A paediatric advanced nurse practitioner has explained why toddlers in nursery seem to have a permanent cough and snotty nose, noting that children of this age can typically catch around a dozen colds a year.
Chris Newland, a paediatric advanced nurse practitioner in primary care, shared the advice in an Instagram post to his nearly 7,000 followers. He said it is a common story he hears from parents at his clinic, with small children mixing together at nursery and covering themselves and each other in snot, spit and mucus.
Why colds keep coming back
Newland explained that part of the reason is that children's immune systems are experiencing these viruses for the first time. Research suggests that children this age typically get around a dozen colds a year, which is why it feels like one cold follows another.
A typical cold should last about seven to 10 days, with a cough and runny nose often being the main symptoms. While the runny nose may clear up, the cough can linger until a couple of weeks later, and just like that a snotty child is dealing with a new virus.
When to get checked
According to NHS advice, most coughs should clear within three to four weeks. If a child is gradually getting better, well in themselves, and eating, drinking and playing as normal, this is a course of illness that would be expected.
Newland advised getting a child checked by their GP if a cough has lasted longer than three weeks, keeps coming back, frequently wakes them at night or makes them vomit. Parents should also seek advice if a child does not seem right in themselves, is not growing or putting on weight as expected, or if there are any concerns.
He added that 111 can always be called for advice, and that for a baby under six months of age with a cough, any difficulty in feeding should lead to a low threshold for getting them checked by a GP or getting urgent advice from 111.
Emergency warning signs
Newland urged parents to act urgently if they notice any difficulty in their toddler's breathing, or if the child appears discoloured around the lips and is sucking in at the throat, between the ribs or below that area. He described this as a medical emergency requiring an ambulance or a trip to the emergency department without delay.
He stressed that parents know their child better than anyone, and if something does not feel quite right, they should get them checked over. The advice is to always trust parental instincts, and if something seems wrong, call 111 urgently or take the child to A&E for professional help.
