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Cold and flu in children: home care and when to get help

Video visit in Spanish · $88 USD

A cold or the flu in a child is one of the most common reasons a parent worries: coughing, a runny nose, congestion, fever, and a cranky kid. The good news is that most colds are viral and get better on their own in a few days with care at home. This guide explains what's safe to give your child by age, which medicines are best to avoid, and — most importantly — the warning signs that mean you should get in-person or emergency care instead of telemedicine.

With Doctor Matt you can talk by video with Colombian doctors who speak Spanish, from your phone or computer, with or without insurance, for a single $88 USD payment. Book your visit here if you have questions about your child's symptoms.

About age: Doctor Matt sees children from about 1–2 years and up. For babies younger than 1–2 years, newborns, or any serious symptoms, in-person or emergency care is needed — a video visit is not the right path in those cases.

How to care for a cold or flu at home

For a common cold, the goal is to keep your child comfortable while their body fights the virus. What helps most:

  • Fluids: offer water, soups, and drinks often to keep your child hydrated and help loosen mucus.
  • Rest: let them sleep and take it easy; rest supports recovery.
  • Saline nose drops or spray: a few drops of saline, then gently suctioning or blowing the nose, helps a lot with congestion, especially in little ones.
  • Humidifier: a cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom can ease congestion and nighttime coughing.
  • Honey for cough — only over 1 year: a small amount of honey can calm a cough in children older than 1 year. Never give honey to a baby under 1 year because of the risk of infant botulism.

What to give a child for the flu: what you should know about medicines

We want to be very clear and honest here, because this is a child's health:

  • Over-the-counter cold and cough medicines are NOT recommended for children under about 4–6 years. Many cough-and-cold syrups and combination products can cause side effects in young children and do not speed up recovery. A doctor can guide you on what's safe for your child's age and what's better to avoid.
  • Do not guess a dose on your own. For fever or pain, a doctor decides which medicine and what dose based on the child's WEIGHT and AGE. This guide does not give doses or milligrams because every child is different.
  • Never give aspirin to a child. Aspirin is linked to Reye's syndrome, a serious illness. Do not use it in children or teens with the flu, a cold, or chickenpox.

These are over-the-counter (OTC) medicines you can find at pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart. The video visit focuses on guiding home care; we don't promise prescriptions for controlled medications. If your child's case needs an antibiotic (for example, a bacterial ear infection) or an in-person exam, the doctor will tell you honestly.

Warning signs — do NOT use telemedicine

Telemedicine is useful for guidance and minor complaints, but it is not a substitute for an emergency room. Call 911 or go to the ER right away if your child has:

  • Trouble breathing or fast breathing, or ribs pulling in with each breath.
  • Blue lips or skin (a bluish color).
  • Dehydration: no wet diaper for 6–8 hours, crying without tears, dry mouth, sunken eyes.
  • Limpness or drowsiness, or a child who won't wake properly / isn't responding as usual.
  • A seizure.
  • A stiff neck.
  • A rash of tiny red or purple dots (petechiae) that does not fade when you press on it.
  • A fever in a baby under 3 months.
  • Severe pain that won't ease, or a child who gets better and then gets worse again.

If you see any of these signs, don't wait and don't use telemedicine: get in-person care or call 911.

When a video visit can help you

If your child (about 1–2 years and up) has a cold or flu without warning signs and you want guidance, a video visit in Spanish can help you: understand the symptoms, know what home care to do, clarify which medicines are safe for their age and which to avoid, and recognize when an in-person visit really is needed. You talk with a real doctor, in your language, with nothing to download.

Does your child have a cold or flu and you want guidance in Spanish? Talk by video with a doctor. Single $88 USD payment, with or without insurance, every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Book my visit — $88 USD

Remember: Doctor Matt is Colombian doctors who see patients by video in Spanish. It is not a physical clinic, they are not U.S.-licensed doctors, and they only recommend over-the-counter medicines. For babies younger than 1–2 years or serious symptoms, care must be in person or at the ER.

Emergency: if your child has trouble breathing, blue lips, drowsiness that won't ease, seizures, dehydration, or any warning sign, call 911 or go to the ER right away. Do not use telemedicine in an emergency.

Frequently asked questions

What can I give my child for a cold or the flu?

Home care matters most: offer plenty of fluids, encourage rest, use saline nose drops or spray, and run a cool-mist humidifier. Honey can help a cough only in children older than 1 year (never in a baby under 1). When it comes to medicine, do not guess a dose on your own. A doctor decides which medicine and what dose based on the child's WEIGHT and AGE. Never give aspirin to a child.

Can I give over-the-counter cold or cough medicine to a young child?

Many combination over-the-counter cold and cough medicines are NOT recommended for children under about 4 to 6 years, because they can cause side effects and do not help a child get better faster. A doctor can tell you what is safe for your child's age and what is better to avoid. Never use aspirin in children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.

Can I give my child honey for a cough?

Honey can soothe a cough only in children older than 1 year. Never give honey to a baby under 1 year because of the risk of infant botulism. If your child is over 1, a small amount of honey may help, along with fluids and saline rinses.

What ages do you see?

Doctor Matt sees children from roughly 1 to 2 years and up. For babies younger than 1 to 2 years, newborns, or any serious symptoms, in-person or emergency care is needed — a video visit is not the right path in those cases.

Do you see patients without insurance?

Yes. We see patients with or without insurance. You do not need health insurance or a membership: it is a single $88 USD payment for a video visit with a Spanish-speaking doctor. Book at https://www.doctormattusa.com/#agenda.

Is the doctor physically near me or in my city?

No. This is telemedicine by video: you connect from wherever you are in the United States with Colombian doctors who speak Spanish. It is not a physical clinic and they are not U.S.-licensed doctors. If your child needs an in-person exam, the doctor will tell you honestly.

Is the video visit in Spanish?

Yes. The visit is with Colombian doctors who speak Spanish, so you can describe your child's symptoms and understand everything in your own language. There is nothing to download — you connect by video from your phone or computer.

When should I take my child to the ER for a cold or flu?

Go to the ER or call 911 if your child has trouble breathing or fast breathing, ribs pulling in with each breath, blue lips or skin, is limp or very drowsy and hard to wake, signs of dehydration (no wet diaper for 6 to 8 hours, crying without tears, dry mouth, sunken eyes), a seizure, a stiff neck, a rash of tiny red or purple dots that does not fade when you press on it, a fever in a baby under 3 months, or if the child gets better and then gets worse. These situations are not for telemedicine.