{"id":1381,"date":"2021-10-01T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T11:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/ana-hpmd\/?p=1381"},"modified":"2021-10-22T11:56:36","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T11:56:36","slug":"%e2%80%8fdoes-your-child-need-antibiotics-for-common-cold%e2%80%8f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/pediatrics\/ana-hpmd\/%e2%80%8fdoes-your-child-need-antibiotics-for-common-cold%e2%80%8f\/","title":{"rendered":"\u200fDoes Your Child Need Antibiotics For Common Cold?\u200f"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine your child coughing non-stop and just feeling plain sick. When you bring them to the doctor, all you may want is to ensure they are given powerful child flu medicine to make the child\u2019s cough go away. Not long ago, many doctors used to hand out antibiotic prescriptions for the common cold frequently. However, does your child really need kid\u2019s antibiotics? If not, why are they prescribed sometimes? Maybe antibiotic medicine for kids is necessary in certain cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200f<\/span>The Dangers of Antibiotic Medicine for Kids\u200f<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u200fConventional wisdom has changed. Doctors like <\/span>\u200fDr. Ana Puga\u200f <\/span><\/a>\u200fwill not hand out antibiotic prescriptions as easily as they used to, especially for things like the common cold. Doing so is now known to pose a real danger to the patient. Therefore, instead of helping your child get well, giving them antibiotics as part of pediatric care where they are not needed can harm them and the entire human race.\u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200fDue to the excessive use of antibiotic medicine for kids in pediatric care, many types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria are emerging. The bacteria will go on to cause infections that are very difficult to manage. In fact, other strains of bacteria are now known to be resistant to almost every antibiotic available.\u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200fResearch conducted by the Centers for Disease Control shows that more than 50% of the antibiotic prescriptions written by doctors are not necessary. Therefore, they are now encouraging doctors to revisit their prescribing habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, the CDC is urging the public to understand that not all situations require kids\u2019 antibiotics. This is the case with the common cold. Unless there is evidence that the child has bacteria-related complications, antibiotics for kids will not work. Dr. Ana Puga suggests that these drugs are only effective when used to fight bacterial infections. Here’s why:\u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200f<\/span>Antibiotics for Kids to Fight Bacteria, Not Viruses<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Child\u200f<\/b>\u200fIf your child is suffering from a disease caused by bacteria, antibiotics should be used to fight infection. However, if your child is suffering from a viral disease, antibiotics will be of no use. This means giving them as part of \u200f<\/span>\u200fpediatric care\u200f <\/span><\/a>\u200fwill not make your child better in any way. \u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200fA virus causes the common cold. In fact, most chest colds are caused by viruses. This means that antibiotics for kids will not improve the situation if they are given to a child who is suffering from the common cold. Most parents will reference the color of their child’s mucus to suggest that the child has a bacterial infection. However, that is not true. The color of a child’s mucus is not indicative of bacterial infections. Therefore, you must stop wishing your child would get an antibiotic for kids just because they have mucus with a suspicious color. \u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200f<\/span>What Is a Cold?\u200f<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u200fThere are more than 200 viruses that cause the common cold. However, the most common virus that is known to cause this illness is the rhinovirus. Colds are not dangerous to most children. They are only a real threat in newborns or in immunocompromised children. If your child is healthy, the common cold shouldn’t be a problem that causes panic. In fact, colds will go away on their own without treatment in about 4 to 10 days. If not, there are other options when it comes to children’s cold medicine. This is to manage pain and make your child more comfortable.\u200f<\/span><\/p>\n

\u200f<\/span>What to Expect When Your Child Gets a Cold\u200f<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u200fThe moment your child gets a cold, they will have a general feeling of not being well. After that, they might also start complaining about a sore throat. You will also notice a runny nose or \u200f<\/span>child cough\u200f <\/span><\/a>\u200fas the cold progresses. In the initial stages of the cold, the sore throat will be due to mucus. As the condition worsens, the child might start experiencing the following:\u200f<\/span><\/p>\n