Children are the greatest happiness for parents. The first years of a beloved child’s life are the happiest, most memorable, and at the same time the most responsible. First words, first steps and first problems. What to do if your baby is bothered by a cough, and products for adults are not suitable? Syrups for various coughs for children under 1 year come to the rescue. Respiratory infections in infants develop rapidly and sometimes lead to complications, so you need to act quickly. Of course, before starting treatment, you should show your child to a pediatrician. Syrup is a very effective way to reduce cough symptoms.
Features of using syrups up to a year
The bronchi in babies under the age of 1 year are not yet sufficiently developed, so the evacuation of sputum from them is not carried out actively enough. Some of it may be retained in the respiratory tract, causing complications. The main active ingredients included in cough medicines are quickly absorbed and begin to act, effectively remove phlegm, and can suppress the cough reflex.
Advantages of using cough syrups for infants over other types of medications:
- ease of use: the kit always includes a measuring spoon with which you can measure the correct dose of the drug;
- the liquid base of the product, thanks to which the medicine is quickly absorbed, has a mild effect and the desired effect;
- the composition is usually herbal based;
- always a pleasant fruity taste.
But, despite the high effectiveness and availability of such drugs, cough syrups also have some disadvantages. Like all drugs, they are prescribed taking into account individual characteristics, especially if your patient is a baby. The main side effect is an allergic reaction to the components, which can have fatal consequences. The second mistake parents make may be the wrong choice of medication dose. Therefore, it is very important not to select funds on your own, but to consult a pediatrician. He will conduct the necessary examination and prescribe treatment.
Causes and types of cough
Pediatricians, including the famous children's doctor and author of many books on children's health, Dr. Komarovsky, name the following among the most common causes of cough in children:
- allergic reactions;
- acute respiratory viral infections;
- inflammation of the ENT organs;
- adenoids;
- dry and dirty air.
Only a pediatrician can determine the cause of cough and correctly prescribe medicine to cure it. Taking cough pills on your own can be not only useless, but also dangerous: an incorrectly selected remedy can significantly aggravate the situation, causing irreparable harm to the child’s health, especially if he is no more than two years old.
Cough can be unproductive (dry) and productive (wet, moist). Most often, it is the treatment of dry cough in children that requires medical intervention. With it, sputum is not produced or is not excreted from the body. For children in the first years of life, it is also possible that there is mucus in the respiratory tract, but it is too viscous, and the bronchial muscles are not strong enough to push it out. This cough will also sound dry. May be accompanied by a slight increase in temperature.
A dry cough can be caused by an allergy, in which case special medications will be required, or it may be a reaction to dust or tobacco smoke. If a child’s dry cough does not go away for a long time, and the doctor is sure that there is no excess mucus in the respiratory tract, then in exceptional cases the child is given tablets or syrup that suppress the cough reflex. Treatment is necessary if a dry, severe cough is painful, painful, occurs with vomiting, disturbances in appetite and sleep. With effective treatment, the cough goes away quickly. Follow all doctor's recommendations.
To cure a child’s dry cough means to transform it into a wet, productive one. A wet cough causes much less inconvenience to the child. You can cure the signs of a wet cough with the help of drugs that thin sputum (mucolic) and stimulate the cough reflex to remove it from the body as quickly as possible (expectorants). There are also combination drugs that combine mucoltic and expectorant properties. Such tablets promote rapid recovery, the cough goes away quickly, but Dr. Komarovsky is against mucolic drugs for children.
Indications and contraindications for use
During the neonatal period (up to 1 month) and in infancy (up to 1 year), coughing becomes a rather serious problem. Parents are faced with the fact that most drugs for adults are prohibited from being given to children. Therefore, cough syrups have been developed for use in infants and children at an early age. They, in turn, have their own indications for use and contraindications.
In what cases are cough syrups prescribed for children:
- if you have a dry or wet cough;
- with a runny nose accompanied by nasal congestion;
- with elevated body temperature up to 37.5 and above;
- with hoarseness, loss of appetite, sleep.
Attention! When choosing cough syrup for newborns and children, you should remember that eliminating cough symptoms is not yet the fight against the disease itself. Therapy must be approached comprehensively and fight infection (viral, bacterial, etc.).
Contraindications to the use of syrups:
- intolerance to the components of the drug (allergy);
- diabetes mellitus: the syrup contains sugar, which is excluded in this disease;
- individual fructose intolerance;
- diseases of the stomach and intestines;
- newborns and infancy, if any, are contraindications to the drug in this instruction.
List of effective cough syrups for children under one year old
As you know, the methods of treating cough in young children are radically different from the treatment of adult patients. Consequently, the use of syrups, drug release forms and dosages will also be different. For these purposes, the medications that we want to introduce you to are ideally suited.
- Flavamed: cough syrup for children under one year old based on ambroxol. Enhances the secretion of mucous secretions and has an expectorant effect. Treatment of infants from the first days of life is allowed, but only with the permission of a doctor. The dosage is determined by a specialist depending on body weight. Children from two years old – ½ measuring spoon 2 times a day. It is prescribed for both wet and dry coughs.
- The most common remedy is Ambroxol. It is used for wet coughs and is not contraindicated from the first days of life. It is one of the best drugs for wet coughs, it reduces phlegm and its removal from the bronchi. The recommended dose is ½ teaspoon twice a day.
- Ambrobene for cough for infants in syrup: a drug based on ambroxol. The effect of the medicine is enhanced by additional intake of warm liquid. Used in a volume of 2.5 ml (1/2 scoop) twice a day.
- Gedelix in cough syrup is given to infants only as prescribed by a pediatrician; it is mixed with a small amount of liquid before use. Next, you need to take the medicine with water, additionally heating it in the bottle.
- Lazolvan has a good expectorant effect. The peculiarity is that the medicine can be used for a child from 6 months of age, ½ teaspoon, washed down with water, 2 times a day. Effective for wet cough.
- Prospan, based on medicinal herbs, containing ivy leaf extract, is prescribed for children with the problem of “wet” cough.” Promotes the rapid removal of phlegm, reduces and softens cough.
Important! If your child is sick, he has symptoms of a dry or wet cough in combination with other manifestations of the disease (fever, lack of appetite, sleep disturbance, etc.) - do not try to choose a treatment yourself, trust a specialist. The medications you purchase on your own may not only fail to cure, but may also harm your baby. Contact your pediatrician promptly!
Syrup for dry cough for babies up to one year old
In the case of a cold accompanied by a severe non-productive cough in a child under one year old, taking children's cough syrups is simply necessary. The primary task in treating such a cough is to transform it into a wet cough as quickly as possible. Pharmacy chains have a wide range of medical products for the treatment of dry cough in children. Below is a list of drugs in the form of syrups for these purposes.
- Licorice root for coughs is an effective remedy for combating both dry and wet coughs. It has an immunostimulating effect, increases immunity, has a weak antispasmodic (anti-pain) effect and expectorant and anti-inflammatory effects. It has been noted to have an inhibitory effect on pathogenic microorganisms: viruses, some bacteria. Used starting from six months, 2 drops, dissolved in a teaspoon of water. The course of treatment is no longer than 10 days.
- Linkas: a plant-based syrup containing many components and having anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antispasmodic effects, and most importantly, it increases the secretory activity of the bronchial glands, producing sputum and facilitating its evacuation from the body. Prescribed to children from 6 months, ½ teaspoon two to three to four times a day.
- Bronchicum cough syrup is one of the best remedies used in the treatment of dry cough . Contains liquid thyme extract, has expectorant, bronchodilator, antimicrobial effects. Children over the age of 6 months can be prescribed 0.5 teaspoon twice a day for no more than two weeks.
- Stoptussin: approved for children from 6 months, diluted in 100 ml of water (half a glass). The dose is calculated based on the baby’s weight: up to 7 kg – 8 drops, 7 – 12 kg – 9 drops.
Video: Stoptusin Phyto syrup
For wet cough
In the treatment of productive cough in children, doctors prefer secretolytic drugs that do not cause respiratory failure and side effects.
The most effective remedies for wet cough.
- ACC – removes inflammation, helps reduce mucus, reduces its viscosity. Facilitates expectoration and improves the child's well-being. The safety of this medicine has been demonstrated in numerous studies, and it has been noted that the product contains neither sugar nor alcohol, so there are no restrictions on it.
- Ambroxol is a new generation in the fight against productive cough. Group-mucolytics. Makes breathing easier and safe for children. Capable of increasing surfactant content in the lungs.
- Ambrobene - dilutes strong mucus secretions and improves the well-being of coughers. Refers to mucolytics. Promotes good expectoration of sputum.
Folk remedies for treating cough in children
Treatment of cough in children at home
For children over two months old, you can brew healing tea from chamomile, plantain or coltsfoot.
Inhalations are made with the same herbs.
Inhalations for babies are prepared as follows: medicinal herbs are placed in a wide vessel and poured boiling water over them, then, after leaving for three minutes, this vessel is placed near the crib.
This way the baby will involuntarily inhale the healing fumes. Elderberry is useful for infants; it is almost safe for them.
This is an effective remedy for treating cough in children.
The decoction is prepared as follows:
- Brew 2 teaspoons of elderflower flowers with boiling water.
- The cooled medicinal product is given to the baby twice a day before meals and before bed.
Severe cough is treated with linden tea:
- teaspoon per 70 grams of boiling water, the decoction is given between feedings.
Sometimes a cough indicates that the baby has a serious chronic disease.
Medicines prohibited for children
There are cough syrups that are prohibited for newborns and one-year-old children who have not yet turned one year old. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the child’s body during this period. Medicines that contain the components carbocysteine or acetylcysteine should not be taken by children under one year of age. These include the following drugs: Fluifort, Fluditek, Fluimucil, Mucomixt, Medox, Mucodin. These medications may cause breathing complications. Parents need to remember the most important thing: you should not prescribe medication to your child without consulting a doctor.
Memo to caring parents: in the first year of a baby’s life, preference is given to drugs in the form of syrups created on the basis of medicinal herbs. Up to three months of age, this can be Gedelix, licorice root syrup, Herbion ivy, Prospan, Ambroxol syrup. From three to six months, the doctor may prescribe Bronchipret, and from six months - Linkas.
Does a cough always indicate illness?
Rough, dry, hard cough in a child under one year old
A cough does not always indicate the development of the disease. In some cases, the problem is hidden in the following reasons:
- dry indoor air;
- profuse drooling;
- the baby choked;
- a large amount of dust in the room;
- using washing powder with a strong odor.
The health of the child must be taken responsibly. Doctors recommend using a humidifier in the nursery.
