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Dr Shapiro completed his undergraduate education at UC San Diego earning a B S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a B A in Political Science He furthered his education at UCLA where he earned a Masters Degree in Public…
FAST FACTS
Following my recent writing about the coughing child (http://dailystrength.org/blog/398-your-childs-cough), I thought a nice follow up would be to discuss one of the most common reasons your child will cough...the common cold. In fact, once your child enters daycare/preschool, you can expect an average of 8 colds (AKA upper respiratory tract infections) each year usually occurring 2-3 days after exposure and lasting anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Some of the more common symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sore or scratchy throat, coughing, sneezing, and even a low grade temperature. And with the nasal discharge, it can be watery or that thick yellow or green color. Furthermore and a rather important point to make note of is colds are quite contagious, particularly during the first couple of days after symptoms appear and they can spread via person-to-person contact, airborne particles, or a contaminated surface.
So what can you do to help your child with a cold? Well, it's first important to realize colds are caused by viruses (and most commonly by rhinoviruses) and antibiotics will not be helpful because they are used for bacterial infections and not viruses. But some of the supportive care measures you can employ include:
- Elevating the head while sleeping.
- Humidified air (I prefer cool-mist humidifiers) to loosen the nasal secretions.
- Maintaining good hydration and getting good rest.
- Using nasal saline drops and bulb suctioning the nose periodically (for the infants and young toddlers).
- Chicken soup? Well, although the research is limited, it is known that chicken soup has an amino acid, cysteine, which has mucous thinning properties...so I say, it's worth a try.
But please don't forget the most recent recommendations regarding over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications that state they should not be used for children less than 4 years of age secondary to no real data supporting their effectiveness and the concern of over-dosing.
When should you have your child evaluated? Well, first and foremost, if you have any concern of your child's well-being. But other guidelines include:
- Shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing.
- When the coughing worsens.
- Increased tiredness...lethargy.
- Cannot maintain good hydration status.
- A sore throat with a pretty good amount of pain when swallowing.
- Fever persisting for more than 3 days or a fever not responding to medical intervention and cooling measures.
- Ear pain.
And is there anything to be done to prevent colds?
- Although it may appear obvious, avoid those who have a cold and things they may have touched...utensils, cups, tissues.
- Good hand washing.
- Cover your nose/mouth prior to sneezing/coughing...have your child cough into his/her elbow, not hand.
- And for those wondering about zinc, vitamin C and Echinacea, there still exists no good research supporting their use in children to prevent colds.
Be well.
Dr. Jeremy
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Don't forget that mold exposure can have serious consequences and some of the symptoms appear to be a respiratory infection, allergies and the common cold.
My daughter's doctor is a personal friend and when my daughter was exposed to mold my friend was not informed about mold exposure but I was. I finally tracked down the source. It was at a friend's house and the dad in the family was having serious medical problems. And their house was not cheap. It is worth over $2M. The prior owner took over for the builder and didn't put the required cement at the base of their master bedroom shower. Black toxic mold grew and the whole family has some kind of medical problem. I'm pretty sure they got it fixed but the dad has lost his health. He's been diagnosed with MS and CFIDS. Have you read these important papers on mold exposure?
A Critique of the ACOEM Statement on Mold:
Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest in the Creation of an “Evidence-based” Statement
http://www.ijoeh.com/index.php/ijoeh
Indoor Mold: Better Coordination of Research on Health Effects and More Consistent Guidance Would Improve Federal Efforts
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08...