The expectorant helps when your child has thick chest congestion, which he is unable to cough up. It loosens think mucous, making it easier to cough up.
These medications contain Pseudoephedrine, which is a nasal decongestant. Using a Decongestant will clear nasal passages making it easier to breath through the nose. It also has a mild drying effect so it will also help relieve runny nose a bit. The Dextromethorphan (DM for short) is a cough suppressant. It will offer temporary relief (a few hours) to that nagging cough caused by a "tickle" in the throat. The Acetaminophen in some of these cold medications will help relieve the aches and fever that your child may have. If you are using one of these combination cold medications but still need to do more for the fever, then a dose of Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) would be okay to give. Click for a detailed discussion on Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen or Fever.
An ideal use for this combination would be a child with congested nose (but not too itchy and runny) and an annoying frequent cough, but he's well enough to go to school. This combination won't make your child drowsy which is important for alertness in school. For nighttime use, or if there is a very runny, itchy nose, then you should probably also use an antihistamine which will help your child sleep.
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When I give my children cold medications, I have found that the nasal passages can become too dry, that's why it is important to use saline nasal spray throughout the day and a humidifier in the bedroom at night (see natural cold treatments). |
Ingredients: per 5ml (1tsp)
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-5 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-11 years (48-95lbs) | 10ml (2 tsp) every 6 hours |
| 12 years and up (>95lbs) | 20ml (4 tsp) every 6 hours |
Ingredients: per 5ml (1tsp)
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-6 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-12 years (48-95lbs) | 10ml (2 tsp) every 6 hours |
| >12 years (>95lbs) | 20ml (4 tsp) every 6 hours |
Ingredients: per 0.8ml (drops)
Be sure to use supplied dropper:
| Under six months | Ask your doctor |
| 6-11 months (12-17 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-3 years (24-35 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| >3 years (>35 lbs) | Use Children's liquid |
Ingredients: per 1.6ml (two dropperfuls)
Be sure to use supplied dropper:
| Under six months | Ask your doctor |
| 6-11 months (12-17 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-3 years (24-35 lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| >35 pounds | Use Children's liquid |
Ingredients: per 5ml (1 tsp)
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-5 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-11 years (48-95lbs) | 10ml (2 tsp) every 6 hours |
| 12 years and up (>95lbs) | 20ml (4 tsp) every 6 hours |
Ingredients: per chewable tablet
Doses are every 4-6 hours, max 4 doses/day.
| Under two years | Not recommended (choking hazard) |
| 2-5 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 6-11 years (48-95lbs) | 2 tablets every 4-6 hours |
| 12 years and up (>95lbs) | 4 tablets every 4-6 hours |
Ingredients: per 2.5ml (drops)
Maximum 4 doses per day
| <6 months (<14lbs) | Not recommended |
| 6-11 months (14-17lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 12-23 months (18-23lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| 2-6 years (24-47lbs) | Ask your doctor |
| >6 years | Use other forms |