Should I worry about newborn getting a cold from visiting family?

[Merryclaire]

I’m a FTM and baby is just two weeks old. Today we had some family visit but BIL neglected to mention in advance that his child (our nephew) has a cold. Of course, he was all over the baby.

Apart from the fact I’m cross BIL didn’t think it was something he should mention beforehand, I’m really worried about the baby getting ill as I’ve heard there can be some very nasty complications with colds in newborns.

I feel so dreadfully worried. Should I be or am I overreacting? Could do with some reassurance or what to look out for.

Even when I’m calmer about it I still feel upset at the idea of baby having a cold. And as I’m getting over a CS, I don’t fancy catching one either.

I wouldn't worth too much. It would have been nice of them to let you know beforehand and offer not to come, but second babies are exposed to stuff like this all the time as it can't really be avoided.

DD2 is 13 weeks and has had two colds already that DD1 has brought back from nursery. She's been a bit snotty and sneezy with a bit of a cough but nothing worse than that, and they do need to be exposed to germs in their first year as it reduces the risk of childhood leukaemia. Most likely even if she does get a cold, it'll be mild and over in a few days.

Worry* not worth

How old is your nephew? If he’s at nursery then he’ll probably have a cold from now until April so that’s worth beating in mind for future meet ups.

I understand how you feel as I would have been the same with DC1 but once you have a toddler they have mild bugs and colds so often you can get a bit desensitised to it. Maybe get your partner to have a quiet word with BIL about giving a heads up next time if DN is ill? In an ideal world he’d have realised it himself but a reminder about what it’s like to have a newborn wouldn’t hurt.

You can probably relax a bit once baby is old enough for calpol and plugins etc as at least then you can help them a bit if they get a cold.

Don't worry about it. All babies get colds.

Watch out for croup or pneumonia which can develop from harmless viruses carried by toddlers. Your baby hasn't had any immunisations so it's up to you to protect them.

Try not to worry. As a PP said, second babies are exposed to all the bugs their siblings bring home from nursery/school. I understand your annoyance. Toddlers often get one cold after the next, so I think parents get a bit immune to it and forget.

I wouldn’t have been happy either. But it’s done now, try not to worry.

If your lo had a sibling and that sibling (or indeed you) had a cold, what could you do? Nothing really… It’s so hard to avoid.

We want to protect our babies, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.

I don’t want be doom and gloom but my daughter caught a cold from my dad and ended up on hospital with bronchiolitis. And I hadn’t thought it really mattered before than (she was my second child). I didn’t make that mistake with my third.

Came to say what @Hugasauras said - my three week old got minor sniffles from my 3yo and it’s fine.
Just keep an eye on the baby, skin to skin and breastfeeding should provide reasonable protection.

Yes this is exactly the sort of thing I’ve heard about that’s worrying me.

She was two weeks old I might add.

There's a really nasty cold going round at the moment, I've caught it and feel like death with it so YANBU. I would be furious.

My second DD also got bronchiolitis from a nephew with a cold & ended up having to go to hospital. I think they should have warned you! But there are so many babies with older siblings in nursery/school who will bring bugs of all sorts home so sometimes it can't be avoided.

I had a cold when did was born at 37 weeks and poor thing caught it from me when she was 2 days old. She had a lot of colds that first year but they didn't do her any harm

It will probably be ok but you are right to feel the way you feel. My ds ended up in hospital with bronchiolitis after I had a bad cold when he was 2 months old. He also had croup when he was a bit older.

I don't think you should be too hard on your BIL, a cold in a child is so routine that it probably won't occur to me to mention it either. Once your child is older or you have further children a cold becomes pretty much a non issue ime. You'd never see anyone for months if you worried about them

It's most likely that your baby will be absolutley fine

I’d be angry. My 2nd ended up in with bronchiolitis from a cold at 2 days old.
Fair enough if baby has an older sibling, but if they don’t this is avoidable. Even if they do I’d be careful with a baby that tiny.

We were in hospital for 10 days with it so wiped out my husband’s paternity leave.

If you’re breastfeeding she’ll get some of your antibodies which are supposed to help. She is likely to be ok, and if not 111 where we are have been amazing when our dc was smaller - booked slots at emergency out of hours so we didn’t have to sit in a&e for ages and he was sorted quickly. If she does really need Calpol it’s worth checking with a doctor - ours was in too much pain to feed after a traumatic birth and I think midwives gave Calpol in hospital when he was hours old.

I was breastfeeding and mine still got bronchiolitis.
My 3rd had the bugs from 2 older siblings but was fine though- mind you she was a Spring baby.
I’d be more careful with Autumn and Winter babies. The hospital ward was packed with babies and young children with bronchiolitis when we were in (December)

Yes my son too. 5 nights with low oxygen, he could barely breathe. Ended up with scarring on his lungs and problems for about 4 years after. All from catching rsv from a visiting child when he was 3 weeks.

Thing is its happened now. So I'd try to relax and just keep an eye on them. He should have really let you know, especially in these covid times.