anybody use this on their infant when they have a cold? My 4 month old DD has her first cold today/lastnight, and Im all new at this...I want to relieve any pain/discomfort she has of course, she's sneezing and coughing and congested, but she is also her smiley cheery self, poor thing, what a trooper! She is being so tolerant of the saline drops and nasal aspirator too, Im so impressed!!
Im not one that uses alot of medication, so i just thought id see what others' experiences are with these kinds of drugs. I read that there are side effects, so it has me concerned. Ill call the doctor too, and im sure that he will recommend the drugs. Im thinking more of using it at night, when she seems more upset by her symptoms, like she was last night. I supposed this situation should have been in my "what will you do when...___...develops?", oh well...thanks!
semicrunchy
08-23-2007, 01:55 PM
The pediatrician we went to in TX with my first child (before we moved) always favored PediaCare multi-symptom for colds. We have always used that and use it with our son too. It is one of the very few that doesn't have a pain reliever, and it's non-drowsy. It is better the child is alert and learning as opposed to being drowsy. Babies & children, unlike adults, really go with what their bodies tell them. If they are tired and need rest, 9 times out of 10 they will sleep more w/o the aide of medication. Also, they don't always need pain reliever/fever reducer, so why give it to them. The amount of acetaminophen is always less than a regular dose. It is better to give them a medicine that doesn't include a pain reliever, so you can give them a regular dose of pain reliever if and when needed.
HTH, and hope your little one starts to feel better soon. My son just got over his first cold a couple of weeks ago. I know it stinks when they are sick.:hugs:
moni54
08-23-2007, 01:56 PM
Here's a link to a consumer reports about one type of cold medicine to stay away from! Note that it says there have been 21 infant deaths so far from it! Scary stuff!
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/consumer-protection/recalls-and-safety-alerts-9-06/cough-and-cold-medicine-linked-to-infant-deaths/0609_recalls_cold-meds.htm?EXTKEY=SP72CR0&CMP=KNC-CROYPIBRAND&HBX_OU=51&HBX_PK=pi
Maybe you'll have to copy and paste into the browser? Sorry, I'm not that good at this stuff.
My DD has a nasty cold right now and her ped doesn't recommend any cold medicine because it doesn't help to get better faster and only masks the symptoms. He wants to know if she gets worse or not and the medicine will make it hard to tell. She gets just a bit of Tylenal (she's teething) and otherwise is just being a trooper as well. GL!!
*Katherine*
08-23-2007, 02:02 PM
We are actually dealing with a cold right now. I use Tylenol Cold personally. The only time I give her meds is at night and only if it is interfearing with her sleep. It's actually good to cough and get all that junk out. So unless she is truly uncomfortable and acting out of sorts, I don't give her anything.
gbird1
08-23-2007, 02:08 PM
thanks alot ladies!! :goodvibes: She doesn't need help sleeping, either, she is napping right now!! So Ill just follow her lead...and actually, when she woke up coughing and crying last night (which was every hour until about 4, alot more often than usual) I just nursed her and she always ate and went right back to sleep. So hopefully that will work tonight too. Thanks again!
mama2madj
08-23-2007, 09:17 PM
cough medicine disrupts the productiveness of the coughing (obviously, if they're not coughing the coughs cant be productive!). *if* you use any type of cough medicine make sure its an expectorant (thins the mucus) and not the other (which im blanking on the 'name' of now) that stops the coughing
Sweet_Fantasy_Fox
08-23-2007, 09:34 PM
don't give her anything other than regular tylenol for infants. the meds can damage the liver.
and she should only get at 4 months .04 of the dropper:thumbsup:
mommypatton521
08-23-2007, 10:19 PM
when dd was a nb she just got infant tylenol and nursies it usually didn't last too too long. I just drank lots of oj while she was sick.
mandikaake
08-24-2007, 04:30 AM
I now use a homeopathic cold medicine from the health food store. :thumbsup:
haydn'smommy
08-24-2007, 04:35 AM
I absolutely despise so called infant cold meds. First, they are not approved by the AAP for use in any child under age 2 and really not safe under that age. They all contain decongestants that thicken the mucus and just make it harder to get rid of that cold and more likely to develop into a ear infection or sinus infection. They should not even be on the shelf.
Nasal saline, bulb suction, elevating the head of bed for sleep, humidifier, lots of fluids (i.e. breastfeed!!) and T-I-M-E are all that are needed to cure a cold.
Okay, sorry, off my:soapbox: now.
laj
08-24-2007, 10:57 AM
Our pedi told us not to use any meds for a cold (even now at nearly 2yo), but to aspirate like crazy, put a humidifier in their room, and if they're too clogged up to sleep, roll up a towel and put it under the head of their mattress (if they're not rolling around too much). It's tough when they're sick, isn't it?! Hopefully DD will be better soon.
