David M. Epstein, M.D.
Phone: (302) 392-2077
Fax: (302) 392 - 0020
www.DelawareModernPediatrics.com
Upper
Respiratory Infection
Head colds make us miserable, but they do go away on their own.
For comfort, you may use a vaporizer or humidifier in the child’s
room. There are several varieties; all
work well. You do not need to put
anything in the water (unless the steam vaporizer instructions require salts to
make it work). Steam vaporizers may work
a little better, but you must watch that your small child does not get scalded by
getting too close to the steam.
Saline (mildly salty water) drops in the nose can help prevent nose
bleeds. They can also be useful if the
child has trouble eating or sleeping due to stuffiness. You may use saline drops as often as needed.
Non-prescription cold and cough medications can be helpful. Look for medications containing an
antihistamine and decongestant. They
will not hasten the resolution of the cold, but they might help the child feel
better for a few hours.
In my own experience, cough and cold medications have proven safe and
effective. But in August 2007, the FDA
issued a warning that cold and cough medications occasionally have serious side
effects in children. They recommend that
children under 2 years of age avoid taking them, unless the physician
recommends it.
Cough and cold medications manufactured for older children are still
available, and can be used for smaller children if the dose is adjusted
correctly. My advice is to use them
sparingly, perhaps only for sleep, and to double-check the dose. Dimetapp®, Pediacare®, and other brands are
well-known. Children between 2 and 6 may
take half of the dose for 6 year olds (usually ½ teaspoon). Children
between 4-6 months and 2 years used to be given half the dose for 2 year olds
(usually ¼ teaspoon), but the FDA now recommends not using these medications
under 2 years. Children under 4-6 months
should usually not be given decongestants.
If the child develops fever, you may use acetaminophen (Tylenol®
etc.) or Ibuprofen (Motrin® etc.).
Head colds probably go away faster if the child gets enough fluids, and
enough rest. Echinacea, Vitamin C, and
other “natural” remedies have not been proven to improve the symptoms or
shorten the course of head colds, but there is no demonstrated harm to using
reasonable doses if you wish to experiment.
I don’t usually encourage parents to use them.
Please call us, or return to the office, if:
Copyright © 2007, David Epstein MD