The drugs that are usually prescribed for the treatment of influenza in children are analgesics, anti-inflammatories, antipyretics and / or antihistamines, which have the function of relieving symptoms such as pain in the body, throat and head, fever, congestion nasal, runny nose or cough, for example.
In addition, rest is also very important, as well as the intake of liquids and foods rich in water, which help to prevent dehydration.
Generally, the doctor prescribes medications indicated for the child's symptoms:
1. Fever and chills
Fever is a very common symptom of the flu, which is a symptom that can be relieved with antipyretic drugs, such as paracetamol, dipyrone or ibuprofen, for example:
- Paracetamol (Cimegripe Infant and Child): This medication should be administered in drops or syrup, every 6 hours, and the dose to be administered depends on the child's weight. Check the dosages of Cimegripe for children and babies. Dipyrone (Novalgina infantile): Dipyrone can be given in drops, syrup or suppository, every 6 hours, for children and babies from 3 months of age. The dose to be administered also depends on the child's weight. Find out what dose is right for your baby. Ibuprofen (Alivium): Ibuprofen can be given to children from 6 months of age and should be administered every 6 to 8 hours, the dose to be administered should be appropriate to the child's weight. See the dosage of the drops and oral suspension.
In addition to pharmacological treatment, there are other measures that can help relieve a child's fever, such as removing excess clothing, placing a towel wet with cold water on the forehead and wrists, or drinking cold water, for example.
2. Pain in the body, head and throat
In some cases, the flu can cause headache, sore throat and muscle pain, which can be relieved with the same remedies used to treat fever, mentioned above, which in addition to antipyretic properties, also have analgesic action:
- Paracetamol (Cimegripe Baby and Child); Dipyrone (children's Novalgine); Ibuprofen (Alivium).
If the child has a sore throat, he can also use a spray, with antiseptic and analgesic action, such as Flogoral or Neopiridin, for example, which should be administered locally, but only in children older than 6 years.
3. Cough
Cough is one of the common flu symptoms and can be dry or with sputum. It is very important to know how to identify the type of cough, in order to use the most suitable medication, which should be prescribed by the doctor.
Some examples of cough remedies with sputum that the doctor may indicate are:
- Ambroxol (Mucosolvan Pediatric), which can be administered 2 to 3 times a day, in syrup or drops, in children over 2 years of age; Acetylcysteine (Fluimucil Pediatric), which can be administered 2 to 3 times a day, in syrup, to children older than 2 years; Bromhexine (Bisolvon Infantil), which can be administered 3 times a day, in syrup or drops, in children older than 2 years; Carbocysteine (Pediatric Mucofan), which can be administered in syrup form, to children over the age of 5 years.
Find out which doses of these drugs are suitable for your child's weight.
Some examples of remedies for dry cough that can be given to children are:
- Dropropizine (Pediatric Atossion, Notuss Pediatric), indicated for children from 2 years old. The recommended dose in children aged 2 to 3 years is 2.5 ml to 5 ml, 4 times a day, and in children older than 3 years is 10 ml, 4 times a day; Levodropropizine (Antux), indicated for children from 2 years. The recommended dose for children weighing between 10 to 20 kg is 3 ml of syrup up to 3 times a day, and with weight between 21 and 30 kg, the recommended dose is 5 ml of syrup up to 3 times a day; Clobutinol hydrochloride + doxylamine succinate (Hytos Plus), indicated for children from 2 years old. The recommended dose of the drops is 5 to 10 drops in children aged 2 to 3 years and 10 to 20 drops, in children aged 3 to 12 years, 3 times a day, and the syrup is 2.5 mL to 5 mL in children between 2 and 3 years and 5 mL at 10 mL, in children between 3 and 12 years, 3 times a day.
Also learn how to prepare home remedies for cough.
4. Nasal congestion
For children with nasal congestion or runny nose, the doctor may recommend a nasal wash solution, such as Neosoro Infantil or Maresis baby, for example, which help to wash the nose and dilute the secretions.
If nasal congestion is very intense and causes a lot of discomfort in the baby and child, the doctor may also prescribe nasal decongestants and / or antihistamines, such as:
- Desloratadine (Desalex), which is an antihistamine whose recommended dose is 2 mL in children aged 6 to 11 months, 2.5 mL in children aged 1 to 5 years and 5 mL in children aged between 6 and 11 years old; Loratadine (Claritin), which is an antihistamine whose recommended dose is 5 ml per day, in children under 30 kg and 10 ml per day, in children over 30 kg; Oxymetazoline (pediatric Afrin), which is a nasal decongestant and the recommended dose is 2 to 3 drops in each nostril, 2 times a day, morning and night.
Alternatively, the doctor can advise a medication that has both nasal decongestant and antihistamine actions, as is the case with Decongex Plus oral solution, which can be given to children over 2 years and the recommended dose is 2 drops per kg of weight.
