It’s not scary for children to catch colds repeatedly. The key lies in how to treat and prevent them – Bian

I often hear friends say that my baby always catches a cold, which only comes once every two or three months. Every time he goes to the hospital, the doctor prescribes a lot of medicine, but many popular science articles say that there is no need to take medicine. Who should I listen to? Let me tell you a little story that happened in my family. One time, I caught a bad cold and unexpectedly tweeted about my response to the kindergarten issue tomorrow. In order to be able to get up and write the article, I asked my grandma to buy me cold medicine to relieve the symptoms. As a result, the old lady who I had suppressed for several years with my scientific parenting said, \”You said the cold is a self-healing disease, but you won\’t let me.\” Take the medicine and wait until it’s ready, don’t take it yourself.” If you come out to fool around, you really have to pay back, but as a biological mother, Liuliu doesn\’t have to work hard. Okay, why am I unwilling to give Liuliu cold medicine, but I have to take it myself? In fact, this is not contradictory at all. Let’s start with the cold itself. By the way, the cold mentioned in this article refers to the common cold, not influenza. Colds are a must-pay tuition in the process of perfecting a child\’s immune system. After a baby is born, all systems of the body are undergoing a process of development and perfection. We don\’t expect babies who are just a few months old to be able to run, jump and sing like us. The same goes for Don’t think that babies aged 2-3 years old can have a complete immune system to resist various bacteria and viruses like us. The growth of the immune system requires learning. It learns about the opponent through exposure to vaccines or exposure to different pathogens in life, thereby \”improving immunity.\” Before the age of 3, most babies will have about 10 colds or other upper respiratory tract infections. When a child starts going to kindergarten, he may get sick more frequently because colds are easily transmitted among children who play and fight together every day. For families with two children, if the eldest baby happens to be in kindergarten, the possibility of the younger baby catching a cold will also increase. However, it is during this process of fighting cold viruses again and again that the child\’s immune system becomes stronger. Do I need to take medicine after a cold? After so many years of popular science, we all know that the cold is a self-healing disease. In most cases, it will heal on its own and generally there will be no other serious problems. The essence of a cold is a viral infection. The common cold medicines we commonly use are not to help us eliminate viruses and solve the root problems of colds, but to relieve symptoms such as nasal congestion, cough, and fever, making people feel more comfortable in a short period of time. Therefore, we may feel that the medicine has taken effect and then we have fever and cough again. This is not because the condition is recurring, but because it is not cured in the first place. All drugs have side effects, and for preschool children, the risk of side effects is higher. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that over-the-counter antitussives are ineffective for children under 6 years old, and many clinical trials have shown that cold medicines and antitussives may cause very serious side effects in children under 6 years old. Therefore, the United States and other countries do not recommend their use for children. Cold medicine. Therefore, when it comes to whether to take medicine for colds, we should consider clearly which one you value more between symptom relief and side effects. This is why I choose to take medicine when I need to cheer up for work, and the cold symptoms in Liuliu did not make her particularly difficult.The reason why I didn\’t let her take medicine when she was suffering from pain was that she gradually recovered on her own. How to care for your child if you don’t take medicine when you have a cold. Among all the symptoms of a cold, fever is the most worrying and the most likely to cause discomfort. Babies less than 3 months old should see a doctor immediately if they have a fever; if babies over 3 months old need to reduce their fever, they can use acetaminophen-based antipyretics; for children over 6 months old, you can also choose ibuprofen. Antipyretics, but be sure to pay attention to the dosage and understand the contraindications of these two types of drugs. For example, babies with liver disease need to consult a doctor before taking acetaminophen, and babies with kidney disease should also consult a doctor before taking ibuprofen, and never give ibuprofen to a person who is dehydrated repeatedly. Or take it for children who vomit repeatedly. Baby cough is also a symptom that makes parents particularly worried. I have written about cough before. It is a natural mechanism of the child\’s body to clear mucus from the lower respiratory tract. Generally speaking, there is no need to deliberately suppress it. Under normal circumstances, the cough lasts longer than Symptoms such as fever are more persistent. Nasal congestion is a common symptom of colds. We can use saline or nasal drops to help children relieve their discomfort. You can also use a humidifier to increase indoor humidity so that secretions in the nose can be easily discharged. Also note: Please click here to enter the image description 1: Rest. It is not necessary to stay in bed, but to reduce physical energy-consuming activities, you can choose to read picture books, play building blocks and other games. 2: Drink more water. Take in enough fluids. If you don’t want to drink boiled water, you can prepare boiled pear water, juice and other flavors that your child likes. 3: Eat a light diet. Children usually lose their appetite when they have a cold, so don’t force it, just make something light and refreshing for your child. 4: Accompany and comfort. When children are sick, they like to be clingy and may cry and throw tantrums because they feel uncomfortable. We need to give them the utmost care and consideration. How to prevent colds. Prevention is better than cure. How to prevent colds in children? We must first understand how colds are transmitted. The main virus that causes colds is rhinovirus. When a person who has been infected with rhinovirus sneeze or cough, rhinovirus will be spread into the air and then transmitted to nearby people. Other indirect contact infections are also possible. For example, if a sick baby gets the virus on his hands, and other children touch their noses after holding hands with him, they may also be infected. To prevent colds, in addition to maintaining a healthy diet and increasing outdoor exercise, it is also important to reduce the possibility of infection. 1: Wash your hands and face frequently, and teach children not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth with their hands. 2: Teach children to cover their mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. Show your child how to cover their mouth and nose with their elbow, shirt sleeve (not their hands), or a tissue when they cough. 3: Throw the paper used when you have a runny nose or sneeze into the trash immediately. 4: Plates and cutlery should be washed with hot water. 5: Do not let children share unwashed knives, forks, cups, towels, etc. Never share toothbrushes. Special attention should be paid to the fact that babies in the 0-3 month newborn stage should try not to come into contact with people who may catch a cold, because colds in babies at this stage may cause some more serious diseases. childlikeRisks are inevitable, and most people will recover from this disease within 1-2 weeks without leaving any other problems. Parents do not need to worry too much. However, if your child complains of ear pain or feels pressure on his cheeks and forehead, or if his cough and fever persist for more than two weeks, we should consider whether the child has complications and seek medical attention immediately.