Despite religiously taking vitamin D, taking brisk walks in the winter cold and eating healthy, I still managed to get sick this winter.
Nobody likes to have a persistent cold, but taking a sick day isn't quite so relaxing when your toddler is also bogged down with boogers, fatigue and general discomfort.
This was actually Aden's first cold, and now that he seems to be feeling a bit better, I'm glad that we made it through it with long naps, plenty of fluids and lots of hugs in lieu of giving him any cold medication.
Dr. Sears, a noted pediatrician whose website I often turn to for advice, says that the FDA actually pulled approval for over-the-counter cold medications for children under the age of four.
He explains that the FDA's reasoning was twofold: Parents were often giving children more medication than the recommended dosage and "there has been very little research done on young kids to prove that cold and cough meds are safe and/or effective."
It seems that in our overly-medicated society people turn to the drugstore every time they have a problem. The only medicine that I'll touch myself is ibuprofin, so why would I want to load my kid up with antihistamines, decongestants and expectorants every time he catches a cold?
That's not to say that sometimes taking medicine isn't warranted. When people have diseases like chronic high blood pressure or diabetes, medication can save their lives, but when it comes to your commmon, non-threatening cold, I think it's best to just wait it out.
If your little one's cold is so bad, though, that you want to provide some relief, there are a few herb-based and homeopathic products out there—namely Sinupret Kids Syrup, NatraBio Children's Cold and Flu, and Hyland's C-Plus Cold Tabs—that aren't quite as potent as the ingredients in the typical cold medication. They're also safe to give to younger children in their correct dosage.
I think the best medicine Aden and I had during our bout with a lingering cold was getting some fresh air each day, eating lots of organic oranges and drinking hot tea and juice, respectively, while watching "Frosty the Snowman."
CommonColdSymptoms.net
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