RNS: Kids cold and flu, January 2009
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U-M Health Minute: Today’s top health issues and medical research
Caution urged when giving kids cold and flu meds
Over-the-counter cold and flu medication can have serious side effects in children under the age of 6
Suggested lead: It’s cold and flu season again, causing misery for the little people in your household. New guidelines warn parents that over-the-counter cough and cold medications should not be used in children under 6 years of age. But what should parents do to help their children through the runny nose, cough and aches? Here is Andi McDonnell with more.
Doctors are asking parents to resist the urge to give children under the age of 6 over-the-counter cough and cold medication. Such drugs can have serious side effects on the smallest of children.
Dr. Esther Yoon, (M.D.), general pediatrician in the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the University of Michigan Health System explains . .
“It’s very important for parents to know that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are not recommended for children younger than 6 years old. Certainly, for infants and toddlers younger than 4 years old these medicines should not be used period because they can have serious side effects.
These guidelines for the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children have changed recently because studies have shown that one, these medicines are not effective in young children and two, that these medicines can have serious side effects that include hives, drowsiness, difficulty breathing and sometimes in certain cases death.”
But if your child is not feeling well, Yoon recommends the following . . .
“There are some simple things that we can do to manage our child’s symptoms. One, if they have a runny nose use a bulb suction for infants or have your child blow their nose. Two, if they have blocked noses you can use nasal saline drops to loosen up the dried mucus and then use bulb suction or have them blow their nose. Three, if they’re coughing you can try a teaspoon of honey or corn syrup for kids over 1 year old. You could have your child drink lots of warm fluids, like water, apple juice, chicken broth, that will help with their coughing. And lastly, you could take your child into the bathroom, run the hot shower and the steam helps relax their airways and helps with the coughing spasms. Increasing the humidity in your home certainly helps because that reduces nasal congestion and the coughing.”
And lastly, don’t forget to disinfect your kitchen countertops, doorknobs, and toys that can easily spread infection.
Andi McDonnell, U-M Health System News
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