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Cold, Flu, RSV or Strep? How to Tell What Your Child Has This Fall

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A few weeks into the school year, most families have already had their first sick day. And with it comes the question every parent asks: is this a cold that will pass on its own, or does my child need to be seen?

Colds, flu, RSV and strep throat all spread in fall and winter, and they share a lot of symptoms. The small details are usually what set them apart. It’s one of the most common conversations we have with parents at Focus On Kids Pediatrics this time of year, so we’ve put our approach in one place.

Parent holding a digital thermometer while a young girl rests in bed with a teddy bear in the background

Quick Clues at a Glance

  • Cold: comes on slowly and stays mostly in the nose. Your child still acts like themselves.
  • Flu: hits suddenly with fever, body aches and exhaustion.
  • RSV: looks like a cold in older kids, but can affect breathing in babies.
  • Strep throat: a sore throat and fever without a cough or runny nose.

The Common Cold: Mostly in the Nose

A cold usually builds over a day or two. Expect a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, a scratchy throat and maybe a mild cough. If there’s a fever, it tends to be low. The biggest clue is how your child acts: most kids with a cold still play, eat and sleep fairly normally.

Antibiotics won’t help a cold. Rest, fluids, saline drops and a cool-mist humidifier make kids more comfortable. For children over 1 year old, a spoonful of honey can ease a cough. Check with us before giving any over-the-counter cough or cold medicine, since they aren’t recommended for young children. Our guide to the common cold in children covers comfort care in more detail.

The Flu: Sudden and Whole-Body

The flu tends to hit fast. A child who seemed fine at breakfast may have a high fever, chills, a headache and body aches by afternoon. A dry cough, sore throat and deep tiredness are common, and some children also vomit or have diarrhea. According to HealthyChildren.org, symptoms usually start 1 to 4 days after exposure.

Timing matters with flu. For some children, especially those under 5 or with conditions like asthma, we may prescribe an antiviral medicine. It works best when started early, so call us in the first day or two of symptoms rather than waiting to see if it passes.

RSV: Watch the Breathing in Babies

In older children and adults, RSV often looks like a regular cold. In babies and young toddlers, it can settle into the small airways of the lungs. Almost all children catch RSV at least once before age 2, and most recover at home.

For infants, watch how they breathe. Warning signs include fast or shallow breathing, flaring nostrils, wheezing, grunting and skin pulling in between or under the ribs with each breath. Poor feeding is another early clue. RSV symptoms are usually worst on days 3 through 5 and can last up to two weeks. Learn more in our article on RSV in children.

Babies can now be protected before the season peaks. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an RSV immunization for all infants younger than 8 months who are born during or entering their first RSV season. The exception is babies who are already protected because their mother got the RSV vaccine during pregnancy. Some higher-risk toddlers are also eligible in their second season. Ask us at your baby’s next visit.

Strep Throat: A Sore Throat Without the Cold

Strep throat is caused by bacteria, not a virus, and it’s most common in children ages 5 to 15. It often starts suddenly with a painful sore throat, fever and swollen glands in the neck. Headache and stomachache are common, and some children get a fine, sandpaper-like rash (this is called scarlet fever).

The biggest clue is what’s missing. Strep usually doesn’t come with a runny nose or cough. When a child has a sore throat along with cold symptoms, a virus is the more likely cause.

Strep needs a quick throat swab to confirm it, and antibiotics should only be given after a positive test. If you’re unsure whether it’s strep or something else, our article on the difference between a sore throat, strep and tonsillitis walks through it.

What About COVID-19?

COVID-19 still circulates in the fall and winter, and its symptoms overlap with all of the illnesses above. A loss of taste or smell can point toward COVID, but testing is the only reliable way to tell it apart from flu or RSV.

When to Call the Doctor

Call Us If Your Child Has

Call your pediatrician in Littleton if your child has:

  • A fever of 100.4°F or higher (taken rectally) and is younger than 3 months old
  • Flu symptoms and is under 5, or has a chronic condition like asthma
  • A sore throat and fever without cold symptoms, which may need a strep test
  • Symptoms that aren’t improving after 7 days, or that get better and then worse with a new fever
  • Signs of dehydration, such as no urine in 8 hours, dark urine, a very dry mouth or no tears

Get Emergency Care Right Away If

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if your child is struggling to breathe, has skin pulling in around the ribs, has blue or gray lips or is very hard to wake.

For fever questions at home, our fever factsheet explains what the numbers mean. The Symptom Checker on our website can also help you decide whether to call or wait.

Prevention That Works This Season

The yearly flu vaccine is still the best protection we have. The American Academy of Pediatrics-flu-prevention-recommendations-for-2026-27.aspx) recommends it for everyone 6 months and older, as soon as it’s available. The 2025-26 season was a hard one for kids: 190 children in the U.S. died of flu, and historically about 85% of children who die of flu weren’t vaccinated.

If your child is nervous about shots or you’ve heard mixed messages, our article on common misconceptions about the flu vaccine answers the questions we hear most. You can see the vaccines we offer on our Immunizations page. Handwashing, keeping sick kids home and steady sleep help too.

Final Thoughts

Colds, flu, RSV and strep can look alike on day one, but each has its own pattern. Watching how your child breathes, how suddenly symptoms started and whether there’s a cough or runny nose will tell you a lot. And when you’re not sure, call us. That’s what we’re here for.

From quick questions on the phone to sick visits and flu shots, the team at Focus On Kids Pediatrics is here to help your family through the cold and flu season.

Dizziness and Fainting in Kids and Teens: When to Worry

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Few phone calls are as scary as the one from school or the coach saying your child passed out. Most of the time, though, fainting in kids and teens isn’t caused by anything serious. A few warning signs do deserve a closer look, and knowing which is which helps you stay calm.

At Focus On Kids Pediatrics, we see fainting and lightheadedness most often in preteens and teens, especially during busy fall sports seasons. Below, we cover the usual causes, what to do in the moment and when to bring your child in.

How Common Is Fainting in Kids?

More common than most parents expect. According to HealthyChildren.org, as many as 1 in 4 healthy children and teens faint at some point. Most recover in less than a minute.

Fainting, also called syncope, happens when blood flow to the brain drops for a moment. In children, the most common type is vasovagal syncope, sometimes called simple fainting. A reflex briefly lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, the brain gets less blood and the child passes out. Once they’re lying flat, blood flow returns and they come around.

If your teen often feels lightheaded when standing, our article on high and low blood pressure in kids explains how low blood pressure can play a role.

Girl in a white sweater holding her head with both hands and looking down, as if she feels dizzy

Common Triggers

Not drinking enough is the most common cause of fainting in children. Low fluid levels reduce blood volume, which lowers blood pressure. Other common triggers include:

  • Standing still for a long time, like at a concert, in a choir or in a school assembly
  • Heat, especially in crowded or stuffy rooms
  • Seeing blood, getting a shot or having blood drawn
  • Stress, fear or strong emotions
  • Skipping meals
  • Standing up quickly after sitting or lying down

Colorado’s dry air makes it easy for active kids to fall behind on fluids without noticing. Our guide to the best ways to keep your kids hydrated has practical tips.

The Warning Signs Before a Faint

Simple fainting usually gives a few seconds of warning. Your child may feel lightheaded, have blurry vision, feel sick to their stomach, start sweating or feel suddenly cold. They often look pale. These signs typically last 5 to 10 seconds before a faint.

Teach your child to sit or lie down the moment these feelings start. Getting low to the ground often stops the faint and prevents a fall.

What to Do If Your Child Faints

  1. Help your child lie flat on their back.
  2. Raise their legs above the level of their heart.
  3. Loosen anything tight around the neck or waist.
  4. Check that they’re breathing normally.
  5. Have them stay lying down for 10 to 15 minutes, then sit up slowly before standing.
  6. Offer water and a snack once they’re fully alert.

Call 911 if your child doesn’t wake up within a minute, isn’t breathing normally or was hurt in the fall.

When to Call the Doctor Right Away

Most fainting is simple fainting. A small number of cases are linked to the heart, and these deserve a prompt evaluation. Call us right away if your child:

  • Fainted during exercise or while running, not after stopping
  • Had chest pain or a racing, pounding or irregular heartbeat before fainting
  • Fainted with no warning signs at all
  • Has a family history of sudden, unexplained death or fainting at a young age
  • Has fainted more than once

Fainting during hard exercise is unusual and needs a heart evaluation. It’s also why sports physicals ask about fainting and family heart history. Until your child has been checked, keep them out of sports. If your child plays a fall or winter sport, our guide to sports physical exams explains what we check and why.

Other Causes Worth Ruling Out

Sometimes dizziness points to something beyond a simple faint. Low iron is a common one, especially in teen girls and athletes. It can cause lightheadedness, fatigue and pale skin. Our article on iron deficiency in kids covers the signs.

Not eating enough, whether from a busy schedule or restrictive eating, can also lead to fainting. About 1 in 100 teens has a condition called POTS, where the heart rate jumps on standing and causes repeated dizziness. If your child is also tired all the time, our guide to fatigue in kids may help you spot patterns to share with us.

Everyday Prevention

For most kids who have had a simple faint, a few simple habits help:

  • Drink water steadily through the day, not just at practice.
  • Eat regular meals, including breakfast.
  • When standing for a long time, shift weight and avoid locking the knees.
  • Get up slowly after lying down, especially in the morning.

For children with repeated episodes, your pediatrician may suggest specific fluid goals or adding more salt to the diet. Please don’t try this without talking to us first.

When to Schedule a Visit

Any first-time faint is worth a call, even if your child seems completely fine afterward. We’ll ask what happened before, during and after the faint. We’ll also go over family history and check blood pressure and heart rate. Most of the time, we can reassure you and set up a simple prevention plan.

If you’re looking for a Littleton pediatric office that will take the time to sort out dizziness and fainting, contact us to schedule a visit.

Final Thoughts

Fainting is common in kids and teens, and most of the time it comes down to fluids, food, heat or standing too long. The exceptions are the ones to remember: fainting during exercise, chest pain, a racing heart or a family history of sudden death always deserve a call.

With guidance from Focus On Kids Pediatrics, you can help your child stay active, hydrated and confident through every season.