Cough medicine for babies, from doctor's prescription to natural remedies

When your little one coughs, the parents cannot give them any medicine. Not all cough medicines are safe for consumption by children, especially babies. Mistakenly giving medication may actually make the baby not get well. If so, what kind of treatment measures can parents do to treat coughs in babies?

Can you give cough medicine for babies?

Since 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began banning the use of non-prescription cough medicines for infants and young children under 2 years of age.

The administration of non-prescription cough medicines for children 2 to 11 years of age should also be controlled doses.

That is, it is still given only with the permission of a doctor and is prescribed.

The FDA does not recommend using cough drops for babies because of the risk of dangerous side effects.

In the medical world, administering unmeasured doses of cold and cough medicines can be the cause of sudden infant death.

Consumption of non-prescription cough medicine made with many active ingredients too often and for a long time can be dangerous for the baby.

This puts the child at greater risk of overdose.

Research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that there are 7091 children under the age of 12 who experience dangerous side effects from drug use.

Finally, the AAP together with the FDA raised the age limit for banning OTC drugs in children under 4 years of age.

In addition, the effectiveness of non-prescription drugs for treating coughs in infants is still in doubt.

Most pediatricians also object to giving non-prescription generic drugs to relieve coughs in babies.

The study released by the BMJ did not find enough evidence whether non-prescription drugs were truly effective in curing coughs in children and infants.

In children, this drug tends to be more effective at relieving the symptoms of other colds, but it does not cure coughs.

Non-prescription cough medicine that is prohibited for babies

Side effects that can be caused by taking non-prescription cough medicines for babies include seizures, loss of consciousness, increased heart rate and death.

Medicines that can cause these side effects are those that have active ingredients, such as:

Decongestants

This cough medicine on the market is known as a mass decongestant label.

The types of decongestants that are commonly used as cough medicines are pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine.

Both function to thin the mucus or mucus that causes blockage in the upper airway by reducing inflammation that occurs in the mucus-producing membrane.

Type pseudoephedrine should not be used as a cough medicine for babies.

That's because it can increase blood pressure and arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats to death.

Expectorant

Expectorants commonly used as cough medicines contain mucolytic substances, namely guaifenesin.

This content functions to reduce the density or viscosity of mucus so that it provides a relief effect on the respiratory tract.

If taken as a cough medicine for babies, this medicine can cause severe side effects such as body chills, vomiting, and kidney damage (nephroliyhiasis).

Antihistamines

Diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine, and brompheniramine is a type of antihistamine that is generally used to relieve symptoms of allergies and flu, such as sneezing and a runny nose.

When used as cough medicine for babies, antihistamines can trigger:

Hallucinations
Fever
Central nerve weakening (central nervous system depression)
Damage to the heart
Developmental disorders
Dead

This drug is also known as an H1 receptor antagonist which can prevent histamine reactions.

This reaction occurs when the allergy occurs in the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and blood vessels.

Antitussive or cough reliever

The type of cough reliever that is commonly used is dextromethorpan, usually on the package written with the code "DM".

This drug works directly on the cough reflex center so that it can suppress the frequency of coughs and at the same time relieve throat muscles that are tense due to persistent coughing.

Its use as a cough medicine for babies is at risk of causing problems in the nervous system such as movement disorders, dependence, serotonin disorders, nausea, difficulty breathing.

Some types of cough medicine that are sold in pharmacies or supermarkets also do not only contain one active ingredient.

The cough medicine is a combination medicine that is usually used to treat colds as well.

When to see a doctor

Cough symptoms caused by viral infections that cause colds and flu usually go away on their own in less than a week.

Immediately consult the baby to the doctor if you experience this:

Babies under three months of age have a persistent cough.
The cough got worse in the third week.
The baby is breathing faster than usual.
Accompanied by reactions to the chest during breathing.
Frequent night sweats.
Difficulty breathing.
Don't want to eat or breastfeed.
The phlegm is yellow, green, or mixed with blood.
Has a fever of 38.3 degrees Celsius for children aged 3 to 6 months.
Has a fever of 39.4 degrees Celsius for children aged 6 months and over.
Babies have chronic diseases such as heart or lung problems.
Cough so hard that you vomit.
Continuous coughing after choking on something.

If the cough in your baby doesn't stop for 10 days or more, you need to see a doctor immediately to get the right medicine.

In general, children under 4 months of age do not have frequent coughs.

Therefore, a prolonged cough can indicate that there is a serious problem with your baby's respiratory system, such as asthma and bronchitis.

Medicines from doctors to relieve coughs in babies

Actually, not all coughs in babies need medicine. However, if the child starts to have trouble sleeping and even makes it uncomfortable, there are several drug options that are usually given by the doctor.

However, the medicine that is given is not actually a cough medicine for babies that works to relieve coughs, but rather relieves other symptoms that accompany coughs.

Paracetamol

Paracetamol is a pain reliever medication that doctors usually prescribe when your little one has a fever. Although not a cough medicine for babies, paracetamol can relieve symptoms of fever or pain that appear along with coughing.

Paracetamol can be given to children aged two months and over in the form of syrup.

However, you are not allowed to give over-the-counter acetaminophen babies without a prescription.

Paracetamol can be dangerous if given to:

Infants under two months of age.
Babies who have liver or kidney problems.
Babies taking medications for epilepsy.
Babies taking medicine for tuberculosis.

This drug is still mandatory given based on a prescription from a doctor. The reason is, paracetamol can be toxic to the liver if taken outside the proper dose.

The doctor will adjust the amount of medicine needed by the baby's weight, not on his age.

For that, do not carelessly give acetaminophen which is sold freely in the market without consulting your doctor first.

Paracetamol rarely causes side effects when given in the correct dosage. However, this pain reliever can react negatively with other medicines.

Therefore, be sure to consult a doctor first before giving it to babies.

Ibuprofen

Apart from acetaminophen, ibuprofen is also usually prescribed by doctors to help relieve coughs in infants who are accompanied by fever.

This medicine is usually given to babies aged three months and over weighing more than 5 kg in the form of syrup.

Compared to acetaminophen, ibuprofen is a stronger drug class.

Apart from relieving pain and reducing fever, this drug can also treat inflammation in the body.

Ibuprofen has different strength levels according to the dosage.

For this reason, the dose given by the doctor is adjusted to the age of the child. Usually, the effects of ibuprofen can be felt 20 to 30 minutes after taking it.

However, not all babies can take ibuprofen when they have a cough or fever. You should first consult a doctor if your baby has:

Drug allergies including ibuprofen.
Chicken pox, because it can cause complications of severe skin and soft tissue damage.
Babies have asthma.
Babies have liver or kidney problems.
Babies have inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's or ulcerative colitis.

For children, ibuprofen is usually given 3 to 4 times a day with an interval of 4 to 6 hours per dose.

Ibuprofen can cause mild side effects such as stomach upset, indigestion, and heartburn.

It is important to know that both types of pain relievers have side effects in their use.

In addition, these drugs also do not directly cure coughs or other diseases that cause cough symptoms in babies.

Saline nasal drops

Nasal drops or nasal saline in the form of a solution of water and salt can be an effective way to relieve airway congestion due to infection with the flu virus.

This cough medicine for babies helps clear excess mucus in the nasal passages and sinuses that often triggers coughs.

This treatment product is often recommended by doctors because it does not contain any active drugs that could harm the baby.

You only need to drip the drug 2 to 3 times into each nostril.

Then, wait for 60 seconds. After that, usually the mucus will come out through the process of sneezing or coughing.

Be careful when dropping cough drops for babies, especially babies under 6 months of age, for fear of choking.

You can use a tool such as an aspirator if you have trouble.

Natural way to treat cough in babies

For parents, it can be difficult to see your baby fall ill or feel uncomfortable due to coughing.

Considering the large risk of side effects from using OTC cough medicines for babies, you should switch to natural cough remedies.

The following methods are proven to be safe and more effective in relieving coughs in babies.

1. Give breast milk

Along with the use of cough medicine for babies recommended by doctors, make sure your little one's fluid and nutritional needs are sufficient by giving him breast milk.

The nutritional content of breast milk can fight bacterial or viral infections that stimulate coughing.

2. Drink lots of fluids

Continuous coughing can cause the baby's body to lack fluids. Water is a cough medicine for babies that can prevent your little one from becoming dehydrated.

Consuming lots of fluids can also help thin the mucus that is clogged in your little one's airways.

That way, the cough frequency will decrease. If the baby seems to have difficulty breathing due to the mucus in the nose, try to remove it carefully.

Apart from plain water, for babies over 6 months of age you can also provide warm soup for your little one.

Both are able to hydrate the body and thin out mucus so that the baby's breathing becomes smoother.

3. Humidify the air

Dry air can worsen the cough that your little one is experiencing.

On the other hand, inhaling moist air can help dissolve the phlegm that builds up along the respiratory tract.

Use humidifier indoors able to humidify the air around. U

ap which is sprayed humidifier able to re-purify the air in the room polluted by dust, pollution, microorganisms, and bacteria.

Dry air can also cause irritation to the airways. Install this tool in the room.

4. Raising the baby's head

To help your baby breathe more freely, try to raise their head while sleeping.

Add a soft and fluffy pillow to make the baby's head higher than his body.

If the baby can breathe perfectly, the cough reflex will automatically decrease.

5. Using garlic for baby cough medicine

Coughing up with phlegm in your little one often makes breathing difficult. To fix this, you can use garlic as a way to get rid of phlegm in babies.

Quoting from Patient, garlic is a very popular traditional medicine to relieve fever, flu, and cough with phlegm.

This is reinforced by research from the Cochrane Library which explains that garlic can relieve common cold or cough and cold.

How to use garlic to remove phlegm in babies, namely:

Take one clove of garlic.
Mash until smooth.
Mix the finely ground garlic with olive oil.
Apply it on the baby's back, chest, stomach and neck.

The method above is only for external use, not for consumption in infants.

6. Avoid honey in babies

Honey is a natural ingredient that has been shown to effectively relieve coughs.

This sweet liquid contains antibacterial properties that can fight bacterial and viral infections that cause coughs.

However, it is important to remember, honey should not be used as a cough medicine for babies under one year of age.

The reason is, reported by Healthy Children, honey can cause botulism, which is a disease caused by toxins clostridium botulinum.

This condition is a rare serious disease that attacks the nerves of the body and makes it difficult for a person to breathe, causing muscle paralysis.