When children have a cold, be careful with these medicines!

It is winter again, and many mothers are complaining that the hot and cold weather brings a lot of discomfort to their children, especially for children with weak constitutions, who often catch colds and fevers. In fact, even babies with good constitutions cannot avoid this problem, because babies are prone to illness, and the mechanism behind this is that babies have low immunity.

Acquired immunity, that is, specific immunity, is not innate, but is developed over time. Babies have basically no acquired immunity when they are just born, and need to rely on immunity from breast milk to resist. In this case, the resistance is extremely poor. Only when they are constantly exposed to pathogens during their growth can they be passive, such as in most cases, food, air, and objects that they come into contact with daily have microorganisms. It can also be active, such as vaccines. In this way, the individual's immunity can be continuously enhanced.

It can be said that the overall low immunity is the main factor for the baby to get sick. So many times we have to use medicine, but at this time, we encounter another problem, that is: the baby's medicine cannot be taken casually.

Because it takes time for a baby's digestive system to build up, especially the intestinal microorganisms, and the baby's own metabolic system is relatively inferior to that of an adult, which means that many drugs are not suitable for children. I believe many people have also seen the following markings on drug instructions: Use with caution in pregnant women and children.

Therefore, for babies, the first requirement must be safety.

So, which drug ingredients should we use with caution when treating fever caused by the common cold or influenza in children[1]?

1. Decongestants

The main purpose of this type of drug is to relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion. For example, the most common ingredients are pseudoephedrine, which has a mechanism of constricting blood vessels. However, since this type of drug often constricts blood vessels indiscriminately, it may have an impact on the cardiovascular system. For babies who are still growing, use it with caution.

2. Antihistamines

This type of drug is mainly used to relieve symptoms such as sneezing and runny nose. For example, the common ingredients of diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine are this type of drug. The principle is to inhibit the central nervous system to a certain extent. However, since this type of drug is often lipophilic and can pass through the blood-brain barrier, it is not suitable for babies with developing nerves.

3. Antitussive and expectorant drugs.

The main purpose of this type of drug is to relieve cough, such as the common dextromethorphan. Its principle is to act on the medulla oblongata and other places. However, it is necessary to pay attention to its damage to the central nervous system and its effect on heart rate, so it should be used with caution in children.

4. Chinese patent medicines and compound preparations.

There is not much comment on this type of medicine, but one thing must be pointed out that quite a few Chinese patent medicines lack sufficient pharmacological safety tests, so "unclear adverse reactions" often appear in the instructions, which undoubtedly increases the potential risk. "Unclear adverse reactions" does not mean "no adverse reactions". And when compound preparations/Chinese patent medicines are taken, they are likely to contain other unnecessary ingredients, increasing the risk of overdose.

In general, for children, drugs must ensure both their own safety and safety in use. Parents must pay special attention to safety when purchasing drugs and cannot purchase them according to adults. After all, children's development is not complete, and many adult drugs are not recommended for use.

[1] Cheng Qi, Shang Yunxiao. Problems and standards in drug treatment of common cold in children[J]. Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics, 2020, 35(03): 206-209.