Baby, It's Cold Outside
(and inside, too, when your little one has the sniffles)
 Every parent knows the tell-tale signs of the first winter cold. For young
children, six episodes a year are common and often spread to every member of the
family. Despite their discomfort, sneezing, a runny nose and a slight fever of
101F or less are no cause for alarm.
Call the doctor if:
- fever increases
- sore throats worsen
- earaches worsen
- breathing becomes rapid or difficult
Anthony Alario, MD, director of ambulatory pediatrics and community
medicine at Hasbro Children's Hospital, the pediatric division of Rhode Island
Hospital, advises, "Anytime parents are concerned that their child is not well, they
should keep a 24-hour record of symptoms and describe them accurately to their
physician." Unless the child's cold has advanced into something more
serious, however, don't expect your pediatrician to dispense antibiotics this
season "just in case."
Antibiotics may not be the answer
New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy
of Pediatrics encourage physicians to prescribe antibiotics with more caution.
They recommend prescribing antibiotics only when a bacterial infection is
strongly suspected.
An estimated 50 million prescriptions for unnecessary antibiotics are written
each year. Patients want a quick fix and doctors want to do something to make
people feel better. The trouble is: antibiotics not only don't have any
effect on a viral cold, they can be dangerous. These drugs wipe out all
sensitive bacteria, leaving behind superstrains that are resistant to drugs.
Parents with sick children won't be left out in the cold however. Advice
for comfort care and effective over-the-counter medications can help parent and
child weather a cold-and there's always chicken soup.
A few tried-but-true recommendations
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