Antibiotics for a Green Runny Nose in Infants

Saline followed by suctioning for an infant with a cold.
Nasal suctioning may help relieve symptoms of a cold. Marko Lazarevic/Getty Images

Is a 6-month-old baby too young to take antibiotics?

Antibiotics, when needed, can be used at any age. In fact, some newborns are prescribed antibiotics as soon as they are born for conditions like:

Viral Upper Respiratory Infections

Viral infections that should not be treated with antibiotics include:

Even many ear infections don't need to be treated with antibiotics according to the latest guidelines.

Treating a Green Runny Nose

So if you don't get prescribed an antibiotic, how should you treat a green runny nose?

A pediatrician I once worked with when I was in medical school used to recommend the three S's for his patients with colds: Soup, Showers, and Suckers.

How will that help their cold symptoms?

Home Treatment for a Runny Nose

This simple strategy can help you or your child feel better

  • SOUP helps to increase your fluid intake
  • Breathing steam from hot SHOWERS can help clear your nose
  • and SUCKERS can help soothe your sore throat

You can also consider:

  • Encouraging your child to get a lot of rest.
  • Using a cool-mist humidifier or vaporizer.
  • Using saline nasal drops or spray and a nasal bulb or suctioner to clear their nose.
  • Giving your toddler and older child popsicles to soothe a sore throat and help them stay hydrated.
  • Controlling their pain or fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen as appropriate for their age and weight.

A warm compress might also help to relieve ear pain (placed over the outer ear) or sinus pressure (placed over the forehead and nose).

You shouldn't turn to over-the-counter cold and cough medicines at this age. In fact, they should be avoided in all children under 4 to 6 years of age.

Antibiotics Are for Bacterial Infections

Remember that yellow and green mucus doesn't mean that a child has a sinus infection or needs antibiotics.

Antibiotics can have side effects and antibiotic overuse can lead to bacterial resistance.

Instead, according to the latest antibiotic prescribing guidelines, doctors should diagnose and treat a sinus infection when a child has a runny nose, postnasal drip, and/or a daytime cough, which may worsen at night, and that these symptoms have either:

  • Lasted for more than 10 to 14 days.
  • Or include more severe symptoms, such as 3-4 days of fever (over 102 degrees F), in a child that appears ill.

Even if your child doesn't need an antibiotic, do call your pediatrician or seek medical attention if your child with a green runny nose is having trouble breathing, is overly fussy and hard to console, or is hard to wake up, etc.

Sources
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics. Principles of Appropriate Use for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. Red Book 2012: 802-805
  • American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Bacterial Sinusitis in Children Aged 1 to 18 Years. Pediatrics Vol. 131 No. 7 July 1, 2013.

By Vincent Iannelli, MD
Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years.