Cold Medicines For Kids: What’s The Risk?

Children as young as three years old can become seriously ill from the use of cold or cough medicine. Make sure you understand the facts and consider all treatment options.

The best thing to do for a child with a cold is to give them over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. Think again. Here’s practical advice from Jay L. Hoecker, M.D., an emeritus pediatrics specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.

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Is there a concern for children who take cough and cold medication?

Cold and cough medicines that are available over-the-counter can only treat symptoms and not the root cause. These medicines are not as effective as inactive medication (placebo), according to research. Additionally, there are potential side effects that can lead to fatalities in young children, such as overdoses.

Children younger than six years of age should not use any over-the-counter medicine except fever relievers or pain relievers to cure their colds. Children younger than 12 should not be given these prescriptions.

You can use antibiotics to treat bacterial infection but they won’t work against viruses. Antibiotics will not help a child with a cold. Your child is more susceptible to becoming ill with an antibiotic-resistant infection if he/she continues using antibiotics.

Can any medications help treat the common cold?

Dosage of cold medicine for children

If you do choose to give your child over-the-counter cough or cold remedies, pay close attention to ingredient labels. Children’s cold and cough medicine can contain multiple active ingredients, just like adults. Be sure that you are not giving your little one multiple doses of the same ingredient, as this could be harmful. Also, avoid products containing codeine. For example, products containing codeine should not be given to children under 12. If you are unsure if a particular ingredient or product is suitable for your child, the best person to ask is either your child’s doctor or your pharmacist. Make sure you mention the age of your child and any medical conditions that may affect your ability to get accurate advice from your doctor.

Although children’s medications for coughs and colds may seem to be helpful for some, they aren’t always the right thing for everyone. Drink age-appropriate fluids, such as plain broth, juice, and water. Fluids can thin mucus, and make it easier for your child to breathe. Warm liquids, including the classic chicken soup, may have a soothing effect on sore throats. You may find that cold foods, such as fruit pops or ice cream, can also be soothing. You can give tea to older children with honey. However, honey could cause serious infections. Your child may feel better if they experience body aches, fever, or discomfort. Children can use ibuprofen to help with this. However, be careful to administer the proper dosage, and do not give children’s ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months. It is important to not give your baby ibuprofen if they have a history of vomiting, or are dehydrated. If your child is having trouble breathing, a humidifier with cool mist may be helpful. You can unblock little babies’ nasal passages by using a NoseFrida suction machine. You can also try using nasal saline to moisten your child’s nasal passages, which may reduce their discomfort. For young children, saline drops are best, but older children can use a saline spray or try nasal irrigation. The doctor can offer you additional advice to make sure your child is comfortable during colds and coughs. If you are ever concerned about symptoms or feel unsure about how to help your child, listen to your instincts and check in with your doctor.

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Amazon’s best cold and flu medicines for kids

Medical Daily links to interesting items in order to make it easier for our readers to find the best products. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Below are our T&C. To license, please click here Augusto Ordonez / Pixabay With schools and day care centers closed for the time being, childcare has never been more challenging. It is essential to monitor your children’s health while you are working from home or doing household chores. If they fall ill, it is important to keep some medication on hand in case that this happens.

Young children should be worried about illness, regardless of whether it comes in the form a cold or flu. Amazon offers the most effective cold and flu medications to ensure your child’s health for the coming months.

It Takes Time

You should be patient when your child is suffering from a cold. Although the symptoms are most severe in the first few days, cold symptoms can persist for up to 2 weeks. Children may also experience coughing and difficulty breathing for as long as 4 weeks. Young children get six to eight colds per year. That’s quite a bit of sniffling and coughing!

You would love to see your child feeling better. However, I suggest that you try your best to not give your child too much medication.

You don’t need to treat low fevers below 100.4 F. The body uses this as a way to combat infection. However, if a fever is making it hard for your child to sleep or is making your child uncomfortable, it can be treated with acetaminophen ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). Follow the instructions carefully when taking these medications.