With the start of winter often come coughs and sniffles — particularly in children. Children can have six to eight colds a year, and you need to be capable of giving rapid relief. Michael Lee, M.D., a pediatrician with Children’s Health℠ and Professor at UT Southwestern, provides tips for what to keep stocked – and what to skip – if you want to have your children feeling better.
What are back-to-school essentials for parents during cold and flu season?
These are the cold and flu essentials every caregiver should have:
A working thermometer
When your child seems warm, or sweaty, or cold and clammy, or crabby, you should take their temperature. Here’s where the types of thermometers come into play, so pick the one you’re comfortable with, as well as what is appropriate for your child’s age. Dr. Lee suggests infrared thermometers for the forehead or digital thermometers that you place in your child’s mouth or rectum. Resist the temptation to use thermometers in the ears or under the armpit. Find out more ways to check and treat fever in children.
Nasal saline topicals, syringe bulb or aspirator
A saline solution, such as a nose spray or mist, can help break up thick mucus in your child’s nose. For children who are too young to blow their nose effectively, you can clear their nasal passages using a suction bulb or a nasal aspirator. Suctioning can be particularly useful before going to bed and upon waking up. For the littlest ones, suctioning the nose before feedings can help.
Another tip: Inhaling steam from a hot bath or shower can also help loosen mucus.
Fever-reducing medications
It may be useful to keep children’s acetaminophen (Tylenol) or children’s ibuprofen (Motrin) at home in case your child should get a fever. These medications won’t target the source of your child’s fever, but they can offer some fast relief.
Here are some reminders when it comes to the use of fever medications:
- Check dates on fever meds before use.
- Refer to the label or call your pediatrician for the proper dose based on your child’s age and weight.
- For fever in babies less than 3 months old, always call your pediatrician first.
- Legal noticesDon’t give ibuprofen to babies younger than 6 months.
- Children under 18 should not receive aspirin. It may have perilous side effects in children.
Sore throat remedies
You’ll find some of the best remedies for a sore throat in the kitchen — not the medicine cabinet. Warm liquids, including hot water with lemon, broth or caffeine-free tea for older kids, can soothe soreness and loosen mucus. Honey can also soothe a sore throat and quell a cough if your child is over age 1. Icy foods, like popsicles, can also soothe a sore throat — and could be a child’s favorite treatment.
Soap and hand sanitizer, cleaning products
One of the more effective ways to keep your child from getting a germ in the first place is frequent hand hygiene. Be sure to have antibacterial hand soap in your home and find hand sanitizer to keep on-the-go — in the car or clipped to your kids’ school backpacks. It is equally important to frequently clean the objects and surfaces you touch with disinfectant wipes or sprays.
Other remedies that can help with cough and congestion in children
These items can also soothe your child’s cold or flu symptoms, including congestion, sore throat and cough.
- Cool-mist humidifier — Dry air can exacerbate a child’s cough and congestion. Think about setting up a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom, near their sleeping space.
- Topical vapor rub – Applying this to your child’s chest may help decrease nighttime cough. Dr. Lee recommends using vapor rub only for kids 2 years old and above.
- Afrin nasal spray — This works great for nighttime when you have extreme congestion. Just that it’s only suggested for 2-3 days in kids 6 years and older.
Which cold and flu products shouldn’t you give to kids?
If your child is younger than 6, refrain from giving over-the-counter cough and cold medicines.
“Cold medicines try to address the symptoms of a cold,” Dr. Lee says. “Unfortunately, these medications do not help in young children and should not be given to children younger than 6 years of age, as they could also have side effects.”
Possible side effects of over-the-counter cold and cough medications in children include increased heart rate, excessive drowsiness, convulsions and nausea.
Because it’s not advised to give over-the-counter cold and cough medications to children under 6, using a natural or holistic cold and flu remedy, like elderberry supplements, can be tempting. But Dr. Lee cautions that those products are not regulated by the F.D.A., and the safety and effectiveness of many are still uncertain. Parents of younger children, he suggests, should stick with tried-and-true home remedies.
What additional steps can my family take to stay healthy during cold and flu season?
It is this simple: remembering to wash your hands and clean your home makes a huge difference in how likely one family member is to spread a cold or the flu to others. Adequate sleep and a healthy diet can also prevent you from becoming ill.
Ensure every member of your family over 6 months old gets their flu shot each year — this is the single most effective way to prevent getting the flu. Call your pediatrician’s office to schedule your child’s flu shot or find a flu vaccine location.
