Infants Cold Medicine

Hi I work in a Pharmacy and I'm a mother of 2. Let me just tell you that it all depends on the weight AND age... depending on what medication you give them and what strength of drug it is. Sometimes depending on their age and their liver and kidneys you can't give them as much as you would depending on their weight. Just because a child is the weight of a 10 month old doesn't mean their bodies are developed enough... they could weigh as much as a 10 month old but only be 6. I'd call a local Pharmacy or an on call doctor just to be sure. Better safe than sorry.

1 mom found this helpful

If you think it is a cold, then I agree withthe others moms!
Nose syring, saline nose spray, and no sugar as I lowers the immune system. Give him probitics for his immune system and it will add good health to him. You can buy this in the health food stores! Something like this:
http://www.naturesone.com/probiotic.php?gclid=CPysxfaRq5M...

God Bless

It is recommended that you not give them anything. My dr. suggested Little Noses Saline Drops and it seems to work fine. My daughter still has a cruddy nose from time to time but as long as it is not affecting her ability to eat, they say it is ok. I think it bothers me more than it bothers her.

I agree with the other moms. A cool mist himidifier, saline nose spray and believe it or not, Vicks on the bottom of your child's feet with cotton socks or footed PJs, works well. Please do not give your 7 month old Zyrtec..this medication is very good but is indicated for children 2 years and older. Also it is not recommended to give your child Tylenol cold (there is no data to support an accurate dosage in children under 6- this is the reason it was taken off the shelves). I would really talk with your pediatrician if the above remedies are not providing adaquate releive for your child. One mom mentioned the neti pot for you- great idea. Just remember to relax and breathe through your mouth.

Good luck, God bless you and I hope you both are symptom free soon. -- M.

use humidifier if you have to use anything...ive got three kids and i just let them get over it by them selves you dont need any drugs its just gonna weaken theyre immune system so they will get sick again

What I did for my little ones is put a cold humidifier in their rooms at night. Another thing I found that works is these newer vapor plugs that plug into the wall. I put it next to his crib and it seems to do the trick. It worked well for colds too. And if he needed a little extra help rubbed some childrens vicks on their chest. My kids hated the nose syring, which always seemed to cause more mucas because they cried, but that may be helpful.

i would just give a warm bath with baby menthol bath stuff. keep him elevated at night so he can breath better. if you think he needs more see a dr. but it probably bothers you more than it does him.

I am sure you will get lots of people saying nonononono! So I wont even read the other posts before I post...but I will say: if you must then I'd give maybe 1/2 the toddler dose. Maybe a little less. Do that a couple times a day and see if in 48hrs the symptoms improve. You can also try other things besides meds. Like a humidifier, saline nose drops, vitamins to ward off future colds. But if its severe symptoms and/or allergies, I'd see a dr. who can prescribe stuff for the baby.

B.,
Unfortunately there is no dosage that currently is safe for infants. I have been through this with my 12 mo old, since she was born. We do humidifer and saline drops. That's all that you can do

My best friends husband is a Pharmasist so I told him her weight and main active ingred. in the cold med and he figured out her dose with that.Maybe u could try asking yours.

Hi B., I have been giving my toddlers cold medicine but remember the dosage is dependent on their weight. I found this information on AskDrSears.com. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T089800.asp
The reason why the Over the Counter medicines were removed was because of all the miss dosing. I found all the doses that I needed.

Hi there B.,

I am the mom of 2 kiddos, ds is almost 7 and dd almost 2. I wouldn't give a 7 month old anything but homeopathic remedies. They don't have the side effects of liver and stomach damage and work wonderfully. More info can be found at www.hylands.com, I would recommend buying them from www.organicfooddepot.com they the best prices. Also, you can use saline spray and put a few drops in his nose several times a day, also keep a humidifier going in your home at all times, that will help both of you. Good luck, its no fun when the little ones are congested.

I'd recommend talking to your doctor. There is a reason they took all of those meds off the shelf... they're serious stuff.

My doc recommended saline nose spray (just salt and water - you can get it at the drug store) and a suction bulb. The saline spray loosens the gunk in their noses and then you suction it out.

Coughing is actually good, unless it is excessive. Coughing gets all the gunk out of a baby's lungs!

Hi B.,

Check out this web site.

www.onestepahead.com/custserv/shop_smarter_artic...

Hope this helps. D.

Infant cold medicine has been pulled off the shelf for a reason.... There has never been any research on infants and cold medicine so it is not safe - As well, their metabolisms are different than an adults. Something that may relieve a stuffy nose for you could turn into a harmful toxin to your infant.
The safest thing is Saline nose drops without medicine - use them and then suck them out with the little blue nose things. You can also use Vicks baby rub around their nose and chest. In addition, put a cold air humidifier in their room. If they have a temperature you can use infants tylenol (that is still on the shelf) there should be a dosage chart for age and weight. Otherwise, the best thing to do is weight it out. Colds are normal for infants, it actually helps build their immunity for later in life.

Do not give your 7 month old or any child under 2 any adult or childrens medications! This could be extremely harmful or fatal to your child. Consult your pediatrician or allergist if you would like a medication for your baby. It would be better to not use any medication and use an aspirator to suck out the mucus from your baby's nose, use vicks vapo rub just on the baby's pj's (not on skin) and a cool mist humidifier all of which will help the baby breathe.

I would recommend a multivitamin and plenty of fluids. I have five children ages from 12 yrs to 4 months. And two of my children have bad allergies. The vitamins will help build up his immune system to fight the infection. The fluids will keep him hydrated. I don't purchase over the counter vitamins because of the high frutose (sugar) that's in them. I use all natural vitamins such as Shaklee to help. Best of luck and hope both of you get better real soon.

The reason they took cold medicines off the market for babies is because they were unsure about the proper dosage and people were giving their babies too much. I would suggest not giving you baby anything like that unless your pediatrician recommends it. Just stick to a cool mist humidifier (clean it frequently)and suction his nose w/the bulb syringe. You can try natural saline mist. Just the small plastic squeeze tubes (not the spray cans). Generic is fine, it's just salt water. Go easy in a little one's nose.
My son has had the same issues (he's 2 1/2 now) and now he looks forward having his nose suctioned and getting his nose spray. It's all natural, but as always (especially w/an infant) when in doubt call the doctor or nurses line. As for you mom, get yourself a neti-pot! It works wonders!
Good luck
M.

You really need to talk to your doctor. Dosages are based on weight, not age, so what is right for my 6 1/2mos old who only weighs 13lbs is not going to be the same as someone's 6 1/2mos old that weighs 20lbs.

B.,

Because of all of the warnings out about giving children under the age of 2 cold medicine, I no longer give my young children it. All I do is drop saline nose drops in their nose, let it sit while I change their diaper, and then suck it out. It is a long process, lasting probably 2-3 weeks, maybe longer, but their immune systems will fight off the cold. As long as there is no fever, I wouldn't worry about it. If you bring them to the doc, they may prescribe something if your son's too conjested, and coughing really bad. But, other than that, they'll probably just tell you to use saline drops & let the cold run it's course. My youngest daughter is 9 mos old, and we fight runny noses & allergies with her. But, I'd definately not give her anything unless I know it's safe. That's why I only use saline drops. Good luck & God bless!

My son never responded well to cold medicine. It made him a hyper maniac. So instead of using pediacare and things like that I used benadryl when my son got a cold. You should definitely call your pediatrician to get the correct dosage for your baby. I'm thinking it's like 1/4 tsp. But please don't take my word for it. Also, my pediatrician said that they don't really help make the cold go away they just relieve the symptoms a little. Mostly the benadryl just made him tired enough to ignore the stuffy nose and rest making him less cranky. I only gave it to my son at night. Othewise, I suggest you try using a humidifier in his room and there's a cold care type of baby wash that smells like menthol that helps clear the sinus which is good. Also, check into baby vicks and see if he's old enough to use that on his chest. That too will help open up his passages so he can breath easier. I also found mucinex kids to be really useful but your son is too young for that now. It will help thin the mucus to get it out but it's for 2 and up I think.

Pediatricians all seem to agree on the fact that cold medicines DO NOT work for infants, and they can even be dangerous. I would NOT give him any medications unless prescribed by your doctor! I have 3 kids and I've always relieved their cold symptoms with a combination of things you can do at home. First, I'd buy Johnson's Vapor Bath and let your son sit in a warm, steamy vapor bath. That really seems to loosen congestion. After the bath, I used Johnson's Vapor Lotion on my kids' chests...it's very gentle and the eucalyptus smell unclogs little noses. They also sell Vicks BABY rub now, and it's more gentle than the adult version but works really well. Also, use an infant salt water nose spray and then suck everything out with a bulb syringe. And keep a humidifier running in his room constantly.
I admit that with my 1st baby, I tried to over the counter cold medicines and they really never worked, but the other things I described always worked great!!
If your son has allergies like mine did, your doctor may prescribe an allergy medication. Mine used to take Zyrtek, but again I wouldn't give him anything unless your pediatrician says to.

I have two boys one is 4 1/2 and the other is 2 years old. I have been using infant cold medicine since my older one was an infant. First and foremost talk to your doctor about your concerns. By giving you son decongestants it helps to reduce the risk of ear infections by reducing the amount of fluid that accumilates in the ear canal. My older son has only had 1 ear infection in his entire life. The cold medicine used to go by your childs weight and age. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of using a child's medicine. I think because people misused the medicine is the reason for its removal from the stores. Also try the plug in vicks and menthol baby wash and cream. Good luck :)

Before giving your child anything, especially a baby....talk to his pediatrician. There is a reason they took those meds off the shelf. Maybe his dr can give him something that will help!
Good luck!

When my daughter gets stuffy and has a cough I have her sleep with a humidifier and rub Baby Vicks on her chest. It has cleared it up with out the use of the cold medicines. I am not exactly sure why they have been taken off the shelf, just that it is strongly recommended that you don't give a baby cold medicine. I hope your little guy feels better. My daughter is 7 months too, such a fun age, and it is so sad when she gets sick.

My son was the same way. When I talked to the Pharmacist (Pediatrician office was closed), they said to not give him anything. His body will fight it off. It eventually went away after about a 3-4 days. I just did the nose drops from Little Noses and used the suction thingy when he got really stuffed. I also used the Baby Vicks vapor rub. Hope that helps.

None of the OTC meds worked for my older children. I have since switched to homeopathic remedies from health food stores. I've been using Children's Alpha CF anytime my 2 year old has a runny nose since she was 1 and she's better in a day or 2. Visit your local health food store and they can advise you in a remedy for stuffy noses. Hope this helps.

My daughter will be 2 in July and she also has terrible allergies (thanks to Dad!) I took her to the Drs, because I was also confused as to what I could give her. They told me to get her the Childrens Zyrtec (it is over the counter) and give her 1/2-3/4 tsp. It takes a couple days to start working (2-3) but it has really helped her. And she has to take it until the end of June. It is grape flavor, and clear, so no staining!! I would reccomment you call your sons DR first and make sure he is old enough to take it. When my daughter was very little & had allergies, they told me to just spray saline up her nose & use the bugger sucker thing. Also, put a humidifer in his room.

I have 2 children, 3yrs and 1yr and when they were stuffy around that age, I took them to the Dr's office and they said don't give them any meds, just let their little bodies try to fight off whatever it is. You have the let their system work it off naturally. My 1yr old still has heavy breathing issues and a runny nose but, my Dr says it will pass. It may be allergies but, he is too young for the doctors to give a diagnois. Just don't panic! He will be ok. Just pray over his little self and keep going. He's fine!

The medication is pulled off the shelves because it's not safe to give small children, their bodies are less capable of processing the drugs than yours. Also, many times it doesn't help any more than using standard saline and a little suction, which is much safer. Also, keep in mind, if you're not using infant medicine the dosing will be off, so you can't just use less of adult or children's. Please don't risk your child's health. My son has horrible allergies, his nose will get blocked and his eyes will drain. I know it's hard to watch, but really it's better for them for you to flush in a little saline, i use warm, check the temp, and then a suction bulb to pull out the snot. You can flush in saline several times a day. I would only suction 3 times a day. Good luck and if you want, ask your pediatrician.

I agree with the nasal drops and humidifier moms. DO NOT MEDICATE! It is too hard on their livers. Liver damage is a serious problem. No baby should be given medications before 6 months, as their bodies cannot filter it safetly and remove the toxins from the body, and your child is barely over that age. It doesn't matter what people said years ago.

1. Call your doctor! Don't give him meds unless you do.
2. Lift up the head of his crib mattress and keep elevated when possible.
3. Use a cool water humidifier, which needs to be kept clean.

I would check with your pediatrician about children's ALLERGY meds. I give my son Children's Clartin which was recommended by our Dr. You can buy that right in Wal-Mart. Hope this helps, but I would still check with the Dr. first.

I think everyone has covered most of the basics, but when in doubt ask the pharmacist. They know the medicine even better than most doctors and tell you how much to give your child! Good luck!

For stuffiness, saline nose spray works very well.

When my daughter (who is now 13 months old) had several colds over the fall and winter I would rub vicks vaporub over her neck, chest and back several times throughout the day and before bedtime. I also put a cool mist humidifier in her room. I also used the pedicare vapor fan-I believe that's the correct name. It's in a blue box and the fan has a little moon on it. I would also give tylenol as needed to help reduce some of the symptoms associated with the cold such as runny nose and cough. I would double check with your pedatrician before giving cold or allergy medication.

My advice is a little different. I have been seein a chiropractor and recommend that you get your child checked by one before you go and spend a lot of money with a MD. My daughter suffered with allergies and we found out that a misalignment in the upper neck region was the cause. She got adjusted a couple of times a week and now maybe 2x's per month and we have not had any problems. I thought with the change in seasons and with all the rain she was going to be suffering again, but no. Holistic medicine is a great alternative to having to take meds that make you tired and sleepy and also drys them out.
Just a thought!

If he's just congested, try steaming him. You can hold him in a hot shower (just point the nozzle away from you so he doesn't get splashed). You can also try a humidifier and vicks rub. They also have Vick's outlet plugs. I wouldn't give cold medicine to a 7 month old unless you have your doctor's permission. Most aren't designed for children that young.

Looks like everyone is saying basically the same thing... I'd like to add also that you shouldn't be afraid to actually spray the little noses saline spray up into his nose. I think it reccommends you drop drops in there, but my doctor suggested just spray it right up there. Otherwise, you won't get it far enough up the nose to do much good. Your boy won't like it, but it's what works. I usually have a burp rag on his changing table and use it as a wiper for his nose. I lay my little guy down, hold his arms with one hand and spray with the other. Then, I use the nasal aspirator you get from the hospital when they're born (with the bulb... just be sure to squeeze the bulb before you put it in his nose, then let go to suck out all the mucus). If you don't have one, you can get one at the store... pharmacy section of the grocery, cvs, babies r us...

I know it's a drag, but it's what works and it's the safest. Good luck.

Dosing is based more on weight than age. For example, my son is 27 lbs so he gets .5mL (or 1 tsp) of more common medicine like Tylenol or Motrin. Infants/Childrens medicines should have dosing on the label. If you're unsure I'd call your son's pediatrician.

Unfortunalty being so young doctors do not want to give infants anything. My poor soon had what they called the RSV virus and it lasted for over a month. Cough congestion, he woke up every morning w/ his face covered w/ grren mucas. It was terrible. We had a cold humidifyer in his room and used losts of nasal drops to help the mucas in his nose clear up a bit. You just ahve to work through it. My 4 week old now is congested, we don'tthink he caught our other sons cold but hard to tell.

call your pediatrician's office and/or the pharmacist. They can tell you what to give and how much for his weight/age! Also, a humidifier helps alot! Don't just take the advice of moms on this one unless they are dr/pharmacists. (no offense to the other moms!).

PLEASE take your son to the doctor before you give him ANY allergy medications! A pediatrician will be able to determine the right dosage for your son.

Dosage is completely dependant on weight. From advice of my pediatrician 1 1/2 years ago I gave my 8 month old benydryl. It was a life saver. Again not knowing the weight of your child it would be hard to say. Have you tried talking to your Pediatrician? I know they are not always receptive to this, but you might want to try.

Please don't give your child a dose of medicine without talking to your pediatrician, especially if it is not infant medicine. Even then you need to use a real measure (not just a spoon) and rely on weight as well as age. Anything else could be very dangerous.

Try a warm bath and a humidifier in your child's rooom to help with congestion.