- 1. General care
- 2. Give the prescription drugs
- 3. Adequate feeding
- How to identify the sore throat in the baby
- When to return to the pediatrician
The neck pain in the baby is usually relieved with the use of medicines prescribed by the pediatrician, such as ibuprofen, which can already be taken at home, but whose dose needs to be correctly calculated, in consultation with the pediatrician, for the weight and age of the baby. child at the moment.
In addition, consultation with the pediatrician is also very important to assess whether there is any type of infection that needs to be treated with antibiotics, such as Amoxicillin, which can only be used under the guidance of the doctor.
However, parents can also speed up treatment with some simple home-based measures like washing their nose with saline, giving them plenty of water and offering soft foods during meals.
1. General care
Some simple precautions that can be taken whenever the baby or child has a sore throat are:
- Give the baby a warm bath, closing the bathroom door and window: this ensures that the baby breathes some water vapor, which fluidizes the secretions and helps to clear the throat; Wash the child's nose with saline, if there are secretions: remove the secretions from the throat, helping to clear it; Do not let the child walk barefoot and wrap him up when he has to leave the house: the sudden difference in temperature can worsen sore throats; Stay with the baby or child at home, if there is a fever: this means not taking the baby to daycare or the child to school until the fever has passed. Here's what to do to lower baby fever.
In addition, ensuring that your child frequently washes his or her hands also helps to treat sore throat faster and prevents contamination of family members or friends with the same infection.
2. Give the prescription drugs
Sore throat remedies should only be used as directed by a pediatrician, as diseases caused by viruses do not always need medication. However, the pediatrician may prescribe:
- Painkillers like Paracetamol in syrup form; Anti-inflammatories like Ibuprofen or Acetominofen in syrup form; Nasal decongestant like Neosoro or children's Sorine, in the form of drops or spray for older children.
Antibiotics are not advised if the infection is not caused by bacteria. Nor are cough remedies or antihistamines recommended because they are not effective in young children and have side effects.
The flu vaccine is particularly suitable for children who have asthma, chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, kidney disease, HIV or children who need to take aspirin daily. In healthy children, talk to the pediatrician before having this type of vaccination.
3. Adequate feeding
In addition to the previous care, parents can also take some care with food, to try to reduce discomfort, such as:
- Give soft foods, in the case of the baby from 6 months of age: they are easier to swallow, reducing discomfort and sore throat. Examples of food: warm soup or broth, fruit puree or yogurt; Giving the baby plenty of water, teas or natural juices: helps to fluidize secretions and clear the throat; Avoid giving your child very hot or icy foods : very hot or icy foods make the sore throat worse; Give the baby orange juice: the orange has vitamin C, which increases the body's defenses; Giving honey to children over 1 year old: helps moisturize the throat, relieving discomfort.
Sore throats usually go away in a week, but if the child is taking the medicines prescribed by the pediatrician and these home-based measures are adopted, he may feel better in about 3 to 4 days.
How to identify the sore throat in the baby
A baby with a sore throat and pain usually refuses to eat or drink, cries when he eats and may have secretions or a cough. Besides that:
In the baby under 1 year there may also be:
- Restlessness, easy crying, refusal to eat, vomiting, altered sleep and difficulty breathing due to phlegm in the nose.
In older children:
- Headache, pain all over the body and chills, phlegm, and redness of the throat and inside the ears, fever, nausea, stomach pains and pus in the throat. Certain viruses can also cause diarrhea.
In the case of children older than 1 year, it is easier to identify sore throat, as they usually complain of pain in their throat or neck when they swallow, drink or eat something.
When to return to the pediatrician
It is advisable to go back to the pediatrician if the symptoms worsen, if they do not improve in 3 to 5 days or if other symptoms appear, such as difficulty in breathing, high fever, tiredness and frequent sleepiness, pus in the throat, complaint of earache or persistent cough for more than 10 days.
