Colds and 'the sniffles' are very commonly experienced by newborn babies, and are generally unavoidable during the colder months and with seasonal changes, especially if a cold is going from one family member to the next. When colds are around, they are very easily passed onto others, and there is not a lot you can do to prevent your new baby from catching one. The inevitable handling of newborn babies by many friends and relatives in the early weeks makes them difficult for your baby to escape.
Some babies will be lucky never get a cold in the first 6 to 12 weeks of their life, and this can often be put down to them being protected by the
antibodies they received from their mother in the womb. However, if the mother has no natural immunity to the cold, then neither will her baby. If your baby has older sibling(s) bringing home colds and bugs from preschools, playgroups, or childcare, then there is also more of a chance they will catch a cold.
Colds are caused by various air-borne viruses (of which there are at least 200 types, and evolving!). The most common cold virus is known as 'Rhinovirus' ('Rhino' being the Greek word for 'nose'). Colds are caught by inhaling infected airborne particles, when another person with the virus coughs, sneezes, breathes or even talks close by. A cold can also be passed on by the infected person touching an object that your baby touches.
The physical signs your baby may show when they have a cold can include some, or all of the following: