Best medicine for infant cold

Common cold in babies - Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

If your baby is younger than 3 months of age, call his or her doctor early in the illness. In newborns, it's especially important to make sure that a more serious illness isn't present, especially if your baby has a fever.

In general, you don't need to see the doctor if your older baby has a common cold. If you have questions or if your baby's symptoms worsen or don't go away, it might be time to see the doctor.

Your baby's doctor can generally diagnose a common cold by your baby's signs and symptoms. If your doctor suspects your baby has a bacterial infection or other condition, he or she may order a chest X-ray or other tests to exclude other causes of your baby's symptoms.

Treatment

There's no cure for the common cold. Most cases of the common cold get better without treatment, usually within a week to 10 days, but a cough may linger for a week or more. Antibiotics don't work against cold viruses.

Try to make your baby more comfortable with measures such as making sure he or she drinks enough fluids, suctioning nasal mucus and keeping the air moist.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications generally should be avoided in babies.

Fever-reducing medications

You can use OTC fever-reducing medications if a fever is making your child uncomfortable. However, these medications don't kill the cold virus. Fever is a part of your child's natural response to the virus, so it may help to allow your child to have a low-grade fever.

For treatment of fever or pain in children, consider giving your child infants' or children's over-the-counter fever and pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). These are safer alternatives to aspirin.

For children younger than 3 months old, don't give acetaminophen until your baby has been seen by a doctor. Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old or to children who are vomiting constantly or are dehydrated. Use these medications for the shortest time. If you give your child a pain reliever, follow the dosing guidelines carefully. Call your doctor if you have questions about the right dosage for your baby.

Children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.

Cough and cold medications

Cough and cold medications aren't safe for infants and young children. OTC cough and cold medicines don't treat the underlying cause of a child's cold and won't make it go away sooner ⸺ and they can be dangerous to your baby. Cough and cold medications have potentially serious side effects, including fatal overdoses in children younger than 2 years old.

Don't use over-the-counter medicines, except for fever reducers and pain relievers, to treat coughs and colds in children younger than 6 years old. Also consider avoiding use of these medicines for children younger than 12 years old.

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Lifestyle and home remedies

Most often, you can treat an older baby's cold at home. To make your baby as comfortable as possible, try some of these suggestions:

Offer plenty of fluids. Liquids are important to avoid dehydration. Formula or breast milk is the best choice. Encourage your baby to take in the usual amount of fluids. Extra fluids aren't necessary. If you're breastfeeding your baby, keep it up. Breast milk offers extra protection from cold-causing germs.
Suction your baby's nose. Keep your baby's nasal passages clear with a rubber-bulb syringe. Squeeze the bulb syringe to expel the air. Then insert the tip of the bulb about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (about 6 to 12 millimeters) into your baby's nostril, pointing toward the back and side of the nose.

Release the bulb, holding it in place while it suctions the mucus from your baby's nose. Remove the syringe from your baby's nostril and empty the contents onto a tissue by squeezing the bulb rapidly while holding the tip down. Repeat as often as needed for each nostril. Clean the bulb syringe with soap and water.
Try nasal saline drops. Your baby's doctor may recommend saline nasal drops to moisten nasal passages and loosen thick nasal mucus. Look for these OTC drops in your local pharmacy. Apply saline nasal drops, wait for a short period, and then use a suction bulb to draw mucus out of each nostril.
Moisten the air. Running a cool-water humidifier in your baby's room can ease nasal congestion. Change the water daily and follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the unit.

Preparing for your appointment

If you need to see your baby's pediatrician or family doctor, here's some information to help you get ready for your baby's appointment.

What you can do

Make a list of:

Symptoms you've noticed in your baby, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
Key personal information, such as whether your baby goes to child care or has otherwise been exposed to someone with a common cold. Include how many colds your baby has had, how long they lasted and whether your baby is exposed to secondhand smoke. It might help to make a note on your calendar the day you realize your baby has a cold.
All medications, vitamins or supplements your baby is taking, including dosages.
Questions to ask your doctor.

For a common cold, some questions to ask the doctor include:

What is likely causing my baby's symptoms?
Are there other possible causes?
What tests are needed?
What's the best course of action?
My baby has other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
Are there restrictions we need to follow?
Are there over-the-counter medications that aren't safe for my child at this age?

Don't hesitate to ask other questions you have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your baby's doctor is likely to ask you questions, including:

When did your baby's symptoms begin?
Have they been continuous or occasional?
How severe are they?
What, if anything, seems to improve them?
What, if anything, appears to worsen them?
Has the nasal congestion caused your baby to eat or drink less?
Is your baby having as many wet diapers as usual?
Has there been a fever? If so, how high?
Are your child's vaccinations up to date?
Has your child taken antibiotics recently?

Your doctor will ask additional questions based on your responses and your baby's symptoms and needs. Preparing and anticipating questions will help you make the most of your time with the doctor.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Products & Services

The best baby cold remedies—and the ones you should avoid

There may not be a cure for the common cold, but there are ways to help your baby feel more comfortable.

No matter how careful you are, your baby will probably end up with a cold before their first birthday. Nothing can prepare you for that gunky nose, those red-rimmed eyes, that near-constant cough… It can break a parent’s heart.

Though colds aren’t usually serious, they’re no fun to get through, either. But there’s help! We’ve rounded up the best baby cold remedies to help weather these seasonal bumps in the road, plus the treatments you should use with caution or avoid altogether.

1. Steamy bathroom

Good for: Loosening up a stuffy nose and helping baby breathe more easily. Try it when your baby is uncomfortably congested.

How to do it: Turn the bathroom into a steam room by running the shower on hot for 10 to 15 minutes while holding your baby outside of the shower. Get as comfy as you can—you’ll probably end up sitting on the closed toilet seat. Grab a board book for entertainment.

Pro tip: This works well for nasal congestion. But if your baby has hoarseness, wheezing or a persistent cough, check in with a doctor to make sure you’re not dealing with a more serious respiratory infection.

Photo: hydraSense

2. Saline drops or mist

Good for: Helping to clear a stuffy nose if your baby is having trouble feeding or sleeping because they can’t breathe through their nose.

How to use: You can buy either saline drops or a spray in any drugstore or grocery store—the ones designed for babies will be easier to use. Squirt two or three drops of this up baby’s nose to soften and dilute the snot so they can breathe easier.

Pro tip: The drops tend to be gentler on babies than the spray, which can be quite forceful, but either will work.

Try this: hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Ultra-Gentle Mist, $11, well.ca

Photo: Fridababy

3. Snot sucker

Good for: Clearing out a stubbornly clogged nose when saline solution on its own doesn’t work.

How to use: Supporting baby’s head, insert two or three drops of saline in one nostril. If you’re using the suction type, squeeze the air out of the bulb of the sucker before placing the tip just inside your baby’s nose. Then let go and the suction should pull out most of the snot. Other snot suckers are designed for caregivers to suck the snot out with a tube.

Pro tip: While you can use saline as often as needed, you should suction only two to three times a day to avoid irritation.

Try this: Fridababy NoseFrida Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator, $24, bedbathandbeyond. ca

4. Pain reliever

Good for: Making your baby more comfortable. It can also bring down a fever. (The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that all babies under six months with a fever should be seen by a doctor.)

How to use: Check with your doctor before giving ibuprofen to babies under six months. For both ibuprofen and acetaminophen, follow directions carefully and use the included syringe to get an accurate dose. If your baby isn’t a fan of the squirt, you can add the meds to a small amount of formula or breastmilk or, for older babies, food like baby cereal or fruit purée.

Pro tip: Fevers can make babies fussy and uncomfortable and make it hard to sleep. Consider timing a dose so everyone can get some shut-eye at night.

5. Honey

Good for: Coating the throat and suppressing coughs in children over 12 months old.

How to use: Give your kid over one year old a teaspoon or two at bedtime to help calm their cough so they can get to sleep.

Pro tip: Honey is one of the few natural remedies that has been shown to work in studies. Choose unpasteurized honey for an extra antiviral boost.

Wait!: Never give honey to babies under 12 months old because it can cause infant botulism.

Photo: Boogie Wipes

6. Saline nose wipes

Good for: Breaking down dried, stuck-on boogers without irritation and wiping away dirt and germs no matter where you are.

How to do it: Open the lid and remove inner seal. Then gently use saline nose wipes for babies to break down dried, stuck-on boogers and wipe away dirt and germs on baby’s face, hands and body. Dispose of the wipe and close the lid tightly to retain moisture.

Pro tip: Though it may seem these wipes are only for runny noses, they’re great to have on-hand in the diaper bag for any kind of mess.

Try these: Boogie Wipes Gentle Saline Nose Wipes, $5, walmart. ca

Products you should be cautious about

Vicks BabyRub: You may recall your mom rubbing Vicks VapoRub on your feet when you had a cold and be tempted to do the same with your baby, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the regular version of Vicks VapoRub contains camphor, which is extremely toxic if ingested. Keep this out of your little one’s reach or consider getting it out of your house altogether. Vicks BabyRub, on the other hand, doesn’t contain camphor—but it also doesn’t contain any other medicinal ingredients that can relieve congestion and isn’t marketed as a product for colds. However, there likely isn’t harm in using this on your baby if you follow the manufacturer’s directions. It’s not meant to be used on babies under three months.

Humidifier: Humidifiers add moisture to the air in your house, which can help keep snot and mucus from drying out and relieve congestion. However, the Canadian Paediatric Society doesn’t recommend parents use humidifiers—both hot and cool mist humidifiers can breed mould and bacteria if they are not washed thoroughly every day, and hot mist humidifiers can be a burn hazard for small children.

Avoid these products altogether

Cough medicine: This is not recommended for babies (or any kids under six). According to Health Canada, there is no evidence they’re effective, and they can cause harm when misused or overused. The same goes for natural cough medicines, because natural ingredients can still cause dangerous side effects and allergies. “There’s also no evidence that they work,” says paediatrician Dina Kulik, founder of KidCrew, a multidisciplinary health clinic in Toronto.

Homeopathic treatments and essential oils: There are many cold remedies on pharmacy and health store shelves labelled as homeopathic, but these, like other natural health products, are not as strictly regulated as pharmaceuticals. “There is no convincing evidence that they work, and they may pose a risk,” says Kulik. It’s better to avoid these altogether. Essential oils are another popular home remedy, but they can be toxic. C.J. Blennerhassett recommends against using them in a baby’s humidifier or anywhere near a baby because there are no studies to demonstrate their value or safety.

When to see a doctor

If you see these symptoms, your baby should be checked out by a pro right away:

1. Not drinking much or excessive vomiting or diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration, which can be dangerous.

2. Listlessness or a decreased level of alertness. If they aren’t responding like they usually do and they’re excessively sleepy, something might be wrong.

3. A fever above 38°C (100.4°F), taken rectally. Bring your baby over three months in if the fever isn’t brought down by pain relievers or lasts longer than three days. A baby under three months with any fever should be seen.

4. Constant crying. Baby shouldn’t be inconsolable.

5. Difficulty breathing. Don’t wait and see.

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FILED UNDER: baby products Cold and flu Cough illness product roundup Sick kid

Children's medicines for colds and flu

Danil Bychkov Pediatrician

July 20, 2020

466085

The common cold is nothing more than an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI). SARS is an acute disease that is accompanied by sore throat, runny nose, cough, weakness, lethargy, fever.

SARS and immunity

According to the World Health Organization, SARS occupy the first place in the structure of morbidity in young children. There are a large number of viruses that cause SARS. These include: influenza viruses, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial viruses, adenovirus, ECHO viruses, Coxsackie, rhinoviruses, reoviruses, coronaviruses. The high incidence of acute respiratory viral infections is associated with unstable immunity in children after a previous acute respiratory viral infection, as well as the high prevalence of these viruses. In an unfavorable environment, ARVI predetermines even greater changes in immunity, especially in young children. This can lead to significant changes in the formation of immunity in the baby, as well as contribute to the development of chronic diseases of various systems of the child's body at an older age. Given the high prevalence of acute respiratory viral infections, the issue of treating children with this pathology remains relevant. We will approach the treatment of a cold from the point of view of modern protocols for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in children, which were developed by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia. Before proceeding to the consideration of children's medicines for colds and flu, it is necessary to understand the main manifestations of SARS in children.

It is important to monitor the child's condition and consult a pediatrician at the first symptoms of a cold.

Symptoms of SARS in children

The child or the child's parents may notice the appearance of such signs as:

Acute onset of the disease, accompanied by a rise in body temperature. Usually body temperature fluctuates between 37.5-38.0 degrees. Usually the temperature reaction disappears after 2-3 days. A longer fever may indicate flu or an adenovirus infection. Parents should remember that an increase in temperature over time, an increase in intoxication in a baby (weakness, lethargy, malaise) may indicate the addition of a bacterial infection. A repeated increase in temperature in a baby after its relief may indicate the development of acute otitis media against the background of a prolonged runny nose.
Nasal congestion, nasal discharge.
Burning, pain, tingling, dry throat. Often, the accumulation of mucus, flowing down the back of the throat, can lead to coughing.
Noise and pain in the ears, hearing loss, clicking. These symptoms develop when inflammation spreads to the auditory tubes.
Infants develop restlessness, difficulty feeding and falling asleep.
Hoarseness of voice may occur.
Redness of the eyes.

Signs of SARS persist for 5-7 days, in some cases reaching 10-14 days.

Cold medicine for children

Feel free to ask questions of your pediatrician or any other doctor.

When visiting a pediatrician, the parents of a child often ask the following questions: “What medication should my child take for a cold? What is the best remedy for a cold in children? The common cold is the most common reason for the use of various medications, which are most often not needed at all. Most of these drugs do not have an evidence base, that is, their effect has not been reliably proven. Moreover, many of them also have side effects. It is very important to understand that this disease is benign and requires only minimal interventions. This refers to the small number of drugs used. Below are the main medicines for flu and colds in children:

Antivirals for colds for children . They are drugs that affect the cause of the disease. Antiviral treatment is used only for influenza A and B, and only in the first two days of illness. Neuraminidase inhibitors are used: oseltamivir, zanamivir. P For asthmatic patients on zanamivir, it is important to have a bronchodilator on hand. These drugs do not work on other viruses. That is, they are the main drugs for influenza for children. The evidence base for the antiviral efficacy of other drugs in children remains extremely limited.
Immunotropic preparations . This group of drugs does not have a pronounced effect, their appointment is impractical. It is possible to use no later than the first two days of interferon alfa, however, its effect has not been reliably proven. To understand, interferon is a protein that is released by the cells of the body when a virus enters. He helps fight him. There are also interferonogens. Interferonogens are substances that can cause the formation of interferons. According to the treatment protocol, this group of drugs in children older than 7 years does not have a pronounced effect. The only thing they can do is to reduce the length of the febrile period (period of fever) by one day. The drugs of this group include: tilorone, neovir, cycloferon, poludan, kagocel, etc.
Antibiotics . The use of antibacterial drugs in uncomplicated SARS is not recommended. Moreover, the use of antibiotics in this case may contribute to the attachment of bacteria. This is due to the fact that the antibiotic will suppress the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract. This flora is a barrier between the human body and pathogenic bacteria. The use of antibiotics is justified only in children with chronic respiratory diseases (for example, cystic fibrosis), immunodeficiency.

It is important that the child gets enough fluids during a cold.

Symptomatic treatment . It is the main treatment for SARS. It consists in the use of such methods and medicines as:

Adequate hydration. In other words - a sufficient drinking regimen. This method contributes to the liquefaction of the secret, which improves its discharge.
Elimination therapy. Its essence lies in the introduction of a saline solution into the nose 2-3 times a day. This helps to remove mucus and restore the functioning of the epithelium that lines the nasal cavity. It is necessary to inject saline in the supine position with the head thrown back. In infants, a special manual suction can also be used to suck out mucus and then saline is injected. In older children, the use of saline solutions in the form of a spray is justified. Elimination therapy can be used not only to treat, but also to prevent colds in children. In fact, adequate hydration and elimination therapy are adjuncts in treating a child's cold.
Medicinal preparations. Spray Tantum Verde based on benzydamine is prescribed for children from the age of three to treat throat and oral diseases. The drug has a triple effect: anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and analgesic. Benzydamine acts on the main pathogens of the mouth and throat: viruses, fungi and bacteria. Tantum Verde helps to restore the oral mucosa, relieves inflammation and swelling of the tissues, because of which small patients feel pain and discomfort. Children love Tantum Verde for its sweet mint flavor and gentle irrigation.
Nasal vasoconstrictor drops. Duration of application is not more than 5 days. They quickly eliminate nasal congestion, and also restore the function of the auditory tube. Use: phenylephrine, oxymetazoline, xylometazoline.
Antipyretics. Physical methods can also be used to lower body temperature. The baby needs to be opened and wiped with water of 25-30 degrees. In pediatrics, in order to reduce the child's body temperature, only two drugs are used - paracetamol and ibuprofen. They are inexpensive cold medicines for children. It is necessary to reduce body temperature at 39-39.5 degrees. An earlier decrease in temperature is recommended in such cases: children under 3 months old, patients with chronic pathology, with the development of discomfort against the background of temperature. Regularly take antipyretics is not worth it. A second dose is taken only after a new increase in temperature. In , acetylsalicylic acid and nimesulide are not used as an antipyretic in children. It is also not recommended to use metamizole (analgin). In many European countries, this drug has been banned for use for over 50 years.
Cough control. Regular toileting of the nose will help in the fight against coughing, which reduces the severity of mucus flow down the back of the throat. Drinking warm water and using lozenges and lozenges containing antiseptics may also help. This is due to the fact that coughing can also be associated with a sore throat against the background of pharyngitis. Antiseptics allow you to stop the inflammatory process in the throat and, accordingly, reduce the severity of coughing.
Antitussives, expectorants, mucolytics are not recommended for ARVI.
According to WHO recommendations, the use of steam and aerosol inhalations for the treatment of SARS is not recommended.
The use of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is not recommended. This drug does not affect the course of the disease. Thus, the use of various folk remedies for the treatment of children rich in vitamin C is not always advisable.

These statements are evidence-based and are consistent with the modern protocol for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in children, developed by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

SARS is a fairly common disease that requires special attention from parents. When treating, it is very important to use only those drugs that are evidence-based and recommended by modern protocols for treatment. Do not self-medicate, if you develop symptoms of the disease, consult your doctor.

Medicines

Cold and flu medicine for children – Anaferon for Children

What do parents usually do when they suspect that their child has an acute respiratory disease or flu? Many first of all run to the pharmacy to buy cold medicine for children. There are plenty of such drugs today. A wide range, on the one hand, allows you to choose the right drug for each person, taking into account his state of health and age. But on the other hand, a huge choice is confusing...

Unfortunately, not all products are really as effective and safe as advertised.

In addition, there is no single “instruction” for choosing a cold medicine for children - parents are forced to rely on their own knowledge, the honesty of the advertiser and the advice of a pharmacy worker. And the latter, alas, are not always professional and objective enough. We hope that the simple rules below will help you make the right decision.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT COLD MEDICINE FOR CHILDREN

Let's figure out how to choose the right cold medicine for children. To begin with, I need to say a few words about the grossest mistake that many parents make. If your baby sneezed, you do not need to immediately run to the pharmacy for antibiotics and other aggressive pharmacological agents. Such a “treatment” will completely kill the immunity of the little man, and in the future the number of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections will only increase. Better try this:

RULE 1 . Do not self-medicate - at best it will be useless, at worst - harmful. Your best friend is an experienced doctor, a pediatrician who knows the history of the baby's illness. Being aware of all the features of your child's health and understanding the principle of operation of different drugs, such a specialist will select the optimal treatment regimen. This approach will allow you to prevent all sorts of complications of infectious diseases.

RULE 2 . Control the process. Modern parents, as a rule, are very busy, so they often let the treatment take its course or shift the control of the baby's health to relatives or nannies. But remember: this is your child, and other people will not worry about his health the way you do. After you have chosen the methods and medicine for flu for children, see how your son or daughter's condition changes. It will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with the instructions, in particular the dosage, the list of contraindications and side effects.

RULE 3 . Make sure the treatment is adequate. Do not overdo it, and do not interrupt therapy prematurely. Strictly adhere to the doctor's recommendations and instructions.

Do not bring down the temperature with antipyretics unless directed by a doctor (let the body fight off the viruses on its own).
Do not "prescribe" additional drugs to a small patient on your own, because you do not know how they will interact with each other.
If you notice that the child is much better, continue to follow the prescribed procedures to avoid complications. If the drugs do not help, tell your doctor about it so that he can choose another treatment. Please note that many products are intended for short-term treatment - if you take them longer, there is a risk of side effects.

RULE 4 . Check selected medications. If you buy medicines at a pharmacy at your own discretion, make sure that the manufacturer is honest (information can be found, for example, on the Internet at medical resources). Also check the authenticity and expiration date of each package.

THE BEST CURE FOR THE FLU AND THE COLD IS A STRONG IMMUNE

You will not find the perfect flu for children in pharmacies. But you can buy an effective and safe remedy that will help strengthen the immune system, thereby reducing the risk of infectious diseases.