Drugs & Supplements

Cough medicine for kids

 

Kids are more prone to cold and cough. If they suffer from cough for a long time then don’t be afraid. But look out for best cough syrup for kids or dry cough syrup for kids or night time cough syrup. Then give it your child which will help you kid to get rid of the cough

Cough medicine for kids with treatment protocol

Are your kids having cough persisting for long? Do you want Cough medicine for kids?

It might be your kid is suffering from a dry cough or wet cough.

Do you know the reasons for the dry cough or wet cough? There are different reasons for having a productive and non-productive cough.  Similarly, there are remedies for its prevention as well.

The detailed information about its causes and about the Cough medicine for kids and Dry cough syrup for kids is described below. Let’s have a look into it.

What is the cough?

Cough is the most frequent symptom of respiratory disease and is caused by stimulation of sensory nerves in the mucosa of the pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi.

Acute sensitization of the general cough reflex occurs in several circumstances. And is typically induced by changes in air temperature or exposure to irritants, such as cigarette smoke, dust, or fragrances.

Cough plays an integral role in guarding the lower airways against inhaled irritants, pollutants, and infectious agents.

The cough reflex exhibits miraculous plasticity, such that in the context of infectious or inflammatory respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis the cough reflex can become dysregulated, leading to a persistent cough.

A constant, nonproductive (dry) cough can rob sufferers of quality of life.

Common causes of cough with clinical features

OriginCommon causesClinical features
PharynxPost-nasal dripHistory of chronic rhinitis
LarynxLaryngitis, tumour, whooping cough, croupVoice or swallowing altered, harsh or painful cough
Paroxysms of cough, often associated with stridor
TracheaTracheitisRaw retrosternal pain with cough
BronchiBronchitis(acute) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Asthma
Eosinophilic bronchitis

Lung cancer
Dry or productive, worse in morning

Usually dry, worse at night
Features similar to asthma but airway hyper-reactivity absent
Persistent(often with haemoptysis)
Lung parenchymaTuberculosis
Pneumonia
Bronchiectasis

Pulmonary oedema
Interstitial fibrosis
Productive(often with haemoptysis)
Dry initially, productive later
Productive, changes in posture induce sputum production
Often at night(maybe productive of pink, frothy sputum)
Dry and distressing
Drug side-effectAngiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorsDry cough
AspirationGastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)History of acid reflux, heartburn, hiatus hernia
Obesity
Adapted from Munro JF, Campbell IW. Macleod’s CLinical examination, 10th edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier Ltd;2000.

Best Cough medicine for kids

Kids can easily suffer from cold and cough. Don’t be afraid but look out for the best cough medicine for kids. Cold and cough medicine for kids can pose a crucial risk. Know the actuality and understand treatment alternatives. Here we have discussed the Dry cough syrup for kids and cough medicine for kids briefly according to their causes. We have also mentioned its indication, interaction, side effects, doses, and all.

There are many best cough medicine for kids. Let’s look out for the best cough medicine for kids. There are some of best cough medicine for kids given below:

Pharyngeal demulcents

  • Lozenges
  • Syrups
  • Glycerine
  • Liquorice

Expectorants (Mucokinetics)

Secretion enhancers

  • Pot. Citrate
  • Pot. Iodide
  • Guaiphenesin
  • Tolu balsam
  • Vasaka
  • Ammon. Chloride

Mucolytics

  • Bromhexine
  • Ambroxol
  • Acetylcysteine
  • Carbocisteine

Adjuvant antitussives (Bronchodilators)

  • Salbutamol
  • Terbutaline

Antitussives (Cough centre suppressants)

Opioids

  • Codeine
  • Ethylmorphine
  • Pholcodine

Nonopioids

  • Noscapine
  • Dextromethorphan
  • Chlophedianol

Antihistaminics

  • Chlorpheniramine
  • Diphenhydramine
  • promethazine

Treatment protocol

Always better to visit Doctor then search on google. These medications are based on personal practice

Age- Less than three months

If cough then first auscultate the lung

if finding

  1. Crepitation Do Nebulisation with N/S 3cc, 4-6 hourly a day with Antibiotic (Drop Amoxycillin)
  2. wheeze: Do Nebulisation with salbutamol 0.5cc and N/S 2.5cc (total-3cc)

if chest is clear then Drop Nasivion-s (constitute of N/s) – Two drops in each Nostril: SOS

For 3-6 months

Coughing but chest clear

Drop Ambroxol hydrochloride (0.5ml – Po TDSx 5 days)

Nasal blockage present or chest with conducted breath sound: Drop Nasivion-s (constitute of N/s)Two drops in each Nostril: SOS along with Drop Ambroxol

If no Nasal blockage then only Drop Ambroxol

if finding

  1. Crepitation Do Nebulisation with N/S 3cc, 4-6 hourly a day with Antibiotic (Drop Amoxycillin – 0.wt ml for eg. 4kg baby need Drop Amoxycillin- 0. 4ml – PO –TDS) along with Drop Ambroxol
  2. wheeze: Do Nebulisation with salbutamol 0.5cc and N/S 2.5cc (total-3cc)along with Antibiotic (Drop Amoxycillin – 0.wt ml for eg. 4kg baby need Drop Amoxycillin- 0. 4ml – PO – TDS) along with drop Ambroxol

For 6-9 months

Coughing but chest clear

Drop Alex (Phenylephrine Hydrochloride and chlorpheniramineMealate)  (0.5ml – Po TDS x 5 days)

Nasal blockage present or chest with conducted breath sound: Drop Nasivion-s (constitute of N/s) Two drops in each Nostril: SOS along with Drop Alex

If no Nasal blockage then only Drop Alex

if finding

  1. Crepitation
  • Do Nebulisation with N/S – 3cc, 4-6 hourly a day along with
  • Antibiotic (SYPAmoxyclav 200+28.5/5ml. WT/2 – 2 times a day for eg. 8kg baby need sypAmoxyclav 4ml – PO – bd@50mg/kg/day, can cause loose stool so better to avoid in diarrhoeal condition if Diarrhoealcodition then give SypCefpodem 50mg/5ml – WT/2 – 2 times a day for eg. 8kg baby need Sypcefpodem 4ml – PO – bd @10ml/kg/day ) –
  • Drop Alex
  1. wheeze:
  • Do Nebulisation with salbutamol 0.5cc and N/S 2.5cc (total-3cc) 4-6 hourly a day along with
  •  Antibiotic (SYP Amoxyclav 200+28.5/5ml. WT/2 – 2 times a day for eg. 8kg baby need sypAmoxyclav 4ml – PO – bd @50mg/kg/day, can cause loose stool so better to avoid in diarrhoeal condition if Diarrhoealcodition then give SypCefpodem 50mg/5ml – WT/2 – 2 times a day for eg. 8kg baby need Sypcefpodem 4ml – PO – bd @10ml/kg/day ) Add
  • -if no Nebuavailavable then gives Syrup Salbutamol 2mg/5ml – wt/3 – for eg. 9kg baby need syrup salbutamol 3ml – PO –TDS

Pharyngeal demulcents

It is one of the best cough medicine for kids.Pharyngeal demulcents soothe the throat and reduce afferent impulses from the unnamed/ irritated pharyngeal mucosa, thus provide symptomatic relief in dry cough arising from throat.

Expectorants (Mucokinetics)

Expectorants (Mucokinetics) are drugs believed to increase bronchial secretion or reduce its viscosity, facilitating its removal by coughing.

Sodium and potassium citrate is considered to increase bronchial secretion by salt-action.

Potassium iodide is secreted by bronchial glands and can irritate the airway mucosa. Prolonged use can affect thy roid function and produce iodism. I t is not used now. Guaiphenesin, Vasaka, tolu balsam are plant products that are supposed to enhance bronchial secretion and mucociliary function while being secreted by tracheobronchial glands.

Ammonium salts are nauseating- reflexly increase respiratory secretions. A variety of expectorant formulations containing an assortment of the above ingredients, often in combination with antitussives/ antihistaminics are marketed and briskly promoted, but obj active evidence of the efficacy of expectorants is nonconclusive.

The US-FDA has stopped the marketing of all expectorants, except guaiphenesin. Steam inhalation and proper hydration may be more helpful in clearing airway mucus.

Mucolytics

Mucolytics are one of the best cough medicine for kids and are recommended to kids.

Bromhexine: A derivative of the alkaloid Vasicine obtained from Adhatoda Vasica (Vasaka), is mucolytic and Mucokinetic capable of inducing thin copious bronchial secretion.it is one of the best cough medicine for kids. 

It depolymerizes mucopolysaccharides directly as well as by liberating lysosomal enzymes- a network of fibres in tenacious sputum is broken. It is particularly useful if mucus plugs are present.

Ambroxol: A metabolite of bromhexine having identical mucolytic action uses and side effects like rhinorrhoea and lacrimation, nausea. gastric irritation, hypersensitivity.

Acetylcysteine: It opens disulfide bonds in mucoproteins present in sputum and makes it less viscid. It can be administered orally (200-600 mg TDS) as well as by inhalation of I0-20% nebulized solution. In intubated patients, the thick sticky secretion can be liquefied by instillation of I 0- 20% acetylcysteine solution directly into the respiratory tract.

Opioids

Morphine and its congeners are the most effective antitussives, but morphine is not suitable for treating cough, because of its strong addicting and respiratory depressant property.

Codeine: An opium alkaloid, qualitatively similar to and less potent than morphine, but is more selective for cough center. Codeine is regarded as the standard antitussive; suppresses cough for about 6 hours.

Ethylmorphine: It is jointly related to codeine which is methylmorphine. And has antitussive, respiratory depressant properties Iike it, but is expected to be less constipating.

Nonopioids

Noscapine (Narcotine): Noscapine is an opium alkaloid of the benzylisoquinoline series, which settled down dry cough but has no narcotic, anlage ic or dependence inducing properties.

It is nearly commensurable antitussive as codeine, especially useful in spasmodic cough. Headache and nausea occasionally occur as side effects. It can release histamine and produce bronchoconstriction in asthmatics.

Dextromethorphan A synthetic central MDA ( -methyl D-aspartate) receptor antagonist; the d-isomer has antitussive action while /-isomer is analgesic. Dextromethorphan does not depress the mucociliary function of the airway mucosa and is practically devoid of constipating action though considered nonaddicting.

Ch/chlophedianol It is a centrally acting antitussive with weak antihistaminic, anticholinergic, and local anesthetic properties. The onset of action is slow and duration longer.

Prenoxdiazine A drug developed in Hungary which acts as antitussive by desensitizing the pulmonary stretch receptors. Tussal impulses originating in the lungs arc suppressed. Efficacy, however, is not impressive.

Antihistaminics

Antihistamine is also known as the best cough medicine for kids. Many H1 antihistamines have been conventionally added to antitussive/expectorant formulations. Antihistamine medicine affords relief in dry cough due to their sedative and anticholinergic actions but lacks selectivity for the cough center.

They have no cough medicine for kids (dry cough syrup for kids) property, may even reduce secretions by anticholinergic action. They have been distinctively promoted for cough in respiratory allergic states, though their lack of ability in asthma is legendary. Chlorpheniramine (2- 5 mg), Diphenhydramine ( 15- 25 mg) and Promethazine

Dry cough syrup for kids

Kids cough can be a sign of a simple cold or something more serious that needs medical attention. Many things can cause dry cough in kids. If your child is suffering from a dry cold then don’t be afraid but look at for dry cough syrup for kids. There is various dry cough syrup for kids. Here is the list of dry cough syrup for kids.

  • Bromhexine
  • Pseudoephedrine
  • Dextromethorphan
  • Butamirate citrate
  • Levodroproprizine
  • Codeine
  • Ambroxol
Night time cough syrup :

You might wonder if there is any night time cough syrup present for your kids. Don’t worry here are some of the night time cough syrup which can be given to you child. Let’s look into the some list of night time cough syrup for kids:

  1. Robitussin night time cough syrup
  2. Zarbee’s night time cough syrup
  3. Benylin night time cough syrup
  4. Triamnic night time cough syrup
  5. Hyland’s for kids night time cough syrup
  6. Dimetapp night time cough syrup

Conclusion

Although most coughs in children don’t cause serious complications. But they can cause anxiety in parents. And cough is among the top reasons children visit a physician.

There is both prescriptive and nonprescriptive cough medicine for kids. But most children will get better on their own, and most of the kids suffering from dry cough need dry cough syrup for kids.

So, look out for the list of dry cough syrup for kids to give it to you kid.

It’s better to treat kids with home remedies for cough rather than going with cough medicine for kids. Because cough and cold drugs also have serious side effects. So it’s essential to know when your kids need cough medications.

Mehedi Hasan

Mehedi Hasan is an enthusiastic health blogger and the founder member of WOMS. He likes to share his thoughts to make people inspired about their fitness. He is an experienced writer and author on highly authoritative health blogs.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button