Babies and Colds

My sweet little baby has a cold. His nose will not stop running. I hate it. It makes him so miserable. I have given him Tylenol a couple times because I think he has a tooth coming in, but I haven't given him any cough or cold medicine. He doesn't have a fever and he is only 13 months old. Do you give your kids cough and cold medicine?

FROM NBC: In 2007, The Food and Drug Administration warned parents not to give young children cold and cough medicine. And now, nearly three years later, a new report is showing that a lot of parents still don't know about the dangers of giving kids these drugs. Joanne Wallington/Mother"They all had a fever. That's what they developed first and then they developed a cough, which was a really deep cough in their lungs and it was kind of scary to hear it."

When two of Joanne Wallington's three children came down with the flu last year, she was concerned about treating them. over-the-counter cold and cough medicines were recently deemed harmful for kids under six years old, leaving her without a lot of options. Joanne Wallington/ Mother "There wasn't much we could give them since they pulled everything from the shelves, so i had to give them a lot of tlc, which means we gave them chicken noodle soup. we gave them orange juice as much as we could."

While Wallington says she was aware of recent changes in fda guidelines on giving kids some medications, a new study is showing that nearly two thirds of parents may have no idea of the risks associated with cough and cold medicines. Dr. Ivor Horn/Pediatrician "I always tell my parents and i remind them that medications have side effects and cough and cold medications are not necessarily meant for younger children, even though that's what it says on the bottle." Children's National Medical Center pediatrician, Dr. Ivan Horn, says side effects include increased heart rate and convulsions.

There's also little evidence that these drugs are even effective in children under 2 years old. Horn says parents should focus on prevention. Dr. Ivor Horn/ Pediatrician "Making sure they wash their hands, that their children wash their hands. making sure that they cover their cough, and when they cough, cough into the bend of your shoulder instead of coughing into your hands." But for most young children, especially those at day care and school, it can be virtually impossible to avoid germs. horn says when kids do become sick, give them a fever reducer if their temperature is over 100.5. a lukewarm bath can also help. When it comes to coughing and sneezing, there isn't a whole lot parents can do. a humidifier can help relieve some congestion chicken noodle soup and non-caffeinated tea can be soothing. but for the most part, horn says kids need to just ride it out.

Dr. Ivor Horn/ Pediatrician"The wonderful thing about the body is that the things that we do are for a reason. coughs do bring up the fluid and the congestion and helps the child feel better. but we don't recommend that you give the child anything to suppress that cough for a reason." Joanne Wallington and her family are hoping to avoid another bout with flu this year, so they're focusing on prevention ... flu shots, washing hands and staying healthy. Joanne Wallington/ Mother "We'd rather prevent, than have to medicate when cold and flu gets here."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Are you having an acne emergency? Soderstrom Skin Institute can help. We treat acne seriously and in most cases will see you within a week. Evening and Saturday appointments are available. Call 309-674-SKIN and make your appointment today.