Frequent Colds

Could it be allergies? It sounds too frequent to be a cold each time. Sounds like it's time to see the MD.
Good luck! D.

Yes definatly very normal, its because they are teething. It seemed like my river was sick from 3 months to 2 years straight!! :) shes going to be 13 now and shes beautiful and perfect!!! :)

K. it may be allergies, not colds. Do you have her around other children? primarely older children, or she could be just teething, they can teeth for weeks before you ever sees signs of a tooth. J.

Hi K.,

With that many colds, you need to consider the possibilities of allergy and infection, such as a refractory sinus or ear infection. Try an elimination diet to check for allergies. If she's taking any milk formula, switch to soy or, better yet, a hypo-allergenic formula. If she's taking andy soy, switch to milk or a hypo-allergenic formula. If she's nursing exclusively, try eliminating the major allergens responsible for childhood food allery in your diet: eggs, milk, soy, fish, tree nuts, and wheat (this can be a lot harder for you!). You can either eliminate these one at a time for 2 - 3 weeks at a stretch, or eliminate all of them at once for at least 2 -3 weeks, then add them back one at a time to see if anything triggers symptoms.

Also, if she's started eating solids, you will need to eliminate any of the potential allergens in the solids, too. Switch to rice cereal, etc. If this doesn't help, you might need to get her tested for less common allergens and inhaled allergens (such as dust mites). You don't have to subject her to the skin prick tests -- specific IgE blood tests have been shown to be equally sensitive and specific and are preferred in very young children. (US docs are behind their European counterparts on this one!)

There are other, more serious diseases to consider as well, but these are rare and your doctor would have to sort this out. BTW, have you talked to her pediatrician about this at all yet? He/she should be your first source of information.

R.

Have you tried taking your daughter to a chiropractor? I was talking to my chiro and she always asks how my kids are doing healthwise. She told me before that a lot of times babies who are born vaginally and get sick a lot need a little minor skeletal adjustment. She had one client whose son kept getting sick all the time. He was about 3 yrs old when she finally brought him in. He saw my chiro three times over a 6 week period, and each time she just did a little finger pressure on the vertebrae that were out of alignment on him and he stopped getting sick so much. She had another little girl who had the same issues and after a few finger pressure sessions she stopped getting sick so much as well.

I know it sounds hokey, but if you think about it this way...if your spine is out of alignment, then the rest of your bodies organs will be off balance too. And your organs control your bodies hormones and defense mechanisms. I have noticed in myself that since seeing my chiro on a regular basis I don't get sick with colds as much as I used to and that's saying something since I have a 3 yo in preschool and a 1 yo.

Just another option to consider.

Ugh- I feel for you. Our daughter had 7 colds in her first 6 months. It was awful. The pediatrician said not to worry, 10 is average, some get a few more and some less, in the first year. Then apparently it gets better as they get older. I will say that at 10 months, she hasn't had one in a few months...so fingers are crossed.

I'm sorry you're going through this as I know how tough it is.

HI!
I can relate - my son, who is now 20 months, was constantly getting sick which my dr told me were colds - but they lasted for weeks! anyways, one day, my mom suggested that I try soy formula because everyone knows that milk causes mucus - low and behold, after a couple days, the colds stopped. It turned out that he was allergic to milk! he has been happy and healthy ever since =)

Hi K.,

Yes, babies do have colds caused by viruses. Colds usually last 3 to 5 days, and are exhibited mainly with stuffy noses. Saline solution is always the best way to go to get rid of the stuffies, although your daughter will soon not think so! She'll take one look at that bottle and whail! but it is the healthiest way to keep the passages clear, and keep secondary infections at bay.

Another issue could be allergies, environmental and nutritional. She is breastfed (so are those vitamins really essential?) but have you considered she may have allergies to wheat? Celiac disease is manifested early on with a wide variety of symptoms. Even breasfed-only babies are sensitive to whatever their mothers consume. Wheat fillers as thickening agents are commonly found in many sauces, soups, etc... even in liquid vitamins, and of course many of the items we use as snacks for our children. You didn't mention if your baby was on solids yet...

I have a couple friends who suffered for years trying to figure out what was wrong, until they performed a simple allergy test which revealed intolerance to wheat and its by-products. No one else in their family history suffers from it. Their son had suffered innumerable colds, and eventually, as he grew into toddler years, writhing aches and pains in his stomach and muscles. Within weeks of changing their diet, both parent and child's health improved immensely. The young boy's temperament mellowed, his skin cleared up, and he is hardly ever sick! They are both healthy now and much happier individuals in their daily lives!

Ask your doctor about it. Tell your friends about it: it's far more common than one would expect.

In friendship and support,
V.

Hi K.,

I am sorry to hear your little one is sick all the time! But that happened to me when I first moved to Las Vegas. I was constantly sick, and one of my college roommates told me I was sick alot. That got me motivated to go see a dr. I found out that it was not colds. It was allergies. I was surprised because the cold medicines were actually working, some better than others, but they were working.

So I suggest talking to your little one's dr. Get her tested to see exactly what she is allergic to (if it is allergies) If it is allergies, he/she will prescribe a medicine or recommend using one. If they make her sleepy, then you may want to get a different medicine. So have the dr. recommend a few over the counter meds if possible that will not make her sleepy.

Good luck! Knowing if it is actually colds or allergies will put your mind at ease. This time of year is bad with all the pollens in the air, and may even lighten up a bit as the pollen season dies down!

Hi K.,
I'm sorry your little one is so sick. I remember reading about a clinic on the westside, Bee Well Kidz Clinic that treats children with acupuncture or acupressure. Perhaps they might be able to help you. Good luck and I hope your little one feels better soon:)

Try adding in some infant acidophilus. :) That can help.

My pediatrician said that babies get between 10-15 colds a year. And that's been pretty accurate in our experience. My son is breastfed, and it seems he's sick quite a lot. I know it's a pain, but I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if you spend a lot of time around other kids. I figure this will mean that he has stronger immunity as he gets older. If it will help ease your mind, ask your pediatrician about it. But I think it's pretty normal, especially this year with the weather being as wacky (first hot then cold) as it has been.

Good luck!

I read some of the other responses and I agree that you should investigate the possibility of colds vs. allergies. If you feel confident that what you are seeing are colds and not allergies, since she has had so many in such a short period of time (averaging out to 3 per month, but then she probably didn't have any during her first couple of months...), I would probably talk to her pediatrician about the possibility that she is holding onto to some kind of bug or virus that is overtaxing her immune system. That probably isn't the case but I wouldn't want to ask anyway just to be sure. Also, be wary of giving her too many antibiotics when she is so young if you can possibly avoid them, and don't give her any vaccinations while she is sick just to be on the safe side.

Hello, K.,

Is your little one taking in any Omega 3-6-9 oils? Are you? You may also want to utilize a good probiotic if you don't already as well.

Have you vaccinated? It puts quite a burden on a little body and you may need to clean up the mercury and other chemicals and heavy metals. That also could tip the balance on a properly functioning immune system.

If you drink milk yourself, look into raw. (www.realmilk.org)

Are you taking in rich, leafy greens? Raw, not destroyed by heat? Put a squirt of lemon on them as well so you can uptake the great calcium from them. Do you get any sunshine? Are you under a lot of stress?

New carpeting, new paint, mold? Perhaps your air could use a bit of cleaning as well.

A good chiropractic adjustment can help immensely. If you don't have one, Bones Chiropractic in Pasadena if you are in the area is a great one. Dr. John has been adjusting his own little ones within the first five minutes of their birth.

If you need better food sources, regenerative foods, let me know. They can work wonders. I'd love to help with that piece if you need it.

My very best,

T.

That seems quite frequent.
When my son became congested, I would use saline drops and the suction bulb to alleviate his breathing. It's not a fun endeavor (there can be a lot of physical restraining happening), but the relief factor is HUGE, trust me!! And his colds were almost non-existent.
Personally, I use the Neti pot with a saline solution on a weekly basis, more often if I seem to have caught something, and colds are so rare for me. A very high percent of colds are contracted through our nasal passages. By rinsing them with saline solution, we reduce the incidence greatly.

Good luck

I have to agree that is too many colds for a baby who from what it sounds isn't around older kids (she's your first). My son (my first) has only been sick about 3 times and he will be 3yrs old in August. Unfortunately we've been led to believe that children just get sick. I beg to differ and although allergies play a big role because of so many chemicals in our environment today, we can do some things to help. #1 - BIG ONE is everyone in the house must wash their hands when coming from the outdoors. No question this is the easiest way to avoid getting sick or spreading germs. #2 - Disinfect and keep things clean. Now, there are some stipulations about cleaning and disinfecting - don't use toxic chemicals... here's a video you might be interested in viewing www.ToxicFreeFamily.net
#3 - include a daily children's immune boost

Best wishes,
C.~

http://www.HelpUStayHome.com

Is she around other kids alot?? When my son started pre-school he was sick during the whole cold season....Summer is great!! He still gets about 5 good illnesses during fall and winter(we have had a trip to the hospital at least once a year..fun times). Spring.....I think he might have allergies too... runny nose and sneezing....Could it be allergies?? Just keep her comfortable and love her lots:) Summer should give you some relief.

what has her pediatrician done about them? has he/she prescribed something to help?my daughter was the same way around 9 months colds back to back with a severely wet cough and lungs (you could hear it in her lungs). what her dr did was had us buy a cool mist humidafire and suck her nose constantly and if she didnt clear up in a few days to bring her back. then she got put on rondex dm (its a decongestant, cough suppressant and antihistamine) and if she didnt clear up in a 3-4 days to bring her back. this went on from december to january. in january her dr prescribed her albuteral (inhaler form) four times a day on top of the liguid med. albuterol will help a cough because it calms inflamation in the airways even if your not asthmatic. after that didnt work i quit givig her the rondex dm becuase i didnt feel it helped much. the next time we saw her dr she said that she was contimplaiting putting her on a nebulizer so she gets more of the steriod into her lungs and if she goes on the nebulizer it will would mean we would be diagnosing her as asthmatic (because its taking her too long to fight a cold that should last 3-5 days). well my daughter ended up getting put on the nebulizer and two different steriods (albuterol and pulmicort (which will prevent asthma symptoms and she has to have it every day sick or not)). it did make her worse after a week (to the point i slept with her because she sounded like she was developing pnuemonia) so back we went and she got put on a three day liduid steriod that cleared her up and really put her on the right path to getting better! also just so you know that most babies first signs of asthma are colds that dont go away and a cough that worsens at night. another thing is that not all asthmaics wheeze (my daughter has wheezed once and only once anyother time while she was soo sick her lungs sounded perfectly clear even though you could hear how hard she was breathing!!!). my suggestion is to keep taking your baby back until they find a diagnosis. i know it seems like every 4-6 days your back but its well worth it to know whats going on. good luck and i hope this is helpful!

Hi K. M.,

I'm a great-grandmother who just happens to be signed on to this web site( a young friend asked me to join, so I did).
My question for you is: have you had your daughter tested for allergies?...do you have pets? litter box in house?
live in a humid/damp area? lots of plants in the house?
do you wear perfume/hairsprays around baby?....there are so many things that can cause a runny nose...or appear to be a cold...

Glad to hear you're a nursing mother...It's the greatest gift a mother/father can give a child...And I included the father,because without co-operation from him (or in todays case, your significant other) it's a difficult task.

I had several children, but didn't realize the importance of nursing until the last child was born...
Being a very young mother and not having a lot of emotional support or guidance from the women in my family...If I did, I would have learned, even if you stop breast feeding(due to pain or misc.)..it can take a long time before you totally "dry up", so.. if you change your mind and want to try it again...you probably can with little difficulty.
The reason I mention this is because too many young mother's give up on nursing after about a month, then learn the importance of breast feeding and think it's too late to go back.
I WISH I'D KNOWN THIS...
We didn't have Leche League in my era unfortunately
Hope I've been of some help...

Blessings
G.G. Sandrea....

P.S. You say " I am a SAHM "...What does that stand for?

Tina is right....but there are things you can do.

We give our kids 1/2 - 1 capsule of PB8 (probiotic) from Nutrition Now each night before bed, as well as vitamin A occassionally to increase their immune system function.

Herbs for Kids has something called Echinacea/Goldenroot that we ALWAYS have on hand.

Maybe you might want to change your multi/prenatal? rainbow Light seems to work well for many people.

Costco is now carrying Acai juice which has TONS of antioxidants. My husbadn was starting to feel under the weather and drank 8 oz of it, the next day, we was perfect.

Feel free to send me a private message, if you want clarification.

Jen

Hi K.! You sound like such a good mom. The one thing that is easy to forget is DEHYDRATION and Constipation. I've always found it to be true, that 'CONSTIPATION IS THE THIEF OF HEALTH. When my kids (all 7 of them) got congested, it was invariably found that constipation was the culprit! Giving more liquids and the yogurt/probiotic approach really did wonders to help boost my kids health. And it isn't 'normal' to be sick 'all the time'. It's a big job though, to keep paying attention to what everyone is eating and drinking, but if she is your only child so far, it will be a good project. As you go you'll be able to track changes in her health for yourself, based on your own experiences with different foods/ treatment modatlities, etc and find the best things that work for YOU! The hardest time for me was when I had other people babysit when I was working. If I didn't know what THEY were feeding her, I wasn't sure how to keep track properly. Except for checking the poops (and asking the caregiver if she had one, what kind, etc. If they are hard they need more water and fiber, fruit, yogurt, etc.
Best to YOU!
R. (the mom with 7 kids!)

wow, lots of good responces, but I thought I should throw mine out there too. Our 9 months old has had a cold 3 times so far. She has all of her immunizations, and is over all a fairly happy girl. She had a heart condition, so we got "trained" by ICU nurses and doctors for the first 3 months of life. I will give you some tips they gave me and I think it helped. Wash your hands like a maniac. Keep hadn sanitizer thru-out the house. I have one in my car, at my front door by my kitchen sink, in my family room, next to my bed etc. I proubably hand sanitize at least 100x a day. So many people do a quick change on a babys diaper then pick them up right away, throw away the diaper, put the baby down then go wash their hands...if at all. You need to change the babys diper then wash (or sanitize) then pick her up, and I usually go wash again. Wash everytime you pick up the baby. If she is taking a nap and wakes up, wash your hands first, if she is playing on the floor and wants picked up, wash your hands first. You really can't wash to many times a day. I also only use paper towels in my bathroom and kitchen to dry my hands. I don't want everyone using the same towel to dry face, hand, etc. If I am cleaning my hands I don't want dry them with somthing thats not clean.
10 colds seems like a lot, but maybe it was the same cold that lingured for some? (colds can last 3 days-21 days) Seems a bit early for allergies unless they run in your family. I would check with the ped. to find out what she thinks. Allergy test will not be done on kids under 2 unless somthing serious is suspected like a life threatning allergy. Good Luck!

I agree,it sounds like possible allergies. However, my 4yr old and 10 mo old have had 2 colds in 10 months since I started giving them infant/toddler probiotics from pharmax which is found at www.rockwellnutrition.com the infant powder is easy to give, totally safe and boosts immune system and helps with a variety of digestive issues. The toddler straw is easy to give my 4yr old because it is lined with the probiotic so for a picky child there is no pill or liquid to deal with. The brand I mention is the best and most researched probiotic out there. It is a bit more pricey but well worth it! Also, check out www.askdrsears.com for great tips on how to keep your infant/child healthy and boost the immune system. I became much more aware after reading his website on this issue and now our family is healthier!!! Good luck and hang in there!

The reason she is getting sick so often is probably because it never really goes away. So instead of having 10 DIFFERENT colds, it is just the same one re-emerging over and over again.

Do you give her any medicines for her symptoms? This is the biggest reason for reoccurring illnesses. Allow her body to heal itself and it won't come back. Don't give her any medications. No Tylenol or Motrin or cough syrup. These just mask symptoms and make you think the illness has gone away when it really hasn't. A runny nose is a GOOD thing. It means her body is trying to carry out the invader through the mucous secretions. Same thing with a cough. If you start thinking of these things as GOOD instead of scary and requiring medications, you might think differently about illnesses in general.

Also, her immune system might need a little help. Try feeding her homemade organic vegetables and fruits. I agree that acidophilus is a good idea (but I didn't know they had it for infants. How wonderful!). Encourage her to rest. Give her lots of TLC.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
No it is not normal for a baby to be sick so often. It is possible she has allergies. I have a suggestion for a wonderful supplement, it's called natural cellular defense and there have been so many testimonials about how wonderful it works for keeping your immune system built-up and that's just the beginning. I would love to help, please contact me and I can get you more information. ____@____.com
E.

My first got one cold (around 5 weeks old) and then didn't get sick till 4 years old. My second seemed to get a lot of colds, I figured that was probably because my first was in preschool. Both were breastfed. My son, although he seemed to get frequent colds (not as much as your child) he seemed to recover very quickly. In fact, for the most part, he'd have a clear runny nose one day - we'd have a nursing marathon and he'd be fine. So, don't think the breastfeeding isn't helping her - it doesn't prevent all colds but it can shorten them, keep your child strong when sick, etc.. How about Daddy? Or anyone working outside the home? Make sure they washing their hands a lot.
M.

Dear K.,

I had 1 out of my 3, that was perpetually sick his 18 months. He had pnuemonia twice & chicken pox at 8mo. I thought he was never going to have good health! He is more susceptible to colds even still but it did get a whole lot better after 18 mo. He always had all his vaccinations etc.. & I worked full-time so, not exposing him wasn't an option at the time. All I can recommend is continue the vitamins, look into liquid echinacea (vitamin stores) & an appropriate dosage for your baby, & try to keep her exposure to a minimum as much as possible. Have anyone who comes over or cares for her to wash their hands EXTRA and use some anti-bacterial gels. I know there were a lot of times my son's iron was low - so you can make sure your vitamin has a 100% of her daily recommendation so that everything she gets in her diet will be that much more. They also sell iron in liquid form & can be put into formula or another liquid. Good luck & God Bless!

As you can see, all babies are different but one thing that is constant is the idea of allergies. My son was formula fed around smoking and never so much as got a cold for the first couple of years. My daughter is breastfed and has had about 6-8 colds in the last year (except, I'm pretty sure it's an allergy of some sort-I'm allergic to grass and sagebrush-being in Nevada, not too great for me and I was born here!)
I was also allergic to vitamin supplements when I was little. So start with that and remove the vitamins. They may very well be the culprit. Don't just look at what she's eating but the time of day/year, weather at the time, what's blooming around you, animals she may be coming in contact with, soaps and other toiletries. I was treated for "bronchitis" for years as a kid and only diagnosed with my allergies as an adult but I ALWAYS got "sick" right before summer and early autumn.
I saw the response about vaccinations and I personally believe whole-heartedly in them. It's easy to blame something that hasn't been proven to cause something (or appears not to have a cause) but while vaccinations have become more common, so have things like soy (in many packaged foods we now eat more of), environmental pollutants like pesticides, car exhaust (and gasoline additives), perfumed and colored products from shampoo to detergents, synthetic fibers, there is no real way to know what things in our environment could be triggering things like increased incidences of aspergers and autism (just increased and overdiagnosed children maybe?) but we don't have children dying and crippled from polio, smallpox is virtually non-existent(as is now the vaccine since it's no longer needed) measles, mumps and rhubella.

Best advice, unless you KNOW a vaccine might be causing a reaction, keep vaccinating and look at her environment instead-what she's consuming, what she's wearing, toys she's mouthing, and air quality around her. If you're over sanitizing things in the house, lay off a bit (are you letting her be exposed to normal bugs that we need to be exposed to trigger our immune systems? Perhaps if she's being exposed less to normal, less dangerous viral triggers, when she is exposed to something stronger her body isn't built up enough to fight it. That goes for you too momma if you don't have the antibodies to pass on through your breastmilk)
Try to eat more whole and raw foods, more organic and do the same for her. Use products that are perfume and dye-free etc. :)

Are you sure its a cold and not allergies? That seems like a lot of colds, especially since you are a SAHM and your baby is probably not exposed to a lot of sick kids. Kids are calling... good luck!
~N.