[…] your child has a stomach bug, it usually isn’t initiated by a cough (this is different. See separate post on COUGH.). They just barf. And that’s ok. People […]
When your child has a cold or flu, let’s be real…..it sucks.
And it’s scary. They can’t stop coughing. They won’t eat. Their snot is thick and green. They throw up when they cough. Their temp is 104.5… But before you rush to the ER, let’s go over some facts regarding a cold or the flu.
Cold and Flu Facts:
- A cold, influenza (the flu), upper respiratory infection (URI), bronchiolitis, RSV, adenovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus……these are all respiratory/cold viruses. There are 100s. But they are all a “cold.”
- People are terrified when they hear the term “flu.” But influenza is a respiratory virus (or “cold”) just like the rest of them. It is just popular. But honestly kids can be just as sick (or sicker) with adenovirus. If your child gets their flu shot, they might not even get that sick. So don’t be scared of the flu.
- You don’t need a test to determine which type of cold your child has (and yes that includes the flu). The treatment is the same…time. Let it run its course.
- Antibiotics will NOT work for a virus. Period. Not even a little. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Unfortunately there is no easy fix. And overuse of antibiotics can lead to resistance meaning it won’t work in the future. (Plus did I say it won’t work? Because it won’t.) Just supportive, symptomatic care.
- “But what if it’s a sinus infection?” It’s not. Babies/small kids don’t get sinus infections because they don’t have well developed sinuses until they are older.
- “But what if it’s bronchitis?” It’s not. Children get bronchiolitis and not bronchitis….which is viral. So still no antibiotics.
- Tamiflu. Yes, there is tamiflu for the flu. But tamiflu does not work like an antibiotic does. It does not cure the flu. They will not feel better while they are taking this. It only shortens the duration of their illness….by about half a day. It also can cause vomiting, seizures, hallucinations, and other scary side effects. All for them to feel better for that whopping half a day. No thanks. (It isn’t recommended for normal, healthy children anyways, but it is recommended for small babies. I personally don’t give it to my children.)
- “What about elderberry?” The amount of people that ask this… I don’t even know wtf elderberry is so my answer is no. Just no.
- “My child won’t eat anything.” But is he drinking..? Because that’s all we care about. Not because we want your child to starve to death. They won’t. They can go days without eating and be fine. As long as they are drinking. And making wet diapers. And making tears. Fluids. Fluids. Fluids.
- These cold viruses will last 7-10 days. Meaning all of the symptoms associated with this illness can last for a full 7-10 days (and yes that includes fever).
- Fevers can be high. They will come back when the medicine wears off. They may not go all the way down before they spike again. They may shiver/have chills with a fever. All expected. Just give some fever medicine (click here for dose calculator). (See separate post regarding FEVER.)
- They may be sick 7-10 days, but they might cough for much longer. Even for a month! Do they need antibiotics now? No! This is just part of the normal process. Be patient. If they are happy and drinking and playing and just have a nagging cough… then they are fine. Let them cough.
- Cold and cough medicine doesn’t work in kids. I feel like I should say this louder. COUGH MEDS DO NOT WORK IN CHILDREN. There isn’t anything over the counter that will work. There isn’t a secret prescription that we are withholding. They just don’t exist. The only thing that will stop your child from coughing would be a narcotic and when it comes to choosing between breathing vs coughing, I think we would all choose coughing. So don’t waste your money on cold/cough medicine for your child.
- So what do you do about the cough? Nothing. Or you could try some honey (only if child is >1yr old). A teaspoon of honey as often as you’d like. A humidifier. Elevate the head of their bed at night. Vicks vapor rub may help with congestion. Supportive, symptomatic care, unfortunately. Sorry.
- It is normal for your child to cough, cough, cough, and then vomit. If it’s initiated by a cough, then this is different from regular puking. And zofran will not work for this. They might have coughed up some phlegm and instead of spitting it out, it gags them and they puke. And it might look like mucus. And that’s ok. Look on the bright side…atleast they are coughing it up! They have an “effective” cough and are less likely to get pneumonia (as you’re glaring at me through your screen right now). 🙂
- “But his snot is green so that means he must have an infection.” Yes, he does an infection. With his cold virus. The thickness or color of the child’s snot does not lead me to change my diagnosis. It just means his snot is filled with white blood cells trying to attack his VIRUS. His body is doing its job. Treatment is still the same. Time.
- What to do about the congestion. No medicine is going to help. There isn’t a magical baby congestion med. Just a good ol’ bulb syringe to suck it all out. You can do this as often as you’d like, but I highly recommend doing this prior to feeds. If you’re not getting anything when you do it, use some saline drops or a saline spray, then try again. They hate it. But they can breathe better! And this will probably help with the cough.
- Am I surprised that your child has a nose bleed? Nope. It’s actually common with a cold because your nose gets all dry which makes it bleed. Just try a humidifier to moisten the air and put some vaseline/ointment in his nose.
- Sometimes a cold can lead to an ear infection. All the congestion/snot just sets them up for that. And….drumroll….yes antibiotics would be appropriate here. But keep in mind that the antibiotics are treating the bacterial infection in their ears, not their cold. So even after their ears clear up, they may still have cold symptoms.
- “How long is my child contagious?” Your child needs to go 24hrs without a fever before returning to school/daycare. And by fever I mean anything >100.4.
- Another common complaint I get in the ER: “My child isn’t sleeping. Which means I’m not sleeping.” I’m sorry. I really am. But unfortunately that’s not something I can help you with. But here is a prescription for birth control… 🙂
Call your pediatrician. They are there for you. Don’t rush to the ER unless you feel their symptoms are truly an emergency such as difficulty breathing, not drinking or making wet diapers/tears, they suddenly worsen, or other genuine concerns (and in that case, please go to the ER).
And most importantly….drink lots of wine. And wash your hands. And lysol. And take elderberry or whatever you want to take to prevent you from getting sick too. 🙂
(This is all regarding a healthy, normal child. This is not for a child who is immunocompromised, has a chronic illness, or any other exceptions.)
Check out my FEVER GUIDE post for more information on fever in children.
Or my post on HOW MUCH MOTRIN TO GIVE.
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