Cold is the most common disease among young mothers, which often occurs in late winter and early spring. Medical research has confirmed that over 90% of the pathogens that cause colds are viruses, mainly including rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, coronaviruses, and adenoviruses. Generally speaking, common causes of colds in mothers include: (1) transmission of colds from other family members (mainly husbands); (2) Poor postpartum rest and decreased body resistance; (3) Frequent breastfeeding of infants, especially at night, due to exposure to cold.
The immune function of infants and young children is not sound, their disease resistance is poor, and they have zero contact with their mothers. In addition, various cold viruses have strong infectivity, and the transmission time ranges from several hours to 2 days. If a mother catches a cold and passes it directly to the baby through activities such as breastfeeding, bathing, changing diapers, etc., causing the child to show symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, or nasal congestion, parents should take him to see a doctor in a timely manner to avoid worsening the condition.
How to avoid not transmitting colds to babies?
The best way is for the mother to stay with the baby for 3-7 days during the cold period and receive formal systemic treatment. Wait until the mother’s cold symptoms are controlled or disappear before coming into contact with the baby. In fact, this is also difficult to achieve because most young mothers have to breastfeed.
Can I breastfeed when I have a cold?
Generally speaking, if a mother catches a cold, she can continue to breastfeed as usual. The main reasons are: (1) The cold virus is not transmitted through breastfeeding, but through respiratory air droplets; (2) Breast milk is the most ideal food for babies. Interrupting breastfeeding is not only detrimental to their growth and development, but also affects their psychological development. To protect the baby, the mother only comes into contact with him during breastfeeding and wears a double mask during breastfeeding. During the treatment of a cold, try to avoid taking medication that is too creamy.
How to treat a cold?
Mom often has a cold and fever (measured at 38-40 ℃), so she should rest in bed at home to ensure sufficient sleep time and facilitate physical recovery; Eat more nutritious juices such as milk, porridge, noodles, etc., eat fewer and more meals, and avoid eating eggs when experiencing high fever; Drink plenty of warm water at the same time, with a daily water intake of no less than 500 milliliters. Don’t let it go when it’s hot, because a certain amount of fever (body temperature below 38.5 ℃) has a protective effect on the body. At this time, the production of white blood cells increases, antibody production is active, enzyme activity increases, and the detoxification effect of the liver is strengthened, which is beneficial for eliminating pathogenic factors without the need for urgent fever reduction. Abuse of antipyretic drugs is sometimes more detrimental than fever itself, and commonly used antipyretic drugs in clinical practice also have varying degrees of toxic side effects. If the measured body temperature is ≥ 39 ℃, oral antipyretic drugs can be chosen first, and physical cooling can also be used. Antibiotics are only used in cases where a cold is accompanied by bacterial infection (patients may experience high fever, mental fatigue, tonsillitis, or increased white blood cells, exceeding 12000 cells per cubic millimeter), and one type of antibiotic is often chosen for treatment.