The children, especially at early ages, often contract viral infections and this is normal for the growth stages of children. To protect the children from complications, the administration of antibiotics, cough medicines or antipyretics should be avoided as they are improper for childhood, especially for children of an early age, said university professor Nelly Revenko, who heads the Pediatric Society of Moldova, IPN reports.
In a seminar staged by the World Health Organization Country Office in Moldova, Nelly Revenko said a child of an early age can develop up to 12 infections a year. When the child contracts the virus and this enters the airways, this has fever and mucus and coughs to eliminate the virus and protect the body.
Antipyretics, such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, are administered only if the body temperature rises to 38.5. The dose should match the child’s weight. Particularly during the first three days of disease, the child should be given an increased quantity of fluids to drink. It is recommended drinking water, juice, compote. If the child does not want to eat on the first day, the parents should not insist.
If the child’s nose is stuffy, it is not recommended using medicines that relieve nasal congestion during the first two years and more. In case of cough, cough and mucolytic medicines up to the age of two should not be administered as these produce more mucus, but the small children cannot expectorate the phlegm.
In case of an acute viral infection, the child should enjoy thermal comfort of at most 22 degrees Celsius in the room. Air humidity should be of 50-60%, the surfaces should be disinfected and the toys should be washed with water and soap.
Nelly Revenko said studies showed that taking such preparations as Vitamin C does not improve the state of health. The zinc preparations somehow help form antibodies, but there is no evidence showing that they help in the case of viral infections. The same is true about the use of Echinacea. Bee honey is not given to children under one.
According to Dorina Zavoskin, pediatrician of the Mother and Child Institute, 30% of the children up to five will witness an episode of wheezing. Wheezing is a whistling sound made while breathing. Because a child’s airways are so small, any lower respiratory infection can cause wheezing in children. Sometimes a choking episode causes wheezing. If such a sound appears, a doctor should be consulted to see if the child does not have pneumonia or bronchial asthma. In such a case, pediatricians usually do the test with Salbutamol.
