Any good cold medication for infant?

Question

The doctor on call is a total idiot (she doesn't even have kids!!) and mostly I have to look up all my info online and do the research myself. So my infant is 4 months old, 13.7 lb. The only medication I am sure my ped (who is not oncall, unfortunately) approved is children's benadryl.

She's schnootzing and sneezing and coughing all over the place. We all have a really bad cold in this house, and it looks like baby is miserable, however she doesn't seem to have a fever.

Does anyone have any information on dosages on things like Dimetapp cold and cough elixir or the like? Do these kinds of medications work on children this young? If anyone has a chart of dosages based on weight I would REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks!!!

PS: Dimetapp I am referring to is the children's/infant's medication, NOT adult medication.

And no, if you read the question completely you would have seen that there IS no nurse line or available doctor on call (at least a decent one!) Please read the question before you answer.

To the other answers, thanks! I will buy the vicks plug in. I didn't know they had any such thing.

Answer 1

My sister is a nurse and told me a while ago that a regular dose of Tylonol and a dangerous dose are really close. I looked it up, and it's true. I always use Motrin and stay clear of Tylonol for that reason.

Ok that said. Motrin and Tylonol are fever reducers and pain relievers, I don't believe they will do much for a cold.

When my son was 8 months, the doctor had him on Triaminic decongestant strip, half dose (one strip). Maybe you could cut a strip in half. They work great for colds, I always keep them in the house, and according to the doc, unlike Bendryl, Triaminic is not addictive.

You could also ask the pharmacist, they know a lot more about drugs than doctors do.

Also, I found that a cool mist humidifier works better then any drug.

Last thing, have you considered taking your baby to a chiropractor? We did that on someone's recommendation just to see, and it helps tremendously]! Any time the baby has a fever, he gets a spinal adjustment and the fever spikes then breaks within a few hours. It's pretty amazing. For myself when I'm feeling sick, I get adjusted and I feel better instantly.
It's worth a try.

Answer 2

Cold medicines are not effective under the age of 2 years old and researchers haven't determined a safe dose of cough and cold medicines for under that age so your best bet is to get a humidifier and keep your baby elevated while awake aswell as when sleeping. Another effective method I have found was to turn on the hot shower and let the bathroom steam up then take babe in there so that the steam loosens up any congestion. Just before bed is good.
Good luck!

Edited to add that you can give Tempera or Tylenol to help with makeing your baby feel better and more comfortable. Here is a chart that shows hoe much for what age can be given..
http://www.medbroadcast.com/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=1856

Answer 3

Many cold remedies will do more harm than good. Cough suppressants for example, could prevent the break up of junk in the throat. They don't know how to cough up the junk yet but a dose of saline up the nose can help to move that junk through.
Infant Tylenol is good for fevers. Be extremely careful to follow the dosage given by a pediatrician. Too much Tylenol is extremely toxic to a underdeveloped system.

Answer 4

Only Tylenol or Benadryl, that is correct. Other meds can be dangerous for a infant. Do not give and infant Tylenol cold and allergy for instance, it is not good that young.

Get a humidifier in her room, plug in a Vick's vapor plug and let her rest. Better to let this bug run its course. The medication can just prolong a cold. They sometimes just hide the problem, not solve it. Let the body take care of itself. Just dont let a fever go above 100 or so, then call Doctor again.

Answer 5

I have always been told not to give any over the counter meds to children under the age of 2 years. Even the ones that say infant or children's. I would use a "bugger bulb" and saline nose drops. They also make Baby Vicks that really helped my little girl when she was little. I would only put it on her tummy and keep her nightie closed. If you want you guys can also sit in the bathroom and make it a "steam" room. That might feel good for both of yall. You may also want to try to keep her head elevated so her nose can drain. That should make it easier for her to breath.(giving you some time to reat) I also would call your Daughters Dr in the morning and let them know what is going on and the situation at your home. They may have some other ideas for you to try!! Best of luck and I hope you can get some rest!!!

Answer 6

Definitely do not give children, let alone an infant, adult medications. Does your pediatrician have a nurses line??? That would be your best bet. There are few medications that are safe to give to infants. Try running the shower really hot and then take her into the steamy bathroom. This can help with her stuffy nose. Give her the infants tylenol drops if she seems to be in pain.

Answer 7

You can use an aspirator and some saline solution to clear out her nose. There is infant tylenol cold and flu. I gave my baby 0.4 ml but I think she was older then 4months. If you can prop her up on a pillow to sleep so her head and shoulders are raised that might help. I'm not a dr though so I would check before giving any drugs

Answer 8

Go to the following site. About 1/2-way down, there are two sections on remedies. The detail may not be there, but at least you will know your options.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T081000.asp

FYI -- saline drops can sometimes backfire and make you congested.

Once your child is over age 1, check out Hyland's products. (http://www.hylands.com/products/productmain2.php) They have worked great for our family with no side effects and actually shorten colds by helping the body take care of itself. (Other medications made us feel worse and caused our colds to drag on!)

Best of luck. I hope all of you get better soon!

Answer 9

My son is only 6 months old he just got over his cold this past week but this is the third time he has been sick . This past time I give him tylenol infants drops plus the cold and cough its for fever pain stuffy nose coughin all of that and i give him 0.8 when he was 3 1/2 months i gave him 0.4 but thats all i know bc thats what i gave my son. but his weight now at 6 months is 20 lbs n i give him a tiny tiny bit more then 0.8

Answer 10

First, know I read the question.

You are playing around with your baby's health.

You have no medical training, and the doctor does, whether she has her own children or not. Your questions about Dimatapp, about the dosage charts, weight, effectiveness, etc. is all stuff a doctor would be able to tell you, whether he or she is a parent or not. It's a medical question, not a parenting question.

If you don't want to take her advice about how to best get your baby to eat green beans or to take a nap, fine. But you need to realize that she is a doctor and you are not, and self-diagnosing and self-treating based on your uneducated internet research is potentially dangerous for your baby.

If you hate the doctor that much, find a new one (and yes, I know it's the on-call doctor, but you need to be able to trust the pediatricians choice for an on-call doctor, too).