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Cold medicines for kids: What's the risk?
Can any medications help treat the common cold?
An over-the-counter pain reliever — such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) — can reduce a fever and ease the pain of a sore throat or headache. If you give your child a pain reliever, follow the dosing guidelines carefully.
Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than age 6 months or to a child who is dehydrated or vomiting continuously, and don't give aspirin to anyone age 18 or younger. Aspirin has been associated with Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
If you want to give your child an herbal or alternative remedy, consult your child's doctor first.
How can I help my child feel better?
There's no cure for the common cold, but you can help your child feel better while he or she is toughing it out.
- Offer fluids. Liquids such as water, juice and broth can help loosen congestion.
- Encourage coughing. Coughing can help clear mucus from your child's airway. If your child needs help coughing, place your child on your lap, lean his or her body forward about 30 degrees, and gently tap his or her back.
- Use a suction bulb for a baby or young child. This device draws mucus out of the nose. Squeeze the bulb part of the syringe, gently place the tip inside one nostril and slowly release the bulb.
- Moisten nasal passages. Run a cool-mist humidifier in your child's room. To prevent mold growth, change the water daily and follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Steam from a hot shower may help, too. Over-the-counter saline nose drops also can loosen thick nasal mucus and make it easier for your child to breathe. For babies, follow up with a suction bulb.
- Soothe a sore throat. For a child older than age 4, gargling salt water or sucking on hard candy or cough drops may soothe a sore throat. Honey also may help relieve a cough. Try 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) for children ages 2 to 5, 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) for children ages 6 to 11 and 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) for children age 12 and older. Due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning, never give honey to a child younger than age 1.
- Encourage rest. Consider keeping your child home from school and other activities if he or she has a fever or bad cough.
When should I contact the doctor?
Most colds simply need to run their course. It's important to take your child's signs and symptoms seriously, however. If you have a baby who's younger than age 3 months, contact the doctor at the first sign of illness. For newborns, a common cold can quickly develop into croup, pneumonia or another serious illness.
Otherwise, contact the doctor if your child:
- Isn't urinating as often as usual
- Has a temperature higher than 103 F (39.4 C) for one day
- Has a temperature higher than 100 F (37.8 C) for more than three days
- Seems to have ear or sinus pain
- Has yellow eye discharge
- Has a cough for longer than one week
- Has thick, green nasal discharge
Seek medical help immediately if your child:
- Has trouble drinking
- Coughs hard enough to cause vomiting or changes in skin color
- Coughs up blood-tinged sputum
- Has difficulty breathing or is bluish around the lips and mouth
What's the best way to prevent the common cold?
The common cold typically spreads through infected respiratory droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. To help your child stay healthy:
- Keep it clean. Teach your child to wash his or her hands thoroughly and often. When soap and water aren't available, provide an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or hand wipes. Keep toys and common household surfaces clean, too.
- Cover up. Teach everyone in the household to cough or sneeze into a tissue — and then toss it. If you can't reach a tissue in time, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm.
- Don't share. Avoid sharing utensils, drinking glasses, washcloths, towels and other items that may harbor germs with anyone who has a cold or fever.
- Avoid anyone who's sick. This is especially important during the first few days of a viral illness, when the person who's sick may be most contagious.
For parents and children alike, simple preventive measures can go a long way toward preventing the common cold.
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- Parenting corner Q&A: Colds. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZN097VA7C.htm?&sub_cat=107. Accessed July 2, 2009.
- FDA recommends that over-the-counter (otc) cough and cold products not be used for infants and children under 2 years of age. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PublicHealthAdvisories/ucm051137.html. Accessed July 2, 2009.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs. Use of codeine- and dextromethorphan-containing cough remedies in children. Pediatrics. 2007;119:405.
- American academy of pediatrics urges caution in use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jan08coughandcold.htm. Accessed July 2, 2009.
- Parenting corner Q&A: Infections. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Infections.htm. Accessed July 2, 2009.
- Giving medication to children: Q & A with Dianne Murphy, M.D. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM164439.pdf. Accessed July 2, 2009.
- Stopping germs at home, work and school. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/germstopper/materials/home_work_school.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Get smart: Know when antibiotics work. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/know-and-do.html. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Abrams MA, et al. Plain Language Pediatrics: Health Literacy Strategies and Communication Resources for Common Pediatric Topics. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2008:151.
- Mozingo TA. RSV: When it's more than just a cold. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/healthychildren/08winter/HC-winter08-rsv.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- When to call the baby's doctor: Print-and-go guide. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/mom-to-be-tools/when-call-baby-doctor.pdf. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 3, 2009.
