It is said that the toughest phase of being a parent is during the initial 1 year. I completely agree to the same. This is the time when the baby can’t move much, talk or have any strong opinions. A lot of people think it is easy to take care of them now. But the truth is that with no communication at all. it becomes almost impossible to understand what the little one is going through or what problem he/she is facing. Yes, I am talking about the most dreaded cold and flu.
As a parent, my worst nightmare has been the time when my little girl would be down with cold and flu. As a result of the same, she wouldn’t take feed, would always be cranky and moreover would be very restless. It is quite obvious for a child under a year to face the same because they mostly breathe through their nose, and congestion disturbs it.
Any child suffering from the same faces these symptoms ,
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Sleep deprivation – Nasal congestion does not allow a child to sleep peacefully and therefore the kids get deprived of sleep and feel drowsy the following day. This also causes children to be extremely moody at times.
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Crankiness – Children get extremely cranky because of the discomfort caused due to nasal congestion. It’s like an obstruction when they breathe, which can be very uncomfortable specially for children under 1.
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Difficulty in eating – Due to nasal congestion, children tend to avoid eating or find it difficult or eat. This can often be very stressful for new parents.
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Obligatory nose breathers – Children between the age group of 0 – 1-year-old are obligatory nose breathers. When they suffer from Nasal congestion, they have difficulty in breathing. With such small children it specially becomes very difficult to control the situation..
These are a few common symptoms that little ones go through. I was sailing in the same boat until sometime back when my friend suggested me to use steam or a nebuliser . It proved to be such a magic for us. Finally even with cold and flu, my baby slept well and there as nothing more that I wanted…
Speaking of my personal experience, this is extremely safe for kids under 1, however, proper dosage should be given when it comes to nebulisation. I although still prefer steam and nothing else .
FEW BENEFITS OF USING STEAM TO TREAT COLD AND FLU
1. It’s completely, 100% natural.
2. It’s cheap… or almost free
3. It’s tried and tested for many years
Steam therapy, or steam inhalation, is the method of introducing warm moist air into the lungs via the nose and throat for therapeutic benefit. But we are far from the first culture to have thought of it.
It is nothing new if you go back to the history of it but something that has been around and tested for thousands of years. Clearly, easy to beleive that it is absolutely safe .