Any prophylactic "meds" out there for kids re: colds & flu??

[Dsnygirl]

Just a quick question... although I'm a nurse, I can't seem to find any info on this, and I just thought of it... can't call the pediatrician & ask, as they're closed for the wknd... so I'll ask all of you, someone's bound to have the answer, or a bunch of different ones, at least!

Are there any medicines out there that children can take to ward of colds & flu?? There are so many for adults... Airborne and the like, even taking Echinacea for a few days before a trip. But on the bottles, etc., they're all listed for kids 12 and older.

My girls are 8 and 11, and have both had their flu shots (the seasonal flu, so far) but I'd still like to protect them like I can my DH and myself, esp. with what I'm reading about how widespread all the different flu strains are right now.

We usually take Airborne or Echinacea before our trips, but beyond the girl's vitamins, haven't gone beyond that for them, or even really worried about it.

But, we leave next Thursday, and to be honest, all the reports of illness at Disney have me a little more concerned than I'd normally be.

We have wipes and Purell and all that good stuff --

-- just wondering if anyone knows if there are meds that younger children can take before a trip to help boost their immune system like all the ones that are out there for adults.

:thanks: for any info you guys have!!

[Strmchsr]

We normally give our boys 1 Emergen-C drink per day. Before and during a Disney trip we give 2 a day. It's 1000mg of vitamin C plus other immune boosters and is perfectly safe for children since their body just eliminates whatever they don't need. You can find that in Wal-Mart or Walgreens in the vitamin section.

[Dsnygirl]

We normally give our boys 1 Emergen-C drink per day. Before and during a Disney trip we give 2 a day. It's 1000mg of vitamin C plus other immune boosters and is perfectly safe for children since their body just eliminates whatever they don't need. You can find that in Wal-Mart or Walgreens in the vitamin section.

:thumbsup: Perfect!! I just saw that at Wal-Mart yesterday -- thanks!! :thumbsup:

[GoofyforFun]

We do the Vitamin C and for the kids they starting taking probiotics with C and reg vitamins.
:thumbsup:

[Mysttree]

You might consider cooking with more garlic! Or maybe even taking some garlic pills- they have "no stink" versions out there.
Emergen-c is also a great product as already mentioned.
Zinc pills or lozenges are also a good thing to use.

[Twinkletoes77705]

They actualy make airborne jr. well at least they did last year when we went on our cruise. you have to order it online for the most part. However I have found to be the best is colostrum. It is pills filled with (dehydrated) the first milk of a nursing calf. It is why people nurse their babies...it builds up immunities (sp). We have done GREAT on it. Google it. you can read up on it and I am sure you will be VERY impressed. I but mine here at our health food store.

[CleveRocks]

My wife is a board-certified pediatrician who's also on-staff at a world-renowned children's hospital, and is an assistant professor of medicine at an Ivy League medical school. In other words, when she talks medicine, I listen.

Our kids are 9 and 7. They are among the healthiest kids in our community ... robust, healthy, almost never sick.

Our secret is ... we don't do anything special. We do the normal vaccines. We try to have them eat decently (but not vegetarian or organic, and we don't totally forbid junk food). We have them wash their hands or use alcohol-based gel at the normal times, such as before a meal and after using the bathroom.

But that's all just normal stuff. We do NOTHING more than that. No Airborne, no extra vitamins, no herbal preparations, no hyper-clean house, no antibacterial wipes on every surface. My wife doesn't want them to get a cold or the flu, but other than the normal stuff like washing hands and so on, there's nothing she's doing to prophylax our kids.

And yet somehow they're among the healthiest kids in our community, as measured subjectively by us, as well as objectively in not missing school or activities due to illness.

[kakn7294]

My wife is a board-certified pediatrician who's also on-staff at a world-renowned children's hospital, and is an assistant professor of medicine at an Ivy League medical school. In other words, when she talks medicine, I listen.

Our kids are 9 and 7. They are among the healthiest kids in our community ... robust, healthy, almost never sick.

Our secret is ... we don't do anything special. We do the normal vaccines. We try to have them eat decently (but not vegetarian or organic, and we don't totally forbid junk food). We have them wash their hands or use alcohol-based gel at the normal times, such as before a meal and after using the bathroom.

But that's all just normal stuff. We do NOTHING more than that. No Airborne, no extra vitamins, no herbal preparations, no hyper-clean house, no antibacterial wipes on every surface. My wife doesn't want them to get a cold or the flu, but other than the normal stuff like washing hands and so on, there's nothing she's doing to prophylax our kids.

And yet somehow they're among the healthiest kids in our community, as measured subjectively by us, as well as objectively in not missing school or activities due to illness.:ditto: that! We don't do anything special either. I believe that we need to be exposed to some germs in order for our immune systems to function at an optimal level but at the same time, I don't put my kids deliberately into situations where they will get sick. My kids are generally very healthy as well although I think my older daughter may have had a mild case of H1N1 this week.

For those who do want to try to give your children something to ward off colds, I recommend that you check with your child's pediatrician before giving them anything.

[Dsnygirl]

Our secret is ... we don't do anything special. We do the normal vaccines. We try to have them eat decently (but not vegetarian or organic, and we don't totally forbid junk food). We have them wash their hands or use alcohol-based gel at the normal times, such as before a meal and after using the bathroom.

But that's all just normal stuff. We do NOTHING more than that.
Well, that is good to know -- because we are the same way. I'm a nurse, and I know that completely wiping out all exposure to any kind of germ is just going to leave them without any immunity, and they'll likely get sicker than they'd be if they are occas. exposed to the sniffles, flu, etc. Our kids never miss school, and are rarely sick, although DD8 does seem to get an upper resp. infection every January that puts her on an inhaler for a week or two, then she's fine.

So, it's nice to know that how we handle things on a regular basis is how other people w/ even more knowhow do things... makes me feel better!

But - when we travel, I do believe in at least wiping things down and using Purell on occasion... and with all that's going on sickness-wise across the country, as much as I wouldn't mind them contracting something here at home, where they have creature comforts and no desire to leave the house, to come down with the flu or H1N1 in a strange place (and a place they want to play and have fun and not sit in a hotel room) and be exposed to an illness that is brought to Disney by someone across the country (or out of the country) means that they could react far more to that strain than what they're used to being exposed to up here. And they would miss out on parts of a trip they've been looking forward to for months.

So, although we normally travel with no more than wipes and the like, this time I feel the need to do a bit more, just in case. :blush: No matter how healthy they are up here, I know they'll be exposed to "new stuff" down there, and I figure any extra immune-boosting stuff certainly can't hurt! :thumbsup:

:thanks: for all the good tips, and when I talk to our pediatrician, I'll post their advice, too!

[Twinkletoes77705]

i TOTALY agree with 2 prev. post. I do not give children ANYTHING...yet I can say when I am about to go on a cruise or a vacation and the flu is going around. I am not afraid to take the extra something with me. My son is extra special and alot of times autistic kids "mouth" things. so to have him wash his hands is not ok for us. Sooooo the doctors here said that colostrum is a way to give natural immunities but yet not herbal and all that junk that can actually be worse for you. They also said that too much airborne is actually bad for you and has been known to cause kidney stones...OW.... My kids rarely are sick unless it allergies ( good ole South east Texas) So I say If you are paying for this vacation and dont want to be like ALOT of people in these trip reports that all got sick with the flu or what not. I say go for it. Its not going to hurt...and has been PROVEN to indeed help. I know WE cant afford to go back if this does not go good. We are on tight budget because my husband let me take kids ( DH not big fan ) SO I DEF. plan on boosing kids up for this trip...FO SHO! ;) It is not like it will help them get it. Infact one family here ( Bless theire hearts) got there and kids got sick second day in. They had to leave. Gosh I felt so bad for them. If I had to do that I would not get to go back for a few years :( Have a wonderful day! WEATHER IS GREAT HERE!!!!