Don't bother to give cold meds to young children (infants, weight, humidifier)
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I give cold medicine to my kids when they're sick. I am certainly more comfortable with cold medicine when I'm sick, why wouldn't they be?
Doctors don't always know everything. My daughter had surgery when she was 3 months old and the surgeon told us not to give her any pain medicine, even tylenol, because "infants can't feel pain at that age." But the whole reason we knew she had a problem and needed surgery was because she was spending 8 to ten hours a day screaming in pain, so she was definitely able to feel pain.
Just because a child can't tell you exactly how the cold medicine makes them feel better doesn't mean it doesn't do anything for them.
I usually try to give something for fever even though I've been told before not to bother. Do you bother with cold meds?
When my kids were preschoolers, they changed the "safe" age range for cold meds from 2 years to 6 years. As far as I know it hasn't changed back. When it was changed, I stopped giving it to them. I never started again after they turned 6.
Never -- and so far they've all survived just fine. I give them honey however. I was raised to believe "fever is your friend" because viruses don't replicate at the higher temperatures, so I bundle them up to help the body's natural response. There are no cures for the common cold, so I don't see any point in pouring a bunch of chemicals into them.
I was actually just online researching this. My 3 year old has come down with some really bad cold virus - he's had a bunch of colds before but all pretty mild and nothing that required meds aside from saline nasal rinse and fluids. This time however he's got horrific congestion and a really bad cough - it's been waking him up for the last 3 nights now and he gags on it to the point of throwing up. Was really bad last night, during the day seemed to get better and more productive, but as soon as he lay down it started up again. Poor guy's exhausted and crying because he can't sleep. Humidifier, propping up, honey, Vicks on the feet and chest, all that standard stuff does squat. I had been giving him benadryl as it's the only thing approved for his age and at least helps with the congestion and mucus and helps him sleep, but I'm really starting to regret not picking up some robitussin or something to help with the night cough. I didn't buy any precisely because I've heard you're not supposed to give it before 6, but based on further reading now it seems that was just done to prevent overdose because some parents are stupid and don't read labels correctly, and that many doctors will recommend a kids' cough syrup for dry cough, just dosing carefully based on weight.
I suffer with bad dry coughs with almost every cold myself and know the horrible feeling and the relief that a dose or Robitussin brings for the night. I also know none of the standard home remedies help at all when I get that horrible tickly feeling, nothing helps aside from medicine. They should have more objective info about this out there, as it's not fair to put young kids through such suffering if you can relieve the symptoms with no harm...
Do have fond memories of my mother rubbing Vicks on my chest and then pinning a thick flannel cloth she set on low temp on the stove to my jammies. We used those same Vicks soak cloths for probably my entire childhood. I can smell it right now...
Never -- and so far they've all survived just fine. I give them honey however. I was raised to believe "fever is your friend" because viruses don't replicate at the higher temperatures, so I bundle them up to help the body's natural response. There are no cures for the common cold, so I don't see any point in pouring a bunch of chemicals into them.
^This
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