The risks of using cold medicine for children

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

Many parents still keep the habit of giving their children over-the-counter medicines or common pills in the family medicine cabinet when their child has a fever or "sniffs", but lacks the necessary instructions on how to use and dose. medication, warning symptoms, ... from the doctor. However, arbitrarily using antibiotics to treat colds for children always carries many risks.

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are intended to treat cough and cold symptoms, not the underlying cause. Research shows that these drugs have been shown to not work any better than any placebo (a fake drug that researchers make so that it has absolutely no biological effects). what to do with the disease). Be aware that these medications can cause side effects including: fatal overdose in children under 2 years of age.
Therefore, do not use over-the-counter medications, other than fever-reducing and pain-relieving medicines, to treat coughs and colds in children under 6 years of age, and avoid their use in children under 12 years of age.

Antibiotics can be used to fight bacterial infections but have no effect on viruses that cause colds. If your child has a cold, antibiotics won't help. The more antibiotics a child uses without a doctor's prescription, the higher the risk of future antibiotic resistance.

Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Children's Motrin, others) can reduce fever and relieve pain from sore throats. However, fever is generally harmless. The main purpose of treating them is to help your child feel comfortable. If you give your child pain relievers, follow the dosage instructions carefully. For children under 3 months of age, do not give acetaminophen until the child has been seen by a doctor.
Do not give ibuprofen to a child under 6 months of age or to a child who is vomiting continuously or is dehydrated. Also, use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Although aspirin is approved for use in children over 3 years of age, children and adolescents recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms are not advised to take aspirin. The cause was determined to be that aspirin was linked to Reye's syndrome, which is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition.

The answer is no. The Food and Drug Administration limits the use of prescription cough and cold medicines containing the opioid codeine or hydrocodone to adults 18 years of age and older. This is because of the risk of slow or difficult breathing, drug abuse, risky drug use, addiction, overdose, and even death.

To cure a cold in a child, give him plenty of fluids to drink. Liquids such as water, juice, and broth can help thin the discharge. Warm liquids, such as tea or chicken soup, can have a soothing effect, increasing nasal mucus flow and loosening respiratory secretions.
Run a cool mist humidifier. This can add moisture to the air, which can relieve dry nose and throat. Place the humidifier near your child's bed. Clean the humidifier after each use. Use physiological saline nasal drops. Saline water can keep nasal passages moist and loosen mucus. For young children, instill physiological saline, wait for a short time and then use a suction bulb to suck mucus out of each nostril. For older children, use physiological saline nasal spray or nasal drops with physiological saline. It is recommended to gargle with salt water. For children 6 years and older, gargling with warm salt water can soothe a sore throat. Give your child hard candy. For children 5 years and older, sucking on a piece of hard candy can ease a sore throat. Hard candies can be as effective as lozenges and have fewer side effects. However, hard candy can cause choking and should not be given to young children. Take a pain reliever such as Children's Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (ibuprofen) to treat body aches. Do not give ibuprofen to children under 6 months of age. If your child has asthma or is wheezing, talk to the doctor. Your child may need prescription medication to relax swollen, inflamed airways. Avoid cold/cough medicines in children with asthma, they can worsen asthma symptoms.

Prevent children from getting sick by:
Keep clean. Teach your children to wash their hands thoroughly and often. When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Keep toys and common surfaces in the home clean, too. Stay away from the source of colds. Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold. Avoid letting children touch their faces. Your child can get sick by touching something contaminated with germs and then touching his or her own eyes, mouth, or nose. In the event that medication is required, note the following:
Always read the packaging and follow the instructions carefully. Many medicines contain many different ingredients. If you're giving your child cold medicine that contains pain relievers, fever reducers, or decongestants, make sure you don't give them more of those medicines individually. Too much medicine can be risky, and your child could get an overdose. Never increase the dose or give it to your child more often than indicated on the package. Too much can cause serious and life-threatening side effects. Do not give adult medicine to children. Children should only use products marked for infant, infant, or child use, sometimes referred to as "children's" use on the packaging. There are many types of herbal and natural extracts available in the market. Use caution and consult a doctor before use if you are unsure or give it to a child under 4 years of age. Check with your doctor to make sure which medicine is right for your child. Remember, cough and cold medicines come in different varieties. Inform your child's doctor about any other medicines your child takes. That way, let your doctor check to see if the cold medicine has any interactions with the rest of the medications. Always use the measuring device that comes in the package. Using a regular spoon will not be accurate.

If your child's symptoms get worse or don't ease within the time your doctor has noted, see your pediatrician to check for other problems. Sometimes a cold can lead to a sinus, ear, or pneumonia infection.
Cold in children is a very common condition, the disease does not cause too many dangers, but always makes children tired and uncomfortable, which will gradually affect their resistance.
Vinmec International General Hospital is currently one of the leading hospitals in the country in terms of examination, diagnosis and treatment of digestive, urinary, respiratory diseases, and nutrition, especially in infants. birth and young children. In addition to the team of doctors and experts who are all trained in domestic and foreign environments, have many years of experience in the profession, the equipment at the hospital is also extremely modern, the sterile examination space helps reduce minimize the impact as well as the risk of disease transmission.
Therefore, when children have health problems, parents can take their children to the hospital to be examined by a doctor, consulted on treatment directions or can register for a vaccine against influenza or other diseases. common in young children in the early stages of life.

Reference source: mayoclinic.org - webmd.com