If your child has cold or flu symptoms

Colds and flu are viral infections, and they're very common in babies and children. Most children get better completely without needing any treatment. There are still a few things you can do to help your child feel better while they recover.

Phone 999 or go to the hospital emergency department if your child:

• has lips or skin that are turning pale, blue or grey (on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of their hands)
• has severe difficulty breathing, and may make grunting noises or suck their stomach in under their ribcage
• is breathing fast, or stops or pauses in their breathing
• is pulling in at their throat area (tracheal tug), or their windpipe is more prominent
• is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do, and may find it difficult to focus on you or be more difficult to wake up than usual
• is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 38°C (101°F) or above and has not had a vaccination in the past 2 days
• is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 36°C (97°F) or less and has not had a vaccination in the past 2 days

Always trust your instincts and phone 999 if you think there's an emergency.

• is more short of breath than usual
• has pain when breathing in or coughing
• is feeling confused, dizzy or lightheaded
• feels sick or is being sick, for example, they can't keep food or fluids down
• is coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
• has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or is showing other signs of dehydration
• has a very high or low temperature, for example, they feel either hot or cold to touch or are shivering

If your doctor's chamber is closed, call a doctor or the 16263 health line.

Colds and flu in babies most often show up as:

• fever of 37.5°C or above
• breathlessness
• rapid breathing
• cough
• not taking their usual feeds
• not having their usual wet or dirty nappies

These are the symptoms you'll see most often when a child has a cold or flu:

• fever of 37.9°C or above
• breathlessness
• rapid breathing
• cough
• runny nose
• blocked nose
• sneezing

If your child is alert, playing and behaving normally, it's unlikely that they're seriously ill.

There's no specific treatment for a cold or flu, but you can do a few things to make your child more comfortable.

• give your child infant paracetamol or ibuprofen
• use only over the counter remedies that your pharmacist recommends
• encourage your child to drink more fluids

• try to reduce your child's fever by undressing them
• sponge your child with water
• give aspirin to children under 16
• give honey to babies under 1

Most children will make a full recovery without any medical treatment.

Viral infections cause most cold and flu symptoms in children. The most common ones are:

• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• influenza (flu)
• rhinovirus
• adenovirus

There are several others, but these are the ones you'll see most often. Most of the time these viruses don't lead to serious illness.

Some conditions can also cause cold and flu symptoms and may need further treatment, such as:

• pneumonia
• tonsillitis in toddlers and older children

Some babies and children are born with health conditions that can make a serious infection more likely. These include:

• congenital heart disease, where a baby is born with a heart condition
• narrowing of the airways or other respiratory disease from birth
• being born prematurely

You can lower the risk of catching or spreading cold or flu by doing the following:

• wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water
• clean surfaces such as your telephone and door handles regularly, to get rid of germs
• put used tissues in a bin as soon as you can
• keep your child at home until they're feeling better (that means no fever for 24 hours without infant paracetamol or ibuprofen)