If your child has become uncharacteristically irritable with a high temperature and a runny nose then they may be fighting off an infection with the common cold.

A cold is a mild illness caused by one of over 200 different viruses. The virus spreads as your child breathes in airborne droplets produced when people infected with a cold virus cough, sneeze or talk, and by contact with infected surfaces (e.g. on hands, used tissues etc).

In the UK, colds are more common during the winter and adults generally catch up to 4 colds a year. However, because infants have little resistance to infections, they can be unfortunate enough to have as many as 12 colds a year. Read more »