Cold Symptoms in Newborns: When to Worry

A cold in a newborn may cause a stuffy or runny nose, a cough, and difficulty feeding. Difficult or rapid breathing, bluish lips, marked lethargy, refusal to eat, and a high temperature are dangerous signs that require urgent medical attention.

It’s important to assess cold symptoms in newborns carefully: your baby can’t tell you when they feel unwell, and even an ordinary runny nose can interfere with breathing and feeding. This article explains which changes to watch for and when not to wait and see if the symptoms go away on their own.

• 37–38 °C Temperature usually not exceeded with a cold, according to the provided source
• 39–40 °C Possible temperature rise with the flu, according to the provided source
• 2 age groups Symptoms compared in infants and older children

What are the symptoms of a cold in newborns?

A cold in a newborn may show up as refusing the breast or bottle, changes in sleep, nasal congestion and discharge, and a temperature that usually does not exceed 37–38 °C. Your baby can’t tell you about a sore throat, so it’s especially important to notice changes in feeding and behavior.

You may notice refusal to feed when your baby pushes away the bottle or won’t latch. A stuffy or runny nose can make it harder to suck and rest comfortably. Consider these signs together: it’s important to look not only at whether there is nasal discharge, but also at how your baby feeds and stays awake.

Frequent waking or, conversely, unusually long sleep may accompany feeling unwell and fatigue. A temperature of 37–38 °C is typical of a cold, but the thermometer reading alone doesn’t describe your child’s overall condition: take feeding, sleep, and breathing into account. If your baby is eating noticeably less or their behavior has changed significantly, contact a doctor.

How do symptoms in infants differ from those in older children?

The main difference is that an older child can usually describe what is bothering them, while an infant shows they feel unwell through changes in feeding, sleep, and behavior. An older child may complain of nasal congestion, a sore throat, or a mild headache; in an infant, these symptoms have to be assessed indirectly.

• In an older child: sneezing and a runny nose may come with complaints about the throat or head, mild malaise, and fatigue. Compare your child’s condition with their usual behavior: how active they normally are and whether they usually feel like playing.
• In an infant: a runny nose and sneezing are also possible, but it’s especially important to assess congestion during feeding. If your baby sucks less well or pushes away the breast or bottle, they may be having trouble breathing through their nose.

Changes in an infant’s sleep may also accompany feeling unwell: your baby may wake more often or, conversely, become unusually sleepy. Consider not just one sign but how it fits with feeding and overall behavior: sneezing or a runny nose can occur at both ages, while older children can describe their symptoms and infants cannot.

How does a fever with a cold differ from a fever with the flu?

With a cold, an infant’s temperature usually stays between 37–38 °C, while the flu can raise it to 39–40 °C. These ranges describe how the infections may progress, but they don’t allow parents to determine the diagnosis from a thermometer reading alone.

• Cold: the temperature is usually up to 37–38 °C; nasal congestion, discharge, and how your child eats and sleeps matter too.
• Flu: the temperature may rise to 39–40 °C. Infants and young children may become sleepy, refuse food, or have seizures when they have a high temperature.

Consider more than the thermometer reading

Temperatures can overlap across different respiratory infections, so a reading of 39 °C alone doesn’t confirm the flu, and a lower reading doesn’t rule it out. Consider the reading alongside your baby’s feeding, waking, and overall condition: note whether they refuse the breast or bottle, sleep unusually long, or wake frequently.

If your child becomes sleepy, stops eating, or has a seizure while running a high temperature, don’t try to tell a cold from the flu based on the temperature range—seek medical attention.

When do symptoms require medical attention?

Seek medical attention if your newborn refuses the breast or bottle, sleeps unusually long, has a sudden change in their usual waking pattern, or has a seizure while running a high temperature. It’s especially important to consider refusal to feed and marked sleepiness together: tell the doctor if both changes appear at the same time.

Seizures with a high temperature are not typical of a mild cold and require urgent medical attention. Don’t delay seeking care to see whether they stop on their own.

When speaking with a doctor, have specific information ready: when the runny nose and general malaise began, how feeding has changed, and what temperatures you’ve measured. Give the readings in °C and say when they were taken; this will help the doctor assess how your newborn’s condition is changing.

Why shouldn’t every runny nose be assumed to be a cold?

You shouldn’t assume every runny nose is a cold, because similar symptoms don’t show what is causing the illness. ARVI stands for acute respiratory viral infections; in everyday speech, people often call illnesses with a runny nose and other symptoms “colds,” but the severity of the symptoms alone doesn’t establish the cause.

What the temperature may tell you

A temperature of 37–38 °C may fit the description of a cold, but it doesn’t confirm that diagnosis or rule out other conditions. With the flu, the temperature may rise to 39–40 °C and weakness may be pronounced; young children may also refuse food or have seizures.

Don’t try to identify an illness in a newborn based only on nasal discharge or the thermometer reading. Watch how your child feeds and stays awake: refusing the breast or bottle, unusual sleepiness, or seizures are concerning changes that require contacting a doctor.

What observations can help you describe your child’s condition to a doctor?

To describe your child’s condition to a doctor, write down the temperature and when it was taken, any changes in feeding and sleep, and the symptoms you’ve noticed. The source gives the following guidelines: with a cold, the temperature is usually 37–38 °C, while with the flu it may rise to 39–40 °C; these readings alone are no substitute for a doctor’s assessment.

For a newborn, note whether they latch or take the bottle and whether the number of feeds has changed from usual. Also note any changes in sleep: whether your baby has started waking more often or, conversely, is sleeping noticeably longer than usual.

Describe each symptom separately: is there a runny nose, sneezing, or a sore throat? If your child is older and can describe how they feel, ask whether they have a headache. These observations will help the doctor see which symptoms have appeared and what has changed in your child’s condition.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

• A cold in a newborn may show up as refusing the breast or bottle and changes in sleep.
• The temperature guideline given for a cold is 37–38 °C; with the flu, it may rise to 39–40 °C.
• It’s important to consider a runny nose and sneezing alongside feeding and alertness.
• Seizures with a high temperature require urgent medical attention.

Written byAnastasiya Dyakova

Анастасия Дьякова специализируется на вопросах ментального здоровья мам и поддержке в послеродовом периоде. Она стремится предоставить читателям полезные советы и вдохновляющие истории, способствующие укреплению связи между матерями и их детьми. Ее подход основан на эмпатии и научных исследованиях.