Cough medicine for kids

Walking into a pharmacy can be quite overwhelming when it comes to trying to choose the right product to ease your child’s cough. The first thing to know is that the science behind cough medicines is not conclusive, but anecdotally people find them effective in helping to reduce their cough’s severity.

The second is that your child’s cough is most likely caused by a virus – occasionally a bacterial infection– and the cough medicines are designed to ease symptoms but they can’t cure it or make it go away any quicker.

The third thing to bear in mind is that coughs are worse at night – gravity when lying flat causes the secretions from their nose, throat and chest to pool and irritate -just when you want them to get a good night’s sleep. So, cough medicines may be a good idea at night and to have by the bedside in case they awaken with a coughing fit.

Your child’s age is a good place to start when choosing a cough medicine. Many cough medicines are not suitable for children under the age of 6 years unless directed by a physician. For kids younger than 6 months, Tylenol infant suspension and Motrin infant suspension can be used to provide some relief if your child has a persistent cough causing discomfort associated with a temperature. Different types of ingredients found within cough syrups have different properties to soothe irritation, hopefully aiding comfort and soothing them to sleep.