Smart Health

(ARA) – Concerns over children’s cold remedies have many parents thinking twice before opening the medicine cabinet to treat their little one’s cough or cold. With the FDA now recommending parents not give over-the-counter medicines to children younger than 4, more parents than ever are looking for ways to proactively support their children’s respiratory health and immune systems.

“Evidence shows that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines likely don’t work for very young children, and can, in fact, create potentially lethal side effects,” says Dr. Bob Sears, a noted pediatrician. “Overdosing and side effects of cough and cold medicines send about 7,000 children to the emergency room each year.”

So how can parents help their infants and young children stay healthy through long winter months? Sears offers some simple advice:

First, wash their hands. Once they learn to control their hands, babies’ fingers head straight for their mouths. Use a fresh, alcohol-free cleansing wipe to clean your baby’s hands repeatedly throughout the day. Youngsters old enough to wash hands on their own, or with light supervision, should be taught to wash with soap and warm water. If your toddler or preschooler rushes through hand washing, slow him down by asking him to sing the entire ABCs song while he washes.

Next, use natural illness-busting foods like whole grains, dark greens and antioxidant-rich fruits to help kids stay healthy. For breakfast, serve up whole-grain cereal with blueberries. Take kids grocery shopping and encourage them to pick out their favorite color vegetables, Sears suggests. Do give healthful, all-natural dye- and preservative-free daily multivitamins as well.

Keeping kids healthy requires diligence during the fall and winter months. Here are some tips:

Run a vaporizer or humidifier in your home, especially in the child’s room. Cold viruses thrive in dry conditions, plus dry air parches mucous membranes, which can lead to a stuffy nose or scratchy throat. For a stuffy nose, a simple saline flush can help relieve congestion. Offer plenty of fluids to help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration.

Prop children up slightly to help them sleep better. For infants, place a pillow under the crib mattress to help elevate the child; never place a pillow or anything else in the crib with your baby as this can pose a suffocation risk.

The nutrients and vitamins in chicken soup really do seem to relieve cold symptoms, research shows. And honey is a great all-natural cough suppressant for children 1 and older.

“To keep kids’ sinus and respiratory health at its best, look for herbal remedies, like Sinupret for Kids syrup, that promote healthy drainage in the upper respiratory tract, improve airflow through the nose and support healthy mucous clearance from the nose and sinuses,” Sears says.

“While natural, herbal remedies have been in use around the world for generations – Sinupret has been a staple in Europe for 30 years – they are just coming into their own in the United States,” he says. A natural remedy for healthy sinus, respiratory and immune support in children ages 2 to 12, Sinupret for Kids does not contain stimulants, caffeine, ephedra, pseudoephedrine, codeine, steroids, narcotics or gluten.

“Parents are looking for a natural and safe approach for their kids,” Sears says. “Herbal remedies have a long track record of effectiveness and lack of any harmful side effects.”

Sinupret for Kids syrup is now available in more than 20,000 retail locations across the country, including Wal-Mart. Visit www.SinupretForKids.com to learn more about Sinupret, and visit www.CDC.gov, www.WebMD.com, www.Parents.com or www.Health.com for more advice on how to keep your kids healthy.

Courtesy of ARAcontent
 

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Revised: November 03, 2008.