Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen to UseChoosing a MedicineDecongestantsCough SuppressantsAcetaminophenAntihistaminesMulti-Symptom RemediesNatural RemediesHome CareWhen to Seek Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
When to Use
Choosing a Medicine
Decongestants
Cough Suppressants
Acetaminophen
Antihistamines
Multi-Symptom Remedies
Natural Remedies
Home Care
When to Seek Medical Care
Children’s cold medicines won’t help your child get over a cold faster but may help ease symptoms.
There are a variety of cold medicines for kids, includingcough suppressants,antihistamines,fever reducers,decongestants, and multi-symptom cold formulations that include more than one active ingredient.
While a cold medicine may be labeled “for kids,” that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s safe foreverykid. In addition, just because a child has a cold doesn’t mean they need or will benefit from cold medicine.
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When to Give Kids Cold Medicine
Colds need to “run their course,” and children’s cold and cough medicines don’t make the process go any faster. They also won’t keep a cold from turning into anear infection, asinus infection, orpneumonia.
Children’s cold medicines are used for symptom relief and increased comfort. For example, you might choose to give your child one if:
It’s up to you to determine whether short-term symptom relief will benefit your child or if some rest, patience, and TLC will suffice.
Cold Medicines and Children Under Age 2
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend over-the-counter (OTC) cough or cold medications for children under 2 years of age, as they could cause “serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.”
Possible risks of cold medicine use in babies and toddlers include:
Although the risk is dose-dependent, it can be extremely difficult to dose infants accurately. Accidental overdoses of OTC cold medicines have led to death in children under 2.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which represents the companies that make most cough and cold medicines, expanded the FDA warning, advising against the use of OTC cough and cold medicines for children under 6.
Choosing a Children’s Cold Medicine
The best medicine for a child’s cold is one that treats only the symptoms they have. If your child has a cough, use a cough suppressant. If they have a fever, use a fever reducer, and so on. Use these medications only for as long as needed.
This can reduce the risk of side effects that can intensify with each drug a child is exposed to.
If your child has more than one symptom, two medications or a multi-symptom remedy may be appropriate. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can advise you if you’re unsure about what to use.
Read Labels
Don’t assume that all medicationswork for all kids. Read the product label to identify:
Dosing Children’s Cold MedicineAlways dose accurately using a measuring spoon or syringe for liquid medicines. Do not “eyeball” it.If a cold medicine does not seem to be working, giving more will only increase the risk of serious side effects. If a cold medicine hasn’t helped after one or two properly timed and measured doses, stop using it.If your child doesn’t match up with the dosing recommendations on a product label (for instance, if their age matches one dose and their weight another), consult yourpediatricianor pharmacist.
Dosing Children’s Cold Medicine
Always dose accurately using a measuring spoon or syringe for liquid medicines. Do not “eyeball” it.If a cold medicine does not seem to be working, giving more will only increase the risk of serious side effects. If a cold medicine hasn’t helped after one or two properly timed and measured doses, stop using it.If your child doesn’t match up with the dosing recommendations on a product label (for instance, if their age matches one dose and their weight another), consult yourpediatricianor pharmacist.
Always dose accurately using a measuring spoon or syringe for liquid medicines. Do not “eyeball” it.
If a cold medicine does not seem to be working, giving more will only increase the risk of serious side effects. If a cold medicine hasn’t helped after one or two properly timed and measured doses, stop using it.
If your child doesn’t match up with the dosing recommendations on a product label (for instance, if their age matches one dose and their weight another), consult yourpediatricianor pharmacist.
Risks and Precautions
Children with certain health conditions should not take some cold medications as it could worsen their condition and/or increase their risk of side effects.
To be safe, speak with your child’s pediatrician before giving any OTC cold medication to children with any of the following health conditions:
Decongestants for Kids
Decongestantsare medications that help relieve symptoms of arunny or stuffy nose. They include ingredients likephenylephrineandpseudoephedrine, which help open and dry nasal passages.
Decongestants formulated for kids include:
When considering a decongestant, keep in mind that oral decongestants with the ingredientphenylephrineare not considered effective at clearing up congestion at recommended doses.
Among possible side effects, decongestants can make some children hyperactive or irritable.Less common side effects can includeupset stomach, headache, and dizziness.
Decongestants should not be confused withexpectorantsused to loosen mucus. Products like these, many of which containguaifenesin, have not been proven to be helpful in children with colds.
Cough Suppressants for Kids
If a cough is interfering with your child’s sleep or daily activities—and there are no signs of breathing difficulties—acough suppressantmay be useful.
The active ingredient in most OTC suppressants isdextromethorphan, which provides temporary relief from dry (non-productive) coughs.
There are several cough suppressants containing dextromethorphan that can be used in adults and children. These include:
Common side effects of these OTC drugs include drowsiness,dizziness, and nervousness. Some children may also experience nausea and an upset stomach.
Hydrocodoneandcodeineareopioid drugssometimes used in prescription cough suppressants. The FDA advises against their use in children under 12 due to “potentially serious side effects, including slowed or difficult breathing.”
Acetaminophen Use in Children
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, can be extremely effective in relieving fever and pain in infants and children. There are different Tylenol products specifically formulated for children, including:
Acetaminophen Overdose Warning
Acetaminophen can also be found in OTC cold medicines for children, a fact that many parents are not aware of.
The same concerns apply when using an acetaminophen-containing cold medicine formulated for adults and children, such as:
An overdose of acetaminophen can lead to nausea, vomiting,diarrhea, profuse sweating, and stomach pain or cramps.
If you suspect an overdose, get emergency medical help or contactPoison Controlat 1-800-222-1222.
Antihistamines for Children
Because histamine is not involved with colds, antihistamines willnotprovide symptom relief but can still be useful. This is because certain types ofantihistamines, particularly first-generation antihistamines likediphenhydramineandcarbinoxamine, can induce drowsiness and help children with colds sleep at night.
Children’s medications that contain these antihistamines include:
There are also antihistamine-containing medications formulated for adults and children, including:
In addition to drowsiness, antihistamines may cause side effects likedry mouth,constipation, decreased appetite, and vision changes.
Multi-Symptom Cold Remedies
Colds commonly cause more than one symptom, including cough, nasal congestion,mild fever, and post-nasal drip. Because of this, amulti-symptom cough and cold medicinemay be a reasonable option for some illnesses.
Examples of children’s multiple-symptom cold medications include:
There are also multi-symptom cold medications formulated for adults and children, such as:
Homeopathic or All-Natural Cold Remedies
Numerous natural andhomeopathicremedies are sold over-the-counter for the treatment of colds.
Proponents claim they can help shorten the length of a cold orpreventit entirely.
These include:
Speak with your child’s pediatrician before giving any supplement to ensure that it is safe to use.
Medications are not the only way to treat a cold in children. In addition to ensuring your child gets plenty of rest, there are other things you can do to help ease their symptoms.
Here are 10 simple things that can help:
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
Fever: When To Call Your Pediatrician
Call yourpediatricianright away if:
Other symptoms that require the evaluation of a healthcare provider include:
Summary
Children’s cough and cold medicines are used to ease the symptoms of a cold in children over age 2. They do not shorten the duration of a cold or prevent cold complications like ear infections or pneumonia.
Parents should only use cold medicines that treat the symptoms their child has. Multi-symptom cold medicines can expose a child to drugs they don’t need and trigger otherwise avoidable side effects but may be useful in some cases.
Acetaminophen, antihistamines, cough suppressants, and decongestants are drug classes that are often considered. If you are unsure of what to use (if anything) or how much to give your child, speak to their pediatrician.
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21 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.Halmo LS, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Pediatric fatalities associated With over-the-counter cough and cold medications.Pediatrics.2021;148(5):e2020049536. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049536Consumer Healthcare Products Association.Children’s cough and cold medicines.Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.The hidden hazards of cold medicines.American Medical Association.What doctors wish patients knew about which cold medicines work.Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Allan GM, Arroll B.Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence.CMAJ.2014 Feb 18;186(3):190–9. doi:10.1503/cmaj.121442MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA evaluating the potential risks of using codeine cough-and-cold medicines in children.Heard K, Bui A, Mlynarchek SL, et al.Toxicity from repeated doses of acetaminophen in children: assessment of causality and dose in reported cases.Am J Ther. 2014;21(3):174-83. doi:10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182459c53De Sutter AIM, Saraswat A, van Driel ML.Antihistamines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2015 Nov;2015(11):CD009345. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009345.pub2MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.Green JL, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Safety profile of cough and cold medication use in pediatrics.Pediatrics. 2017 Jun;139(6):e20163070. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3070Ran L, Zhao W, Wang J, et al.Extra dose of vitamin C based on a daily supplementation shortens the common cold: a meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials.Biomed Res Int.2018;2018. doi:10.1155/2018/1837634Wang MX, Win SS, Pang J.Supplementation reduces common cold duration among healthy adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials with micronutrients supplementation.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(1):86-99. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.19-0718Manayi A, Vazirian M, Saeidnia S.Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods.Pharmacogn Rev. 2015;9(17):63-72. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.156353Food and Drug Administration.Is rinsing your sinuses with neti pots safe?DailyMed.Vicks VapoRub (camphor- synthetic, eucalyptus oil, and menthol ointment).Michigan State University.Why you should avoid feeding honey to an infant.University of Florida Health.Pharyngitis - sore throat.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.Halmo LS, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Pediatric fatalities associated With over-the-counter cough and cold medications.Pediatrics.2021;148(5):e2020049536. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049536Consumer Healthcare Products Association.Children’s cough and cold medicines.Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.The hidden hazards of cold medicines.American Medical Association.What doctors wish patients knew about which cold medicines work.Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.Allan GM, Arroll B.Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence.CMAJ.2014 Feb 18;186(3):190–9. doi:10.1503/cmaj.121442MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA evaluating the potential risks of using codeine cough-and-cold medicines in children.Heard K, Bui A, Mlynarchek SL, et al.Toxicity from repeated doses of acetaminophen in children: assessment of causality and dose in reported cases.Am J Ther. 2014;21(3):174-83. doi:10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182459c53De Sutter AIM, Saraswat A, van Driel ML.Antihistamines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2015 Nov;2015(11):CD009345. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009345.pub2MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.Green JL, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Safety profile of cough and cold medication use in pediatrics.Pediatrics. 2017 Jun;139(6):e20163070. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3070Ran L, Zhao W, Wang J, et al.Extra dose of vitamin C based on a daily supplementation shortens the common cold: a meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials.Biomed Res Int.2018;2018. doi:10.1155/2018/1837634Wang MX, Win SS, Pang J.Supplementation reduces common cold duration among healthy adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials with micronutrients supplementation.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(1):86-99. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.19-0718Manayi A, Vazirian M, Saeidnia S.Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods.Pharmacogn Rev. 2015;9(17):63-72. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.156353Food and Drug Administration.Is rinsing your sinuses with neti pots safe?DailyMed.Vicks VapoRub (camphor- synthetic, eucalyptus oil, and menthol ointment).Michigan State University.Why you should avoid feeding honey to an infant.University of Florida Health.Pharyngitis - sore throat.
Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?
Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.
Halmo LS, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Pediatric fatalities associated With over-the-counter cough and cold medications.Pediatrics.2021;148(5):e2020049536. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049536
Consumer Healthcare Products Association.Children’s cough and cold medicines.
Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School.The hidden hazards of cold medicines.
American Medical Association.What doctors wish patients knew about which cold medicines work.
Food and Drug Administration.FDA clarifies results of recent advisory committee meeting on oral phenylephrine.
Allan GM, Arroll B.Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence.CMAJ.2014 Feb 18;186(3):190–9. doi:10.1503/cmaj.121442
MedlinePlus.Dextromethorphan.
Food and Drug Administration.FDA drug safety communication: FDA evaluating the potential risks of using codeine cough-and-cold medicines in children.
Heard K, Bui A, Mlynarchek SL, et al.Toxicity from repeated doses of acetaminophen in children: assessment of causality and dose in reported cases.Am J Ther. 2014;21(3):174-83. doi:10.1097/MJT.0b013e3182459c53
De Sutter AIM, Saraswat A, van Driel ML.Antihistamines for the common cold.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2015 Nov;2015(11):CD009345. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009345.pub2
MedlinePlus.Antihistamines for allergies.
Green JL, Wang GS, Reynolds KM, et al.Safety profile of cough and cold medication use in pediatrics.Pediatrics. 2017 Jun;139(6):e20163070. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3070
Ran L, Zhao W, Wang J, et al.Extra dose of vitamin C based on a daily supplementation shortens the common cold: a meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials.Biomed Res Int.2018;2018. doi:10.1155/2018/1837634
Wang MX, Win SS, Pang J.Supplementation reduces common cold duration among healthy adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials with micronutrients supplementation.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020;103(1):86-99. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.19-0718
Manayi A, Vazirian M, Saeidnia S.Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods.Pharmacogn Rev. 2015;9(17):63-72. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.156353
Food and Drug Administration.Is rinsing your sinuses with neti pots safe?
DailyMed.Vicks VapoRub (camphor- synthetic, eucalyptus oil, and menthol ointment).
Michigan State University.Why you should avoid feeding honey to an infant.
University of Florida Health.Pharyngitis - sore throat.
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