Question: Hi, my child is 19months old, having running nose, the mucus from transparent liquid turn to yellowish sticky discharge on day 3. After visit Paeds and was prescribed with Polarine (have been told is antihistamine+decongestant) and antibiotic for 5 days. I saw from your web that children <2years old are not allow to consume cough/flu medicine, but is Polarine a flu medicine?
Furthermore, sometimes when my child was visiting doctor for skin allergy problems, they will prescribe us medicine to stop the itchy and was told that the medicine can used to relieve cough too. Was it safe for child <2years old?
When children with yellowish sticky discharge from nose, is it means that infection had been occur and MUST consume antibiotics to treat it? will it heal by itself if no fever symptoms? Is it must bring children <5years old to go for Paeds clinic instead of normal GP clinic when they not feeling well?
Hopefully can get your reply soon. Thanks in advance.
Answer: Dear ivy, Yes,in general flu/cough syrup are not recommended for those below 2 years of age. Some Paediatrician, however do prescribed with caution if the symptoms are troublesome because they are familiar with the medication and have calculated the dose. I personally do not. Whenever there are symptoms of cough or flu, yes, it means there is infection. However , if there is only mild fever or no fever ,child is active and able to eat and drink and play , often it is caused by virus and does not need antibiotics. Antibiotics treat infection caused by the germ bacteria and not virus. Viral infection is usually mild and resolved by itself after a few days. You can read further in this article by Dr yap https://www.doktorbudak.com/2014/02/24/perlukah-diberi-antibiotik-untuk-jangkitan-demam-batuk-dan-selsema/ You can bring your child to see a GP . Unless the problem is long standing and chronic, or if your GP feels that your child needs to be seen by a Paediatrician , then referral to a Paediatrician is recommended.
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One response to “[Q&A] Running nose medicine below 2 years old”
doktor, anak saya telah hampir sebulan selsema dan kadangkala batuk. apa yang merunsingkan, selsema itu berlarutan dengan kahak pada tekaknya,dan kadangkala demam. saya telah 3 kali berjumpa doktor dan doktor hanya memberikan saline water utk titisan dan memaklumkan keadaan paru parunya baik.apakah yang boleh dilakukan utk menghilangkan kahak tersebut kerana keadaan tersebut sering menganggu dia bernafas ketika tidur.saya pernah mendengar jika selsema dibiarkan terlalu lama boleh menyebabkan asthma. adakah ini benar. mohon pencerahan