Coughs and Congestion: Thinking outside of the medicine cabinet

Cold and flu season has descended upon us. As parents, we are always inclined to “do” something for our children when they are sick.

It’s our innate instinct. We want them to feel better.

However, relieving their symptoms and nursing them back to health does not always mean reaching into our medicine cabinet.

In 2008, the FDA advised parents against using over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under age 6. It’s a solid recommendation and one that Dr. Mom stands firmly behind. Why? Because the active ingredients found in children’s cough and cold medicines have not been fully studied in children.

Not only do these medicines lack proven efficacy, they have the potential for toxicity, and safe doses have not reliably been studied.

What’s a parent to do?

Plenty, actually. Here’s how to relieve your child’s cough or congestion … the good old-fashioned way…

Click here to follow me on over to The Sacramento Bee for this week’s Dr.Mom column, and see how you can relieve your child’s cold and flu symptoms, naturally.

Have you found any of these remedies to be helpful for your children?
2 Responses to Coughs and Congestion: Thinking outside of the medicine cabinet
  1. Angela
    October 19, 2011 | 6:12 am

    My 9 month old just experienced her first cold. The saline drops worked wonders, but a bulb aspirator wasn’t as effective as the Nose Frida we purchased. And, we kept the humidifer running throughout the night. Symptoms didn’t stick around long and sleep had only slight interuptions.

  2. Missy @ Wonder, Friend
    October 19, 2011 | 3:02 pm

    Heading over to read now. My mother is baffled by my unwillingness to give cough medicine, so I’ll be sending her a link, too. 😉