Should I consult a doctor if my 8 month old baby has had a cold for 4 days, his nose is running, his eyes are red and he has a cold?

Hello Ma'am,

Consultation is recommended when fever is present for more than 3 days.

Considering your child's overall condition, and the fact that he or she no longer has a fever, I would not recommend consulting.

Instead, we'll focus our efforts on the likely cause of these symptoms: nasal congestion and runny nose.

To do this, I recommend using the technique described in this document (pages 6 and 7), produced by Ste-Justine Hospital. For a baby of this age and with these symptoms, I recommend using 10 mL of saline per nostril 5 times a day for at least 2-3 days, and if everything seems to improve decrease to 3 times a day for an additional 5-7 days.

You'll be surprised by the amount of mucus such a small nose can hold. 😊

You should see improvement in symptoms in less than 2 days.

If the fever returns, or if the symptoms do not improve at all in 2 days, I would recommend that you seek medical attention at that time.

Happy day,

Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist