Do I stop her foods when she has a cold?

No. A cold is a virus doing the rounds, so keep feeding her right through it.

When she is sniffly the advice comes fast: stop the curd, stop the banana, they are cold foods, and pull her solids back until she is better. It all comes from love. But no food causes a cold, and taking food away while she is unwell is what actually sets her back.

If she is struggling to breatheJump to what to do
Where a cold actually comes from

A cold, and the cough that comes with it, is caused by a virus. No food she eats brings it on, and there is no such thing as a cold or heaty food in medicine. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics puts the whole hot and cold food idea among the wrong beliefs, and calls foods like banana and curd essential in her diet. Keeping her fluids up helps thin the congestion, too.

How to feed her through it
While she is sniffly and off her food, keep offering her usual soft foods, like khichdi, curd or mashed banana, in smaller amounts, more often.
A few spoons is plenty, so let her lead and never force a full meal.
Keep her milk or feeds going, with small sips of water. Once she is past one, buttermilk or coconut water are good too.
Once she is over it, offer a little extra, a bit more often than usual, until she is back to her old self.
Skip anything hard she could choke on, and check with her doctor before any medicine or strong home remedy for a baby this small.

Never stop her solid foods, or drop back to only milk, because she is sick.

What people will tell you
Banana, curd and other cold foods do not cause a cold or make one worse.

They are safe, everyday foods. Give them fresh and at room temperature if that puts minds at ease, but there is no need to stop the ones she loves.

You do not need to stop her solids or go back to only milk when she is sick.

Her feeds and the soft foods she likes still matter while she is unwell. Keep offering them, and keep mealtimes easy on her.

If she is struggling to breathe

If she is struggling to breathe

A cold almost always clears on its own within a week or so. Just occasionally it turns into trouble breathing, and that needs help straight away.

Get emergency help now if she is struggling to breathe, if her nostrils flare or her ribs suck in with each breath, or if her lips or nails turn blue.
Get help now too if a barking cough comes with noisy, hard breathing, or if she cannot swallow fluids at all.
Call 112 or 108
Questions moms ask
How do I know when a cold is one to call the doctor about?
Call if her fever climbs past about 39 degrees or lasts more than three days, if she is not better after a week, or her cough goes on past three weeks. Call too if she seems unusually drowsy, has far fewer wet nappies, or is not feeding normally. If something just feels off to you, call anyway.
Everyone suggests home remedies. Which are safe?
The gentle ones that help are warm fluids, feeds, and rest. Saline drops ease a blocked nose. Skip hot-water steam, which can scald her, and ask her doctor before anything else. Honey soothes a cough, but only once she is over one, never before. And skip anything hard she could choke on, like a boiled sweet or hard mishri.Choking vs gagging ›
My doctor told me to stop a food during her cold. Should I?
If her own doctor has said to stop a food for now, go with that. Just ask why, what she can have instead, and when she can have it back. And keep the rest of her usual foods going, because no food gave her the cold.
She refuses food and only wants milk when sick. Is that okay?
Yes, and it is very common. Her milk is real nourishment when she is unwell, so mostly milk for a day or two is fine, as long as she keeps drinking. Keep gently offering her food too. If she starts refusing her milk and fluids as well, or you are worried, call her doctor. Our refusing-food guide has more.

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Sources: IAP, ICMR-NIN, WHO, AAP and NHS
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