Why babies get colds – All that you want to know

Does it seem that your baby gets cold every few weeks? I am sure you are worried.

Well, it is natural that as a parent you are concerned that your child comes down with cold frequently. But you should remember that ‘cold’ is referred to as ‘common cold’ and there is nothing uncommon about it. Do you want to know why babies catch colds?

• The first main reason is that your little one’s immunity is weak.
• Kids are born with inborn immunity that they inherit from their mothers. In a few months the immunity that they get from their mother starts to fade. It is at this stage that the kids start getting frequent colds.
• With poor immunity and too many viruses it is quite normal for your kid to catch cold often.
• Too many viruses? Yes, too many. There are more than 200 viruses that cause cold. When one of the viruses attacks your child, he or she develops immunity towards that particular virus alone. The kid will be able to develop immunity against all viruses in due course of time.
• Viruses spread through air and through contact with an infected person. Viruses also survive on surfaces for more than two hours. When your baby touches contaminated surfaces the virus infects him.
• When your child’s immunity is low, the chances of catching cold are high.The younger they are the more vulnerable they are to colds.
• How many colds does a child get per year? Babies, toddlers and preschoolers may get about 7 to 8 colds per year. During school going time 5 to 6 colds per year is common. When your child reaches teenage stage, it decreases to 3 to 4 times per year.
• Have you ever wondered why kids fall sick frequently during monsoon? It is not because of the weather. It is because your child remains more time indoors during monsoon. In a closed room viruses spread easily. This is the reason why preschoolers fall sick more often in monsoon.
• Does someone smoke in your home? It surely increases your little one’s susceptibility to cold.

Important points to remember

1. Please remember that cold is not caused by playing outside or by lack of vitamins or by wet hair.
2. Colds during growing age are unavoidable. It does not mean that your child has some serious underlying disease.
3. Don’t prevent your child from playing outside. Colds just build your little one’s immune system.
4. Just keep your house, your child, the toys and yourself clean to avoid the virus.

Here are the best wishes for the speedy recovery of your loved one.

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