Patient's question:
My baby is 9 months old. These past few days, he has been having white nasal discharge, without a fever, and his overall condition is still relatively good. However, he has been making a rattling sound in his throat while drinking milk and sleeping, as if there is phlegm blocking it. Starting from yesterday, he has also developed a slight cough. Could you please ask the expert what kind of medicine the child should take?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Based on the symptoms, it is considered that the child has a cold. When a child has a cold, it is advisable to rest in bed, eat liquid or soft foods, and infants should temporarily reduce their milk intake. The room temperature should be stable, avoiding extremes of too high or too low. The relative humidity in the room is best between 50% and 60%.In recent years, the use of 10% ribavirin (vira) for local nasal drops in the upper respiratory tract has been effective against viral colds. For children under 2 years old, 2 drops per nostril on each side are used, and for those over 2 years old, 3 drops per nostril on each side. During periods of high fever, start by applying 1 drop every 15 minutes for a total of 4 times, then every 2 hours thereafter. Use should be discontinued at night, and after the fever subsides, it should be changed to 4 times daily.
If there is nasal congestion, Neosynephrine mixture (containing 10 mg neomycin, 5 mg hydrocortisone, and 10 mg ephedrine, with normal saline added to 10 mL) can be used. Apply it before meals or before bedtime, 4 to 6 times daily, with 2 drops per nostril on each side each time. For temperatures exceeding 38.5°C, aspirin at a dose of 10 mg/kg can be given every 4 to 6 hours, or physical cooling measures can be taken.
If complications occur, antibiotics should be considered.