Alright my one and three year old is sick! HELP?

Question

My one year old and my three year old are both sick. I took them to the doctor and they tell me its just a cold. They both are coughing, congested, and have runny noses. The one year old has had no sign of fever although my three year old has had a low grade fever a few times! They both are having trouble sleeping and you can really tell that they don't feel good at all!
I am giving both of them mortion and using a vaporizer at night although thats all because of the resently found issues with over the counter cold meds for kids... the doctor will not give them anything! Is there anything else I can give them or do that would help them get over this? Thanks for the help!

Thank you guys for all he helpful hints... I have taken my boys several times to the doctor and they tell me its a cold that is going around and this year it has held on for awhile. They are the once that told me not to use any cold or cough meds.... Not the media! They seem to be doing a little better today and rested easier last night! Thanks a million!

Answer 1

So far you are describing a cold.

Give extra fluids, water or juice. This keeps secretions thin and helps prevent pneumonia. Try to let them rest more. I know 1 and 3 years old - good luck.

If acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc) or ibuprofen (Motrin etc) do not control the fever, if breathing gets worse, very rapid, wheezing, chest sucks in, if they start to act strangely, or if things just do not seem right call the doctor. In small children things can change very rapidly.

Most kids get through this fine. I will not say what it does to a mom's sanity. DO NOT LET ANYONE SHAME YOU INTO NOT CHECKING THINGS OUT, IF YOU THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM.

Answer 2

Take six lemons, squeeze into 8 cups water, add honey to sweeten, pop one of the skins in with it and let it simmer a little with a small piece of ginger in it. This will have them cough up plegm and soothe the throat. Childrens Tylenol or ask the pharmacist for a cough linctus for the children that works for fever too (Children's Tylenol Cold).

By a jar of Vick's Vapor Rub. Do their chest area right up under their neck and do the same across the back and upper neck. If this is too strong you can dilute it with some Vaseline 1/2 and 1/2.

Give them clear chicken or veggie broth to sip on if possible.

Keep them warm and keep the vaporizer going, you can actually get a vaporizer that lets you put the Vicks into the unit itself.

Pick up a small bottle of Oil of Eucalyptus and put droplets on the pillow or a piece of tissue close to their pillow.

Honey, lemon and ginger, clear and soothe the throat, chest and nasal passages.

Vick's does the same thing and helps them breath

Eucalyptus further opens the airways.

If you can get the Tylenol Product it will keep the fever down.

My mum was a nurse and I never had a cold that lasted more than a couple of days, it sucked as all my friends would get at least a week off school. Old tried and true, used it on my kids and they were back to school in no time.

Good Luck

Answer 3

There is a juice you can buy at the store called POM. It is pomagranite juice that has tons of antioxidants in it. Every single time me or my baby get sick I buy a bottle and drink that and water for a day or two. The antioxidants will kick the sick right out of you. And it is safe for kids, I give it to my 9 month old when I think a cold is coming on then it doesn't come on full blown. My doc said about the cold medicine that it was just the tylenol plus cold and cough because parents didn't realize it had tylenol too so they were giving that and reg tylenol which was OD the kids. If Triaminic and stuff was so terrioble would it still be on the shelfs when people have been useing the stuff for years? My mom gave it to me when I was sick and I was fine! Oh well try the juice and good luck sweety hope you all get sleep tonight!

Answer 4

The only good decongestant I found is called Zymine. It has an apple taste, which sounds gross, but my son loves. I did have to get a prescription for it. The only over the counter meds that are ineffective are the combination medications such as a "cough & cold" or "multi-symptom" medication. It is still perfectly alright to buy something like Benedryl or a single symptom medication like a decongestant.

For runny noses, if you don't want to use a decongestant, buy some saline nose spray. Your kids will hate it, but it will loosen and thin all that mucus that is stuck in their nose so it can find its way out of their noses. You can also buy Baby Vicks to rub on their chest and throat right before bed. It's formulated for infants as young as 2 months. If you still have a suction bulb and you're up for the fight, you can try to gently(!) suction their noses after the saline nose spray.

Best of luck!!! And I hope they feel better soon!

Answer 5

Less milk since it thickens the mucus. Nasal aspirator to help with the stuffy running noses, don't over use it though or they could end up with nose bleeds. Don't give honey to the 1 year old (it can cause botulism) but the 3 year old can swallow a teaspoonful to help with the sore throat.continue using the cool air vaporizer to keep them from drying out and stopping up really bad. Cinnamon is a natural antihistamine, make some toast put a little bit of butter on it, a little sugar and a dash of cinnamon (my daughters look at this as a treat, the toast soothes a tummy ache from the drainage and the cinnamon gets their noses to quit running for a while.)

Answer 6

It's nice to see that all the sensational hype over children's medicine is having the predictable consequence that millions of children are going to needlessly suffer through their cold symptoms.

You are getting good advice in some of the answers here...but it really really bothers me that people will make automatic medical decisions based on the nightly news without discussing the issue with their doctor. Please, for the love of your child's suffering, ask you pediatrician what OTC medications might help and mention your concerns from the news.*

That said, cough medicines are well known to be completely useless...but decongestants can be effective in allowing your child (and thus you) to sleep better at night.

*The real issue is that the FDA does not allow the testing of medications on children under two years, ergo, there is no direct data for proper dosing of infant's medications. In fact, the real problem might be that dosages aren't big enough, that the FDA has erred on the side of caution to the point that the medications may not be effective at the listed dosages. (In fact, that seems more likely than the possibility of your child being overmedicated.)

Of course, the media found those handful of children to sensationalize the extreme dangers of toxic medications...so now every parent in the country is paranoid. The real solution has always been to talk to your doctor.

Answer 7

There isn't much you can do. There is no magic cure it has to run its course. No fun for you or them but that is the best you can do. Try a nice warm bath, a little Vicks on the chest, maybe elevate the head of the bed a bit to help with congestion (stick a book or two under the two feet at the head of the bed), and a little tylenol to help with general discomfort. Treated it will be over in a week-untreated it will be over in 7 days.

Answer 8

sounds like your doing what you should be the vaportizer is a real good thing to have for both children so make sure you have two one for wach room. I never use the cold meds cause I don't think they work but I always always use the childrens or infants tylonal depending on age and go by there weight for the dosing I have a very small 4 year old. Good Luck

Answer 9

go get them childrens Nyquil. Both my boys have the same thing. They can't sleep through the night because of the congestion and post nasal drip. Then, without sleep, their resistance is down. Give them a lower than reccommended dose. The one year old may need Tylenol infant drops. My kids have been feeling much better the past two days due to the fact that they can sleep. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Awww poor babies, and poor mommy too! You are doing all the right things, but yeah, I agree with the others that Vicks helps. I would recommend the baby Vicks, though, since my son broke out in a little rash when I tried to use regular Vicks. Also, another thing to try would be to turn the shower on in the bathroom really hot and just sit in the bathroom with your kids and maybe a few toys to keep them occupied. The warm steam really helps soothe them. And lots and lots of liquids. Hang in there! Good Luck!