their babies' noses. Not done it myself, though. I'd certainly see it as a last resort.

As long as she's taking some fluid, she'll be fine. She might manage to bf, if you did a sort of hand-expressing at the same time, to make it easier?

[Magscat]

I've got some childrens' Olbas oil & put drops on her clothes & in her room.

I'd be happy to squeeze more milk out while she b/fs but she's not latching on for more than a couple of sucks cos she can't breath when she sucks.

I'd wondered about sucking the snot out (yuk - but you want to do anything for them don't you?)

[vkone]

You could get an aspirator, you soften up with saline drops and then use the aspirator to suck out. Also medised is v good at drying ababy up. My friends found a bad cold a good time to get baby off the bottle and on to beaker milk. You shouldn't have to sterilise a beaker as long as you are washing them hot (in dishwasher maybe) we found Tommee Tippee Kids on the go cups are free flowing - just sit baby up to drink. (I noticed the formula milk tins say not to sterilise after 6 mths now - things change so fast!)

[Magscat]

Thanks everyone. She's just managed to feed for 10 mins & gone to sleep now. Her head feels almost normal temp as well (though I expect it wil go up & down for a while yet - like yeesterday).

[Magscat]

No-one ever tells you that what makes it hard is that yuo're knackered cos you've been up half the night & you still have to entrtain the other siblings!

[anorak]

IME saline drops work like magic on babies' blocked noses.

[alux]

try one of these here in addition to saline drops - saline gets the snot v. runny if it is sticky

don't know why aspirators are hard to find in the uk. try toys r us being a us company?

[Magscat]

That looks interesting Alux. She's not bunged up as in 'green bogeys' she's just got a constant stream of clear stuff coming out of her nose and when she tries to feed it sounds like her whole nose/throat tubes are full of it.

She's gone to sleep now but she's only had 2 half hour naps all day (not that unusual for her) so she was shattered. I'm expecting to be up several times in the night which is fine if she feeds & goes back to sleep but last night she just couldn't settle. She sucks her fingers to get to sleep and with needing to breath through her mouth, she can't even do that, poor thing.

You never know, maybe it's peaked and tonight will be better!

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

[Nbg]

You can get vicks vapour rub for babies.

Have you tried that?

[Magscat]

Haven't yet NBG - have just used the Olbas oil (children's one) in her room. If she's still bad tomorrow might get some and one of those aspirator gizmos Alux mentioned.

[Ameriscot2005]

Can you hand express into open gob?

As for the temperature, I think the current advice is to give Calpol for any fever, however slight. My DD is often hospitalised for asthma, and they always give Calpol for 38+.

[alux]

Magscat: I looked at Toys R Us later and they sell aspirators as part of a little medical kit. It looks really nice for £12. here

[daisy1999]

let her sleep with the head of the cot slightly raised (eg rolled up towel under head end of mattress).

[Magscat]

OK. She had Calpol at 5.30. Went to sleep without her usual b/f (had solids 4.30) and slept for 90 minutes. Now she's awake, exhausted and crying on and off. She stops crying briefly if we entertain her but she won't/can't switch off and go to sleep.

She's refusing b/f and won't be held & rocked to sleep. She's only 'happy' if we 'play'. We can't do this all night. I'm just grateful I'm not on my own here, but even with dp taking turns sleep is going to be difficult which makes everything else a nightmare. Don't know what to do.

She has one end of cot raised, has had calpol, has olbas oil in room.
Don't know if she's hungry. I think her throat is sore cos she snorts and coughs then it seems to hurt her.

Woud you try & feed her more solids in case it's hunger that's keeping her awake or leave it well alone ? She's had sips of water from a beaker.