Cold and flu season has arrived, and children face higher risks of getting sick. Respiratory viruses are usually the culprit – and the symptoms they cause can make children feel miserable. 
“Cold and flu viruses thrive in cold, dry air which is why we become so vulnerable to them as the weather shifts,” Lanre Omojokun Falusi, MD, MEd, FAAP, said. “Colds and flu are common in childhood, partly because your child's immune system is still developing. In most cases, time is the best treatment.”
Most colds are caused by rhinoviruses, which can lead to sneezing, sniffling, cough, stuffy, runny nose, headache, body aches, sleepiness, sore throat, watery eyes, chills and a low-grade fever of around 99.5°F to 100.3°F.
Children with infections triggered by non-polio enterovirus or adenovirus might have some of these symptoms, but may also experience diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, eye redness and skin rash. 
Reach out to your pediatrician if you have concerns that your child has flu, COVID or another serious infection.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these tips on keeping children comfortable when they are sick:
- Consider a fever reducer. Not every fever needs to be treated, but if your child can't sleep, acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help. Keep the right formula for your child's age on hand—chewables, liquid or infant drops. Follow the package directions carefully to make sure you're giving the right dose. If your child can't keep food and liquids down, a suppository may help. Never give your child aspirin for fever or pain, since it can seriously harm their health. 
- Keep your child hydrated. Kids fighting colds or flu need plenty of fluids, especially if diarrhea and vomiting are involved. Electrolyte drinks can help restore the minerals your child's body needs. Once they're able to keep food and liquids down, you can switch to plain water. Warm liquids like hot water with lemon, broth and caffeine-free tea are a double remedy, since they replenish fluids and ease sore throats. 
- Relieve sniffles without drugs. Little noses will feel much better after you gently clear away congestion with a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator. Saline drops, sprays and mists or rinses are often part of this therapy and can be used on their own to help clear nasal passages. These remedies are safe to use multiple times a day.  
- Reach for honey instead of cough syrup. There are many over-the-counter medicines to treat a child's cough, but health experts point to the benefits of honey for children over 1 year old. This simple treatment works by soothing your child's throat and coating cough receptors. Dissolve a half to full teaspoon of pasteurized honey in a warm liquid for your little one to sip. Older children can take honey directly from a teaspoon every 2 hours. Make sure your child's teeth are brushed afterward to avoid tooth decay, especially before bedtime. 
- Add a cool-mist humidifier. Keeping the air in your child's space humidified can relieve a stuffy nose while easing dry coughs. Cool, moist air can also thin congestion and makes it easier to cough up.  
- Try mentholated vapor rub to ease nighttime symptoms. This is a time-tested way to relieve aches and pains and relieve coughs, especially at night. Menthol—the scented, cooling ingredient in the rub—helps open nasal passages so your child can breathe easier. Apply the rub to your child's chest, leaving clothing loose so the vapors reach their nose and throat while they sleep. It's safe for children who are at least 2 years old.  
- Keep children home. Most children recover from colds within 7 to 10 days. Flu might pass more quickly, often within 5 days. But since these illnesses are very contagious, children should not go to school, community events or play dates until vomiting and diarrhea pass, cough is improving for at least 24 hours, and they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. 
- Reach out to your pediatrician if the child experiences severe vomiting or diarrhea for more than 8 hours, stomach pain when not vomiting, a fever of 104° F or higher or fever of 100.4 or higher in a child under 3 months of age, a fever of 5 or more days, quickened breathing or significant breathing struggles, a blue coloration to the lips/face or a lack of urination or other signs of dehydration. 
Cold and flu symptoms can also be signs of more serious illnesses such as COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) so when in doubt, contact the child’s pediatrician for help.
“The best way to protect children from severe illness is by making sure they get vaccinated every flu season,” Dr. Falusi said. “Taking steps to avoid getting sick is typically easier than managing the illness and its symptoms later on.”
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.