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How to treat cold symptoms

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, over-the-counter cold and cough medicine only treats the symptoms of the cold, not the cold itself. And while the medicine does not shorten the duration of the cold and the child can simply get better on his or her own, there are still symptomatic ways that a parent can help a child endure the symptoms.

The AAP and Jones, Daly, Coldren & Associates Pediatrics in Mechanicsburg gave the following suggestions to relieve certain symptoms.

• Stuffy nose

Use saltwater/saline nose drops recommended by a doctor to thin the mucus. Place about three drops of saline into each nostril followed by a gentle bulb suction about a minute later. For infants, use only one drop, and do only one nostril at a time. Suction bulbs can be found in drug stores, and a short, stubby one with a clear plastic mucus trap is recommended. Older children can blow their noses after applying the saline solution instead of relying on a suction.

Clearing the nose is important because a child cannot breathe and suck on a bottle at the same time, and it makes breathing easier and less dangerous when the child is sleeping.

• Runny nose

Sniffling and swallowing the mucus is probably better than blowing because blowing the nose can force the infection into the ears or sinuses. For younger babies, use a soft rubber suction bulb to remove the discharge. Put petroleum jelly around the nostrils to protect them from irritation. Since nasal discharge is the nose’s way of getting rid of viruses, antihistamines are not helpful, unless the child has a nasal allergy.

• Chest congestion

Chest physical therapy can loosen mucus and help children cough it out. Lay the child across your knees, face down, cup your hand and gently tap your child’s back. Or sit the child on your lap, lean the child’s body forward about 30 degrees, cup your hand and gently tape your child’s back.

A cool-mist humidifier in the child’s room may also help clear the nasal passages.

• Cough

Honey has recently been accepted by pediatricians in treating coughs for children over 1 year old. Try half a teaspoon of honey for children 2 to 5 years old, one teaspoon for children 6 to 11 years old and two teaspoons for children 12 years old and older. Honey is not recommended for babies younger than one year old.

If honey is given at bed time, make sure to brush the child’s teeth afterward.

Children 4 years old and older can use cough drops, though children younger than 4 should not because of choking dangers. Be careful to not give the child more cough drops or lozenges than is recommended on the package.

• Fever

Children with fevers during a cold should see a doctor. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be used for babies 6 months or younger, and acetaminophen and ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) can be used for children 6 months and older. Ask the doctor for the right dosage given the child’s age and size.

Do not give aspirin to a child because it has been associated with Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness that affects the liver and the brain.

By Naomi Creason, Sentinel Reporter, October 11, 2008

Last updated: Friday, October 10, 2008 7:23 AM EDT

In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory urging parents to avoid using over-the-counter cough and cold products to treat children 2 years old and under.

The American Academy of Pediatrics supported that recommendation, though they pushed for the guidelines to extend to children 6 years old and younger.

Tuesday, the companies that make the products agreed that guidelines should be set, taking the middle of the road by recommending that their products not be used for anyone 4 years old and younger.

Linda Suydam, president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, said the companies voluntarily made the change in guidelines “out of an abundance of caution.” The caution comes from reports from the FDA and pediatricians who believe the effects of the drugs aren’t worth the risk.

“Our concerns are mostly in small children, and we realize that cold medicines really don’t work anyway,” said pediatrician Mario Sangillo of Jones, Daly, Coldren and Associates in Mechanicsburg. “You will find that the same dosage of medicine can be different among children, especially those who are sensitive to medicines. It might make one child restful enough to go to bed and it may make another dramatically lethargic and in danger of building, especially when it comes to small children.”

The FDA’s report in January claimed there have been serious adverse reactions from children associated with the products, including convulsions, rapid heart rates, decreased levels of consciousness and death. The report added that problems with OTC cough and cold medicines account for about 7,000 children heading to the emergency room each year with symptoms including hives, drowsiness and unsteady walking.

Overdosing problem

However, those severe reactions are usually caused by overdosing on medicine, according to Sangillo.

“The concern is the risk of overdose in these medicines,” Sangillo said. “It happens to medicines that are used in large populations, and there have been episodes of severe consequences, like seizures of even death in regard to overdosing or giving a medicine too great for the age of the child. It’s easy to make a mistake. It might say teaspoon, and they get a tablespoon. People just don’t think through it.”

That danger of overdosing is also why federal health officials are not going to take the children’s brands of medicine off the shelves so they can avoid desperate parents giving adult medicine to their children.

Sangillo realizes that many parents, especially new parents, may get antsy when it comes to making sure their children are comfortable. According to Sangillo, parents just don’t know when they are able to take care of things themselves and when it’s time to see a doctor.

“Young children can have a fever during a cold for three or five days, and that’s not uncommon,” Sangillo said. “I’d say it would be good to come in if the sick child is overly lethargic, and not just from a cold, but they also don’t make good eye contact or is breathing heavily. It’s also a bad sign if the child has severe or prolonged coughs. Parents have just got to use their judgment.”

Sangillo still encourages parents to call or come in if they’re worried and also suggests that, overall, the $287 million spent every year on OTC cough and cold products would be better spent elsewhere.

“The message we should all take is that cold medicine really doesn’t work, and we should be using things our grandmother used, like humidification, nasal saline and just take extra fluids. It’s OK to put [vapor rubs] on the chest to help breathing, just don’t take oral antihistamines.”

— The Associated Press contributed to this report