Cough and cold medicine

As we are deep into viral season, you have all seen the aisles full of cough and cold remedies for kids.  Do any of them work?  Are they safe? What can you do to make your child feel better (and get a few hours of sleep!)?

Years ago, studies showed that cough suppressants (like dextromethorphan and phenylephrine) were linked to serious harm and potential deaths in children under age 2.  These medications were voluntarily taken off the market for kids under 4, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding them under 6, and there isn’t much data that they actually help until kids are over 10!


So what can you do?

-Steamy showers and/or saline drops help loosen up mucous, then you may suction your baby’s nose or encourage your older child to blow their nose. 

-A humidifier in the bedroom and drinking lots of fluids also keeps things moving. 

-Sometimes all that congestion causes a headache or the cough causes a bit of chest wall pain and sore throat, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be helpful (over 2 months and 6 months, respectively). 

-There is some scientific data that supports using honey as a cough suppressant.  You can offer your child (over age 1) some honey on a spoon or mixed into tea, and unlike medication, you can’t overdose on it! 

-For an older kids you can try cough drops or lollipops with pectin – this is an ingredient found in the skin of fruit that gives you that thick, syrupy feeling that is good for a sore throat


Luckily, viruses are self-limited, so they go away on their own over time, though it can take several weeks.  Young kids and kids in daycare often get back-to-back viruses and seem like they are sick all winter! If your child is having trouble breathing, getting dehydrated, has fever >101 for a few days, or has progressively worsening symptoms for a week then you should come in to be evaluated. 


Dr Lipkin

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Child & Adolescent Health Associates

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