Cough medicines ‘of little help’
Jan 11th, 2006 by Lilian
Children can be harmed by cough medicines, they warn, and they will usually get better without help.
With bold statements like the above from The American College of Chest Physicians , how do you, as a parent feels?
Will such news stopped you from giving medicines to your child? Are you one of those parents who are so against antibiotics and refusing them until your child get so sick and landed in hospital due to pneumonia, for e.g.? (a common cold if not treated can lead to chest infection) I am absolutely against parents who think they are smarter than doctors and causing harm to their children in the process.
I had witnessed a four months old baby died because the parents thought a fever is just a simple matter to deal with. (She died of sepsis, infection in the blood.)
More statements:
He said coughs in children were worrisome and annoying, but added cough syrup was not the answer.
“Cough is very common in children. However, cough and cold medicines are not useful in children and can actually be harmful.
“In most cases, a cough that is unrelated to chronic lung conditions, environmental influences, or other specific factors, will resolve on its own.”
My advice as a parent is to listen to your parenting instinct and place your trust in your health provider. Never try to self-medicate your child unless you are absolutely experienced and sure of your child progress.
Last week when I took my toddler to see his regular paediatrician, the following conversations took place :
Paediatrician check the charts and said, “Hmmm, it has been a long time since you are here.”
I gave a goofy grin and told him that usually, my toddler milder coughs and colds will resolve by itself without medication. However, this episode was longer and toddler has had mild fever for a few days already. Hence, I was there for a prescription of antibiotics.
Paediatrician has taught me to check the throat and explained to me and what the different coloured mucous from the nose indicates. He also explained to me how each cough and runny nose medications differs and other details. Unless you have one paediatrician whom had guided you, ALWAYS SEEK YOUR DOCTOR’s attention if your child is sick.
You should also be able to tell if the coughs are productive or unproductive, whether the noises made by your child indicates wheezing or if the coughs are caused by dry throat.
You can read the full news from BBC here.
(P/S : My toddler fever, coughs and runny nose disappeared after the three doses of antibiotics. I only gave him the runny nose medication as he tend to slurrrp on the mucous when he was busy playing. 
Ewwwss. He refused the cough medicine though.)
I was told that antibiotics have to be completely consumed. Even if a sick child recovered before he completely finished his antibiotics, we have to continue with it. Are these statements correct?
Lil, thanks for writing this. Ok, before Bea1 got hospitalised for pneumonia in April last year, she was given cough syrup and paracetamol. She hated the syrup and threw up every time, so I thought I was a bad mom as I just could not get her to take it.
About 5 days after that, she got that wheezing sound and was hospitalised. I felt like a failure, that time as I thought I did my best and followed doc’s instruction. In the ward, I asked was it because Bea1 didn’t take the cough syrup that she had to be warded. They said no, they actually encourage the kid to cough as to get the phlegm out and said no cough syrup will be given in the ward. Antibiotics was given, then. I asked why no antibiotics before, they said it could be virus. It was frustruting to me, you know as to me by having my kid in a ward is already very, very bad!
And now, the doc didn’t give anything to Bea3. She is still having phlegm. You think, should I go back and ask for antibiotics?
Sorry aaa…very the confused one!
BTW, Bea3 never had a fever and I’m pretty sure she has no wheezing.
Annie – Let’s see antibiotics this way. The doctor, based on his experience, prescribed the right antibiotic for the group of bacterias. It is like sending X number of armies (antibiotics) to attack the X number enemies (bacterias). So, that number is supposed to destroyed all the bacterias. Assuming we give only half, the bacterias may not be totally destroyed. So, they mutated into something else, stay in our body and become active later. That’s why doctors alway reminded their patients to complete the course.
mama23beas – If there is no signs of infection, i.e. fever, red throat, white spots on the throat, ear no infection, the mucous not hijau and kuning and very thick, usually the doctor will not give antibiotics. Cos viral infection got no ubat wan, just wait for 5 days and the virus usually self-terminated. But if there are signs like all the inflammations, then, kena antibiotic la.
But all said, cough syrup is still needed if the child cannot sleep properly and when too much coughing cause her to vomit (‘cos perut masuk angin with all the inhaling of air)
Thanks Lil, yes I should have thought about all the signs of infection.