Before Giving Your Kids Cold/Flu Medications...

For sure many parents don't want their kids suffer from the bouts of flu or colds, and yet as parents we should be careful of how we give them medications, especially if we give them over-the-counter (OTC) medications without a doctor's prescription.

It has been said that there are studies saying that OTC cough/cold/flu medications do work in children, according to Dr. Trunkel at Johns Hopkins.

Before giving your kids OTC decongestants and cough syrups, why not consider using simple remedies such as honey (for children 1 year or older.) for cough or sore throat relief, and  a humidifier or saltwater drops for relief of nasal congestion?

You can give age-appropriate doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen for fever and pain, but never give aspirin which can be at high risk of having Reye's syndrome, which is considered fatal. For children younger than 2 years of age, watch out in giving OTC cough and cold medications without doctor's advice which can give serious adverse side effects.

In some cases, OTC preparations have similar ingredients which can create a potential overdose when more than one product is used together.

Talk to your doctor before using them!