Is it possible to bathe a child with a runny nose?

The most important hygiene procedure not only for children, but also for adults is bathing. All loving and caring parents try to accustom their child to water procedures from birth. They understand that taking a bath not only cleanses children's skin of dirt, dust and sweat, but also relieves nervous overstimulation.

But for young mothers, the manifestation of the first symptoms of a cold in their babies is very frightening. Therefore, many doubt: is it possible to bathe a child with a runny nose, or should hygiene procedures be postponed in the bathroom until he recovers?

Let's try to figure out together whether it is possible to bathe a baby with a runny nose and how water treatments affect middle-aged and older children with a cold.

Is it possible to wash a child with snot and how useful is it?

Despite the fact that the opinion about the dangers of bathing with the least symptoms of a cold has been around for a long time, many doctors still cannot give a specific answer to the question of whether it is possible to bathe a child with a cold.

Heavy sweating is a normal symptom of a cold. This is accompanied by clogged pores, it is difficult for the child’s skin to “breathe,” and toxic substances are retained in the child’s body. In addition, not bathing a child is wrong, even from a medical point of view.

Taking a bath helps relieve muscle pain, which is important during a painful condition. Bathing also has a positive effect on the respiratory system, which is affected during illness, especially if you add essential oils or decoctions based on medicinal herbs, such as bay leaves, to the water (it reduces sweating, is a powerful natural antibiotic, and normalizes sleep). By breathing medicinal vapors, newborns and older children perform a kind of inhalation, which helps remove mucus from the nasopharynx and bronchi, relieves throat spasms, improves the release of phlegm in dry coughs, and brings the moment of recovery closer. In addition, cleaning the nose will calm the baby and allow him to get a good night's sleep.

Bathing a child when he coughs

How to bathe a coughing child: rules

Since ancient times, great attention has been paid to the culture of body washing in civilized society. How to bathe a child who coughs. The rules for water procedures for a sick child are described in this article.

Why is it useful to bathe a child:

Bathing itself is very beneficial. Bathing is necessary throughout a person’s life, from infancy to old age. During bathing, the body is cleansed, sweat and fat secreted by the skin are washed away, old keratinized skin is also washed away, the pores are cleaned, which promotes better thermoregulation, and the skin “breathes” freely. Even in the process of taking a bath or shower, a person’s skin is cleansed of dust and other contaminants from the environment, and a general, cheerful, fresh state of the body sets in. Before bed, a bath is very relaxing, promotes sleep and calms the body, and a contrast shower contributes to general hardening.

But how to bathe a child when he coughs? This question can be answered correctly only from the point of view of pediatrics and pediatric medicine. The child’s body is just developing, it is not strong enough.

How to bathe a coughing child: rules

Now let's look at the basic rules of how to bathe when you cough:

How to bathe when you have a cough? - at a water temperature of about thirty-six to thirty-seven degrees Celsius. In this case, the ambient temperature in the room should be higher than in the rest of the apartment and should be about twenty-six degrees. You need to control the temperature with a special device - a thermometer.

How to bathe when you have a cough? — you need to bathe the child in a small bathtub, and the bathing time at the initial stage should be about two to three minutes, gradually it can be extended to fifteen minutes.

How to bathe when you have a cough? — you need to bathe the baby twice a week, after bathing the child, you should dry it thoroughly, dress warmly, but not wrap it up, put on warm socks, pajamas, and you can drink hot tea. The main thing is that after bathing the child is not exposed to low temperatures and drafts.

Important information about this? how to bathe a child when he coughs

Above we have discussed three basic rules for how to bathe a child who is coughing. But it is worth noting that if the baby has an elevated body temperature, then bathing is not recommended, otherwise the child may become even more ill, and the illness may cause complications. But if there is no fever, but bathing about twice a week is necessary, proper cleansing of the body contributes to recovery and a good psychological mood. And one more important point: to bathe a child, the water must initially be made one degree higher, because while you undress the child and he climbs into the bath, the water may cool down.

© Author: therapist Elena Dmitrenko

How to bathe a coughing child

Most pediatricians unanimously insist that at the slightest sign of a cold in a small child, you should immediately stop all bathing procedures for him. There is some truth in this, but you should not always completely refuse to bathe your child. In this situation, rather, a young mother should know how to bathe her child when he coughs, so as not to cause complications of the disease and not make him catch an even worse cold.

Is it possible to bathe a child with a cough?

In what cases is it forbidden to bathe a coughing baby with a cold:

Of course, any bath procedures are strictly prohibited if the baby’s body temperature is elevated. In this case, you should limit yourself to wiping his body with wet wipes, no more.

Also, if the temperature in the room is high enough, wiping with a warm wet towel is suitable, but after it, be sure to wrap the baby in a warm blanket so that it does not get wet.

You should not bathe if you have a cough or at a relatively low temperature in the room (below 25 o) or if there is a danger of drafts. Moreover, this rule should be observed even when the child is healthy, so as not to catch a cold in the delicate and unstable child’s body.

How and where to bathe a child when he coughs?

A visit to the bathhouse will be an excellent replacement for a child’s usual bath. Our ancestors believed that going to the bathhouse could cure all ailments, and in the old days women gave birth in the bathhouse. Of course, you shouldn’t steam a one-year-old baby with a thick birch broom, but holding it for a few minutes in a moderately heated bathhouse will be very useful. The steam inhaled by the child will help dissolve the mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract and it will be easier for him to cough.

Should you bathe your child if he has a cold?

If the child’s temperature is not elevated, but there are still some signs of a cold (cough, runny nose), you can try bathing him when he coughs at home, but reduce the bathing time to a minimum and after the bath, wrap the child in a heated terry towel. After some time, the child’s chest and back should be rubbed with melted honey, and then wrapped again in a warm towel or blanket.

These are just basic tips, because only a local pediatrician or another doctor can tell you exactly how to bathe a child with a cold or a cough. So even before you want to give your baby a bath day, consult a specialist. It will only take a couple of minutes to communicate with the doctor, but this will protect your child from worsening the cold after bathing.

Child's cough and bathing

Coughing in children is quite common and can occur several times within even one month. If everything is more or less clear with the treatment of cough, since this treatment is prescribed by the doctor, then regarding child care. who coughs. Moms have a lot of questions.

One of the most popular questions that mothers ask specialists is whether it is possible to bathe a child. what if he has a cough?

Pediatricians say that when deciding whether to bathe a child when he has a cough. it is necessary to take into account a number of factors, namely, the nature and severity of the disease, the age of the baby, as well as the characteristics of his body. In addition, it is equally important to know the cause of the cough. This reason is best determined with the help of a pediatrician who observes the child.

In the event that the baby has a cough due to ARVI or influenza. then in the first days of illness you should not bathe him. This is due to the fact that in the first days of such diseases, children experience a sharp deterioration in their condition and often have a high temperature. Swimming can make the situation even worse. In this case, bathing should be postponed until the child’s body temperature normalizes.

Also, do not bathe your child. if he has an intense debilitating cough. which does not go away for a long time. In this case, the baby must be shown to the doctor.

At high temperatures, bathing can be replaced by wiping the baby's body with a wet, warm towel. Rubbing should be done in a warm room without drafts.

When the child feels better, he can be offered a warm bath (water temperature is about 36-37 degrees). It is very useful to add medicinal herbs to the bath - eucalyptus, pine needles, wild rosemary, coltsfoot. You can also take a bath with sea salt.

It’s not worth bathing your baby for a long time when he’s coughing; it’s better to limit the time to five minutes. After bathing, the child should not become hypothermic. That is why you need to quickly dry him with a terry towel, and then change into warm pajamas and put on socks.

Child's cough

Cough in a child is the most common symptom of childhood diseases. This is a complex reflex act, leading to a sharp contraction of the respiratory muscles and a powerful release of air from the child’s lungs with phlegm or mucus.

The physiological role of cough is to clear the airways of accumulated mucus or foreign bodies. During many diseases of the respiratory system, the cleansing function is preserved, for example, with bronchitis, coughing removes mucus from the bronchi. Pediatricians distinguish several types of cough in children.

Physiological cough

This type of cough is normal. It occurs periodically with the aim of clearing the respiratory tract of foreign bodies, crumbs that have got into the wrong throat, and phlegm. Do not confuse a physiological cough with a pathological one. In healthy children, coughing can occur up to 20 times a day, especially in the morning. It occurs with the aim of freeing the bronchi from mucus that has accumulated overnight. You should not take this cough as a sign of illness and start self-treatment; expectorants will only make the cough worse.

Physiological cough is a common occurrence in infants. This is possible during crying or during feeding, when part of the food enters the trachea and, accordingly, provokes a cough. This should not worry parents. Children from 6 months of age use coughing as a means of attracting the attention of their parents. You should not immediately react to a child’s cough; too much attention will reinforce this habit in your child.

Possible coughing during teething. It may be moist due to excessive salivation. This cough does not require treatment.

Characteristics of physiological cough

Short term. Periodicity. No symptoms of the disease. Weak. Invisible to others.

If your child has been coughing for several days

Describe the cough – when it started, intensity, etc. Measure your body temperature. Observe the baby's behavior - how he sleeps, eats, plays.

If your observations alert you and there is reason to believe that a cough is a sign of a disease, visit your pediatrician.

Pathological cough

Pathological cough occurs when there is a disease of the respiratory system. It is varied in nature, depending on the nature of the disease. Competent determination of the nature of cough is the key to correct diagnosis and treatment.

Types of pathological cough

An acute cough develops suddenly and lasts for two weeks. A cough with ARVI is the most common, loud and sharp, dry, alternating with wet. It can develop in a few hours. With laryngitis, whistling and barking, accompanied by hoarseness of the voice. Pharyngitis is characterized by tingling, sore throat and sore throat. With bronchitis, the cough is loud, chesty, painful with copious sputum production. With pneumonia, the cough is wet, deep, and produces sputum. Pain is felt in the ribs. The cough of the flu is painful, persistent and dry against a background of high fever.

Is it possible to bathe a child when he coughs?

Any mother subtly feels her child. Sometimes, for reasons invisible to the naked eye, she will be able to determine how her baby is feeling. However, sometimes even such anxious mothers are faced with the question: is it possible to bathe a child when he coughs? The answer is on the pages of the unique Internet portal https://mirmam.info/, which widely covers any problems related to pregnancy and caring for the baby. Useful information about all issues that may concern both expectant mothers and young mothers is published here.

Before deciding whether to bathe your child when he coughs or not, you should understand what causes the cough. For example, a cough may appear in children when they are cutting their first teeth. This is due to the fact that a lot of saliva forms in the mouth, and the child does not yet know how to cope with this abundance of liquid. He tries to clear his throat.

Other causes of cough may be associated with the presence of serious diseases such as allergies, heart problems, nervous system problems, and gastrointestinal tract problems. And, of course, a cough can be a consequence of a cold or flu. Most often, the mother associates the cough with the fact that the child has caught a cold somewhere. However, this is a big mistake that can lead to serious health problems. Therefore, the first time you cough, it is best to consult a doctor.

However, despite all the scientific calculations, the child still needs to be bathed. What to do in this case? How to answer the question, is it possible to bathe a child when he coughs? First of all, you should measure your temperature. If it is increased, then bathing is completely canceled. The fact is that any cold-viral diseases in children are very difficult. This is especially true for the flu. In order not to aggravate the problem, in this case, for the first few days after the child gets sick, avoid water procedures. In this case, you can apply wiping with warm water.

Is it possible to bathe a child with a cough?

About whether it is possible to walk with a child with ARVI and influenza. we already wrote. It's time to answer another fairly common question.

To the question “Is it possible to bathe a child when he coughs?” answers Ekaterina Vladimirovna Uspenskaya – Ph.D. doctor of the highest category, pediatrician.

The first thing to do is to recognize the cause of the cough. So, a baby’s first cough may appear during teething, and the reason for this is increased salivation. A cough can also be allergic or occur as a result of diseases of the heart, central nervous system, or gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, if a child has a cough and you cannot determine what exactly caused such a reaction in the body, it is better to immediately seek advice from a specialist.

When a child has a cough, the decision about whether to bathe him during this period must be made taking into account a number of factors - the nature and severity of the disease, the age of the child and the characteristics of his body. If a cough accompanies an acute respiratory viral infection, then bathing the child for the first few days of illness is highly discouraged. After all, ARVI and, especially, influenza in preschool children and schoolchildren are extremely difficult, and are usually accompanied by a sharp deterioration in their general condition - high fever, weakness, headache, chills. Of course, in this condition the child needs bed rest, which is important to observe until the temperature returns to normal.

Instead of bathing, you can limit yourself to rubbing with a warm wet towel, but this must be done quickly and in a warm room without drafts. And then you should definitely wrap the child in a blanket.

When the baby feels better and the temperature subsides, you can prepare a warm bath. At the same time, the air temperature in the room where you will bathe the child should be no lower than 25-26 degrees, and the water temperature should be about 36-37. You can make a bath with a decoction of eucalyptus leaves, pine needles, coltsfoot or wild rosemary, adding a small amount of sea salt. Herbs will have a strengthening effect on the child’s body and will help him recover faster.

Be sure to monitor the water temperature; it should not drop. Bathing time can be gradually increased every day from 2-3 to 15 minutes.

After bathing, you need to thoroughly dry the child, wait a little until the skin is completely dry, then dress him in warm socks, pajamas and put him in bed under a blanket.

If your child’s cough is debilitating and does not go away for a long time, consult a doctor without delay, because if not treated correctly, it can develop into a more serious illness.

In what cases is bathing children with a runny nose contraindicated?

Despite the fact that taking a bath for a cold toddler is useful, circumstances may arise in which it is still worth postponing bathing to a more appropriate time. To avoid complications and not worsen the baby’s well-being, you need to follow these rules:

• refrain from swimming in the first 24 hours from the moment the first symptoms of the disease appear;
• It is prohibited to take a bath when the baby’s body temperature is high;
• You should not give your child a lot of liquid before bathing (this can worsen his well-being);
• Do not give food before bathing (the child may vomit);
• taking medications is done after a bath.

In addition, a runny nose is not only a manifestation of ARVI, sore throat, or bronchitis. Snot can also be a reaction of the child’s body to rubella, scarlet fever, chickenpox and other childhood diseases, as well as to vaccinations (for example, DTP), teething in infants.

Note! During vaccination, after which some children may snot, their body temperature rises, etc., pediatricians do not recommend giving children a bath, swimming in the sea or in a pool, especially visiting a bathhouse. This is because the introduction of the vaccine reduces the resistance of the immune system. In addition, the water may contain microorganisms that can lead to infection of the baby.

If the child’s physiological condition is satisfactory, there is no fever, just a stuffy nose, then swimming is not contraindicated. In this case, it is enough to avoid drafts, monitor the water temperature, and avoid temperature changes in the bathroom and in the room in one direction or another.

After swimming, it is very important to avoid hypothermia! To do this, just wipe the baby dry, dress him warmly, not forgetting to put on socks. It’s good if bathing is done before bed - after the bath you can wrap your child in a warm blanket.

Not less important! When bathing children with rhinitis, it is not recommended to wash or wet their hair, so as not to worsen the condition of the sick child. You can wash your hair only when absolutely necessary, and it is advisable to postpone it until complete recovery.

When can you bathe a baby with a cough?

Every person should wash himself daily, using hygienic devices. A washcloth is a tool for massage and activity of red cells, accelerating the circulatory system. This helps fight inflammation.

Soaps, shampoos and gels help cleanse the skin and pores of everyday dirt, sweat, and dust. If you use water procedures as a therapeutic therapy, then you can bathe a baby with a cough or an older child only after an accurate diagnosis has been established.

Cough can become a symptom not only of diseases of the respiratory system. The reflex indicates the development of infections, bacteria, viruses.

An allergic cough is not dangerous if the process is stopped, so swimming is allowed. Or teething moment. It can also be accompanied not only by itching of the gums, but also:

• soreness;
• coughing;
• severe cough;
• redness of the throat;
• profuse salivation.

High fever and runny nose are often observed. In such cases, bathing will not harm, since the inflammatory process does not occur in the lungs.

But hot baths are very dangerous if a cardiac cough or pulmonary cough occurs, even without fever. Diseases of this class require qualified help. The cough is accompanied by purulent, bloody discharge and is classified as wet.

In this state, taking a bath in the bathroom increases blood flow and provokes bleeding. When diagnosing cardiovascular diseases, the heart muscle cannot cope with a large volume of blood, which leads to hemorrhages.

In childhood, pulmonary infectious diseases very quickly acquire complications in the form of pneumonia or meningitis.

If the cough is provoked by a viral pathology and occurs without changes in body temperature, then a bath with herbal infusions will help remove the disease, and the baby will feel much better. A kind of passive inhalation is carried out.

For intestinal cough or nervous cough, water procedures will also improve the condition of a newborn and older baby. A baby can take a bath if he starts coughing due to laryngitis or bronchitis.

What medicinal baths will benefit your baby?

Since we have figured out that you can and should wash a child with snot, we bring to your attention recipes for medicinal baths that will speed up recovery.

Please note: although you can bathe a child if he has a cold, taking medicinal baths, you need to avoid products with dyes and aromatic additives. It is better to give preference to natural and herbal ingredients that do not cause allergies.

• Hot bath.

Despite the fact that not every doctor approves of taking hot baths for children with a cold, today there is a lot of verified information that such procedures have a healing effect.

The duration of the bath is 15 minutes, the water temperature should reach 38 ° C. It is recommended to add herbal infusions to hot water, such as chamomile, mint, and St. John's wort.

• Mustard.

Taking a mustard bath helps warm up the body and speed up recovery.

To prepare a bath, it is important to follow the proportions: for a volume of water of 200 liters you will need 400 g of mustard powder. It is diluted to a thick sour cream, then poured into the bath.

You can take such a bath for no longer than 15 minutes, then the child is washed in the shower and warm clothes are put on him.

On a note! Baths with mustard powder can increase the temperature, so the procedure is contraindicated at the slightest increase in body temperature.

• Turpentine bath.

Turpentine baths for colds are an excellent way to remove toxins from the body that do not come out through the pores of the skin. Also, a bath with turpentine has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system and normalizes the functioning of internal organs.

To prepare, you need a white emulsion with grated baby soap, salicylic acid, turpentine and water. Salicylic acid is mixed with soap, poured with pre-boiled water, the mass is brought to homogeneity, and cooled to 40-45 oC. Then turpentine is added to the mass.

For the first bath, you will need 15-20 ml of emulsion; for subsequent procedures, add another 60-70 ml. In this case, the water temperature should be within 36-37 oC. It is recommended to take a bath for 10-15 minutes, repeating the procedure every other day no more than 15 times.

• Eucalyptus baths.

During illness, eucalyptus normalizes well-being and accelerates the improvement of the patient's condition.

To prepare a bath, 7-8 drops of eucalyptus oil, diluted in hot water, are enough. Bathing duration is up to 15 minutes.

Optimal age and frequency of bathing

When can you bathe a puppy for the first time? They are washed when they reach 4 months of age, but sometimes earlier. The procedure is carried out no more than once a month. Sometimes the baby is washed when it gets dirty or for medical reasons. You can also find out how often you can bathe your puppy by consulting a veterinarian.

In some cases, swimming is prohibited. These include:

• the first 2 weeks after vaccination;
• during illness;
• with a weak immune system;
• if your skin is too sensitive;
• before going for a walk in bad weather.

You should always remember that water washes away sebum from your pet’s skin, protecting it from heavy rains. A minimal amount of sebum will make your dog more susceptible to colds.

The number of baths is reduced if the dog develops skin irritation. It is characterized by profuse dandruff all over the body.

Preventive actions

A runny nose is a condition when the patient has difficulty inhaling air through the nose and has to breathe through the mouth; Green or clear nasal discharge may occur. At the same time, the air is not properly purified from viruses and bacteria, and they penetrate into the lower respiratory tract, leading to more serious diseases.

To prevent a runny nose from leading to bronchitis or pneumonia during the peak of colds, you need to take preventive measures, namely:

• maintain hygiene (wash hands after going outside, avoid crowds of people);
• monitor the level of air humidity in the house (optimal humidity is 50-60%);
• harden the body;
• Eat foods rich in vitamins every day (citrus fruits, berries, rosehips);
• maintain a balanced daily diet;
• use preventive medications (rinse and clean your nose with solutions based on essential oils or salt water; do inhalations, take vitamin complexes).

To prevent your baby from getting sick in the autumn-spring period, do not neglect the prevention of colds. It doesn’t matter at all whether your child is one month old, two months old or ten years old. The health of children depends only on the responsibility of parents.