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Nothing worries us as much as when our babies get sick. Suddenly all our knowledge goes out the window and we feel slightly panicky. Read our quick guide for the most common illnesses babies encounter in their first year.

Fever

Probably the most common ailment in babies and children, which usually follows infections or vaccination. A fever is when your baby's temperature reaches 37.8 C or above, be aware that your baby might be ill even though the thermometer might not reach the fever limits. If you are using an ear thermometer make sure to test both ears, you will be surprised that it can vary.

Deal with a fever firstly by taking off layers of clothing and covering your baby with a cotton sheet. Keep her cool to get the fever down, but do not let your baby shiver. You can also sponge down your baby with lukewarm water for a little while, then drying her and keeping her cool.

While most parents will give fever syrups to bring down fevers, if your baby has a sensitive stomach or the fever is combined with vomiting consider dividing up the dose, and giving the second dose when the first has settled. Also ask your pharmacist about suppositories, which might work faster and be easier to give to a very young baby.

Oral thrush

Thrush occurs generally on your baby's tongue and gums, as a white film or spots that can't be wiped off. If you are breastfeeding, you may also need treatment on your nipples. If your baby has oral thrush feeding might become difficult for him.

Your GP will prescribe an anti fungal cream or gel, for you and your baby. It is also well worth trying out some homoeopathic medicine, such as Babythrush (New Vistas Healthcare) sold in selective shops. Use it on your nipples if you are breastfeeding, and if you are bottle feeding make sure you sterilise bottles and dodis properly.

Colds

The main symptoms are a sneezing, runny or blocked nose. Colds are most often caused by viruses, and as with adults there are no treatments apart from rest and plenty of fluids. Paracetamol or Ibuprofen will not cure the cold, just treat the symptoms. To avoid colds, make sure that people who handle your baby wash their hands.
If your child is finding it difficult to feed consider cleaning out his nose with a mucus suction devise, sold in many pharmacies. You can also put a few books under the top cot legs, to raise the head area so that the mucus does not lodge. A few drops of lavender oil in an oil burner will help clear the airways, make sure you get expert advice on any essential oils you want to use for your baby.

Cough

A baby coughs to clear airways. A cough can be a bacterial infection or even asthma, but most commonly caused by a cold when the mucus runs down the throat. If your baby's cough is caused by mucus, try to keep him slightly upright.
You will find that many over the counter cough medications do not make much of a difference and can only be used for older children. Air humidity can help a cough, and is best achieved with a vaporizer in the bedroom or by placing a wet towel on a radiator. Ice lollies are a great way of getting fluids into an older baby, and at the same time soothing their aching throat.

Ear infections

Ear infection are usually caused by the inflammation of the middle ear, and can often happen after a cold. You might notice your baby pulling or touching her ear, but there might be no symptoms at all except for crying or a fever. In most cases you will only confirm the infection with a GP examination. Relieve the pain with paracetamol and consult your GP. You can also heat the ear area with a warm cloth or water bottle. Do not put any oil or ear drops, without consulting with your GP first.

If your baby regularly suffers from ear infections it might lead to glue ear, where there is a constant build up of fluids that can affect your child's hearing.

Constipation

Breast fed babies are rarely constipated, but constipation can occur if the mother changes her diet. Strong spices or even cabbage can cause bowel discomfort that can cause constipation.

The most common time for babies to be constipated is during weaning, when the food intake changes and perhaps the intake of liquids decrease when we are so focused on the solids.

Avoid constipation by making sure your baby drinks plenty of fluids, eats fresh fruit and vegetables.  Fluids are essential for soft stools. Most babies bowels cannot digest strong fibres, such as bran, so do not overfeed them with what is appropriate for you.

For most babies a quick fix is to dilute 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar in 2 oz of boiled and cooled water. Good fruits with laxative effects are over ripe bananas, blueberries, plums and mango.

Diarrhoea

With young babies it can be difficult to gauge if a stool is diarrhoea or not. Keep track of the stools, if there are more than usual and their consistency (watery or mucus).  The main danger with diarrhoea is dehydration. Apart from just giving more fluids, you can also buy oral rehydration sachets at your pharmacy.

Babies that are weaned should eat soft foods that are easy to digest. Yellow bananas are good for hardening stool, while over ripe ones will loosen it. Watch out for constipation that might follow a bout of diarrhoea.