If your tot never seems to stop sniffling and coughing, you're not alone: Many healthy children catch between eight and 10 colds or other viral infections in the first two years of life, and their symptoms can last for up to 10 days or longer, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Plus, if your child is in day care, he may get sick even more often, since he's in close contact with other kids. Little ones in day care may get as many as six to eight colds a year.
The good news: Most toddler colds and mild fevers go away on their own — and getting sick often builds up the immune system, helping him fend off the next bug that comes his way.
While there's no cure for the common cold, check in with your pediatrician if your toddler has ear pain or a fever of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (the normal threshold is between 101.5 and 102 degrees F, but a temp higher than 100.4 degrees F will likely require him to be tested for COVID-19).
Also call the doctor if his cold symptoms seem more severe than usual or if you're at all concerned for any other reason.
What causes a cold in toddlers?
The common children’s cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. While toddler colds can be caused by more than 200 varieties of contagious viruses, the most frequent causes of the common cold are rhinoviruses.
The viruses that cause a cold in toddlers live in the air and on surfaces, which means that if someone with a cold breathes (or sneezes) on your tot, or if he picks up something that an infected person has touched, he’ll likely get exposed to the cold virus and may come down with cold symptoms.
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In additions to viruses, there are other factors that may lower your child’s resistance to infection and result in a toddler cold, including the following:
The season. Toddler colds occur more often in winter when kids are exposed to more germs while cooped up inside for longer periods.
Dry air. Winter air holds less moisture, drying out tiny nasal passages and leaving toddlers more at risk for infections.
Smoking at home. If your tot lives with a smoker, he may catch a cold more frequently. Chemicals in secondhand smoke can damage the lining of his still-developing lungs, and if his parents are smokers, they'll get more colds than non-smokers, exposing him to their germs.
What are symptoms of the common cold?
Common cold symptoms in a toddler typically start with a runny nose, sneezing and a throat tickle and end with a lingering cough that often flares up at night. Fortunately, most toddler cold symptoms, which are similar to those in adults, aren’t very severe. Here’s a rundown of the most common ones:
Runny nose (discharge is watery at first, then the mucus becomes thicker, opaque and sometimes yellowish or greenish)
Dry cough
Sneezing
Congestion or stuffiness
Watery eyes
Sore or scratchy throat (which can be difficult to spot in a toddler)
Mild fever (101 to 102 degrees F), especially in the evening
Loss of appetite
Fatigue and crankiness
Slightly swollen glands
How long do toddler colds last?
You can expect a toddler’s cold to last between seven and 10 days, but it may continue for up to two weeks. And a cough, one of the last cold symptoms to appear, can hang on even longer — sometimes up to a month.
Keep in mind that the common cold is quite contagious, passing from person to person via touch or airborne particles, so it may spread for a couple of weeks after your child falls ill.
How do I know if my toddler has a cold or the flu?
The common cold and the seasonal flu may seem similar, as they’re both respiratory illnesses and they share many of the same symptoms. The big difference between a cold and the flu is the speed at which symptoms appear and their severity.
Common cold symptoms are usually on the mild side, come on gradually and may include a low-grade fever, while the flu is accompanied by abrupt symptoms and a sudden temperature spike, usually over 101 degrees F. In general, the flu hits kids harder than a common cold, leaving them feeling sicker and more uncomfortable.
What can you give a toddler for a cold?
While there’s no cure for the common cold, you can offer your tot comfort with ointment around his nose to prevent chapping, a cold-mist humidifier to ease congestion and give him plenty of fluids, including water, Pedialyte and Popsicles.
A warm liquid like warm water with lemon (you can add honey if your child is over a year old or agave syrup if he's under 1) offers hydration and soothes a sore throat, plus it may ease swelling in the upper respiratory tract.
Bear in mind that antibiotics will have no effect on the common cold, as they’re made to treat bacterial infections, and they can be harmful if overused, killing good bacteria in your child’s system. Most fevers don’t require medication either, as they’re simply the body’s way of fighting an infection, though you can cool your toddler down with a compress on his forehead and by dressing him in light fabrics.
Ask your doctor about acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lower your child's temp — if taken as directed, both are safe for toddlers.
Here’s more about how to treat colds in toddlers by age:
What to give a 1-year-old for a cold
Since toddlers this age don’t know how to blow their noses, you can put saline nasal drops in your 1-year-old’s nose to loosen clogged mucus and use suction bulb or NoseFrida to gently extract excess mucus. You can also raise the head of your toddler’s crib by putting a couple of pillows underneath the mattress (this is only safe for little ones 1 and older, as it poses a SIDS risk in younger babies).
What to give a 2-year-old for a cold
Keep the tissues handy and teach your toddler to blow his nose. Saline nasal drops can also help loosen up crusty mucus that may be clogging his nostrils. If he’s sleeping in a big-kid bed, offer him extra pillows to keep his head raised. Otherwise, prop up the crib mattress as described above.
What to give children ages 3 and up for a cold
Experts strongly advise parents never to give over-the-counter cough and cold medications to toddlers under the age of 4. Studies have shown that these drugs are ineffective and can cause serious side effects in younger children.
In fact, the AAP recommends parents always check with their pediatrician before offering cough or cold medications to children under the age of 6. If your doctor does give you the okay, be sure to use the dosing syringe or cup that comes with the medicine to avoid potentially dangerous dosing errors.
When should I call the doctor for my toddler's cold?
Call your doctor if your toddler has a temperature of more than 100.4 degrees F, as he'll probably need to get a COVID-19 test, especially if he's in day care (the normal threshold for a fever that warrants a call to the doctor is between 101.5 and 102 degrees F for tots ages 1 to 3 years old).
Also check in with your pediatrician if your child is pulling on his ears a lot or has symptoms that last longer than 10 days.
Allergies could be responsible if your toddler seems to have frequent to continuous colds and a chronically runny nose, especially when accompanied by dark under-eye circles. If your child experiences these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
You should also call the pediatrician for a cold if you notice any of the following symptoms:
Lethargy or extra crankiness
No appetite
A seizure
Blue lips or fingernails
Greenish-yellow, foul-smelling discharge from the nose or from coughing
Wheezing or breathing more rapidly than usual or any trouble breathing
Chest discomfort or swollen neck glands
Coughing that worsens or continues during the daytime after other symptoms are gone
- Visible pus on tonsils, especially in kids 3 years and older, which may indicate strep
How to prevent colds in toddlers
It’s natural to want to protect your child from the common cold, and the best way to help is to wash your child’s hands regularly (especially before eating and after using the bathroom if he’s potty-trained) and to teach your toddler hand-washing basics (alcohol-based hand-sanitizers will do in a pinch). It’s also smart to stay away from anyone with a cold and to avoid sharing cups, utensils and towels.
It’s not easy when your toddler’s fighting the common cold, but know that with time and some TLC from you, his symptoms should ease up and he’ll be back to his normal, playful self.
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