8 Mo Old with Sniffles and No Appetite

My girls dont eat when they have colds either. Their Dr. said that it is normal and expected. Not only because they are full of phlem and mucus but normally cant breath either and that makes it hard to breath. He will be fine. If it goes on too long (week or so) then I would worry.
If you think he has a sore throat give him a few teething pellets (Hylands - can find at health food stores or CVS) its not only for teething but coat the throat. I use them myself.
Good luck

My 3 month old seems to have lost his appetite too. After a couple days of that, he started with the coughing and sniffling. He doesn't even have a fever. But i took him to the doc and she said his lack of appetite is totally from feeling yucky. He has already been like this for a week, but she told me it could still be another 5 days and not to worry.

Use the nose sucker (i don't know the proper term for this, but you're given this at the hospital), use that to relieve her nose before you feed her.
when i say feed i mean drink. when babies don't feel good they don't eat. period. i know how scary it is, i have been there with my twins, calling on pediatrician constantly. best advice i got was offer her the milk/formula, and water. water breaks down the snot. not a lot just 2 oz after drinking her milk/formula.
when she starts feeling better she will eat.
in meantime offer her the foods she loves. i am assuming fruits and sweet vegetables. anything that she will eat it's ok until she gets better. good luck

My 2-year-old daughter is getting over a similar type of cold. After a day of fever and a lingering cough, her appetite is not back to normal -- even for her favorite foods and snacks. Unfortunately, I caught her cold and now have a better idea of why she is not eating. I got a couple of painful sores on my tongue and it hurts to eat and drink. You might want to check you son's mouth for sores. If he has them, Baby Orajel or Anbesol might help; then he'll be better able to eat and drink. Hope this helps.

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I think its very common for all children to lose their appetite when not feeling well, especially if you think the throat is irritated. Just keep the baby as hydrated as possible, a little bit whenever you can and if you can give something like applesauce as a solid. Hydration is the most important thing. Eventually the eating will increase again. Applesauce was always a favorite during illness in my house. Maybe try nice warm baths to comfort and relax. I am a big fan of tylenol for myself and my child when not feeling well but thats your choice.

Very typical for infants to refuse to eat when they aren't feeling well. Think about the logistics of breast feeding... it is really hard for them to breathe and eat at the same time. When my little guy had his first real cold, the doctor suggested pumping and bottle-feeding so that he could take an ounce each hour rather than trying to feed all at once. He also suggested having him sleep in his carrier/swing so that his head was elevated. Both worked pretty well.

Just a side note... babies stay sick longer. I freaked-out about it too. Because they can't blow their noses or take anything, then tend to be sick for 7-10 days and are run-down for longer.

I am sorry your little one is sick. It all depends on the child. My first son who is 6 now has never been sick enough to lose his appetite but my little one who is 6 months now has already had a cold where he refused to eat much. One thing that I have used is saline for their noses. Little noses makes one. This clears out their noses and makes it easier to breath. It also seems to help them get rid of the cold faster. Good luck!

I think you should call your pediatrician. He could have allergies along with a cold but I think it is worth a trip in to the doc's office.
Good luck and hang in there :)

It is great u r breast feeding him. My son got roseola and he was sleepy and not eating and he was 14 mos. when this happened. Breast feeding was great because he got fluids. It seems like you are doing everything correctly. Time will pass and he will be back to being your healthy, active boy as boys are.

It is typical for them to have a decrease in appetite but if he's not eating at all, I would call the doctor, never hurts to do that. Also, if he's missing nursing sessions, I'd make sure that you are pumping for those sessions or else you will see a decrease in your milk supply if he's skipping feedings over a period of days.
I hope your little guy is feeling better soon!

Absolutely. My daughter's food intake always decreases when she is sick. And when she was that age, she had no desire to eat solid foods at all when she had a bad cold. It was straight breast milk and formula. I had the same concerns you did, but the doctor assured me there was no need to worry and she was right. You can call your pediatrician to double check. As for his room -- if his cough is interfering with his sleep, raise on end of us crib. We do that all the time and it works wonders. Good luck and hope your little guy feels better soon.

Breastfeeding is the best thing for a cold bc of comfort and nourishment. Usually babies don't eat bc their noses are stuffy so they need mouths to breathe. Saline in nose is same as breastmilk in nose...just to dry it up. Humidifier and cuddling will help make baby feel better. Elevate head for sleep. In bouncy seat or swing if baby likes it and maybe a warm quick bath before bed. Keep trying solid food--scrambled egg white?ask pediatrician if allowed to eat egg. Some protein that's easy to swallow! Good luck mama!

Most of the post nasal drip causes a full or bloated sensation in their bellies from what I was told by our ped eons ago when my youngest had one of her first colds so that could account for the light appetite. He also told us to just to keep an eye on her hydration. As long as she was putting out as much urine as we were putting into her we were fine. It's hard to tell w/them going so little at times & their diapers absorbing it. But do the best you can in judgin. If he is fever free you should be good, as there is normally a fever if dehydraded but don't hesitate to contact either the dr's office or answering service. It sounds like you are doing all that you can so try not to worry too much. Good luck!