Your toddler's tucked in bed, and you're settling in on the couch for a night of Netflix. Then, from out of nowhere, your child's peaceful sleep suddenly turns into loud, raucous coughs. You drop the remote and go to her side to comfort her, but now your quiet night is disrupted with a worrying thought: Does my child have a mild cold or is something more serious going on?| What to Expect
If you have a baby or other young children at home, you're following the news about the dominant COVID-19 variant, Omicron, and its subvariants with some special concerns in mind.| What to Expect
Influenza (aka the flu) is a seasonal illness caused by a respiratory virus and is spread mostly through sneezing, coughing, and even talking and breathing by people who have the infection. Less often, a person may also catch the flu by touching a surface that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes, or nose.| What to Expect
Babies younger than 1 year old are most at risk for serious complications from whooping cough, a highly contagious but preventable bacterial disease that attacks the lungs and respiratory system.| What to Expect
If it seems like all your baby does is sleep, eat and deliver dirty diapers, things are exactly as they should be. Babies’ tummies are tiny and, compared with bigger kids and adults, reserve less fluid in their bodies.| What to Expect
Since the COVID-19 vaccine has been available for babies, toddlers, and young children, many parents have opted to vaccinate their little ones each year, like they would with the flu shot. Others, however, have held off, citing concerns about the shots' safety.| What to Expect
Whether it’s a dry cough or a phlegmy one, a wheezy cough or a barking one, no cough sounds good to a parent’s ear. | What to Expect
Best Overall Baby Humidifier| What to Expect
If you have a baby or are about to have a baby, it’s understandable if you're concerned about how COVID-19 could affect your little one.| What to Expect
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is such a common virus that nearly all adults and young children are affected by it sooner or later.| What to Expect
Children's flu (short for "influenza") is the same virus as the grown-up variety, but the flu doesn't affect babies and toddlers in the same way as it does adults.| What to Expect
A runny nose or mild cough probably doesn't worry you much — as a parent, minor cold symptoms can be common. But a sick baby or toddler with a fever will probably kick your concern up by at least a few notches.| What to Expect
There's a reason colds are called "common": Many healthy children have eight to 10 colds and other viral infections in the first two years of life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Trusted SourceAmerican Academy of PediatricsChildren and ColdsSee All Sources [1]| What to Expect