Stating the Obvious (Maggie)

Today the FDA has announced that over-the-counter cough and cold remedies should not be given to children under two years of age. It is expected (according to Dr. Nancy Snyderman on NBC's Today Show) that this is a first step on the way to a broader recommendation that they not be given to children under the age of 6. A logical leap would suggest the final step would be a full out ban, rather than just a recommendation. Dr. Nancy says the thing to remember is that these remedies don't cure the cold or other virus that's causing your child discomfort. All they claim to do is ease the symptoms, but studies have shown the risk of overdose is extremely high, and that the remedies often don't even do that much.

So you stop giving them. Honestly, I'd hate to think of trying to raise kids without over the counter medications, as often as mine were sick. But I guess that's just because we've become dependent on them, and have gotten a bit lazy about finding alternatives--because we haven't been forced to.

The obvious question to me is, if no one under six really needs over-the-counter medication to get over a cold, then how do we justify them for anyone else? If a six-year-old or a two-year-old or an eight-month-old can suffer through a cold without chemical help, why can't a grown up?

Good question, huh?

The answer--we can. And we probably should.

There are tons and tons of remedies that work as well as (and possibly better than) those over the counter chemical cocktails.
Tomato juice dosed with a dash of cayenne pepper, for example. Vick's Vapo-Rub, a dollop of it in a vaporizor will work wonders. For babies with croup, clap treatments every few hours. (That's where you lay the baby across your lap, face down, with her head lower than her bottom, and firmly pat the back, up and down for several minutes at a time, cupping your hand just so. It loosens the flem and congestion.)

Chicken soup actually works. They (and I don't know precisely who "they" are, but does it matter?) actually spent bucks on a study to PROVE that chicken soup works to ease cold symptoms. It has to be homemade, or so I'm told. Tea. Brandy. (Not for the kids, of course.) There are countless home remedies. Turn on the shower really hot and hold the baby in the steam that builds up in the bathroom. Warm baths and lavender scents help baby sleep. Mint helps a tummy ache. Rubbing the belly in a clockwise circular motion eases constipation.

Do you know that a cup of strong coffee can fend off an impending asthma attack, and cure a headache? Amazing, if you ask me.

Maybe if we want our kids to grow up without the risks of over-using over-the-counter meds, we should begin showing them by example. Maybe if we expect them to suffer through a cold with nothing more than ordinary, natural, home remedies, we should start doing the same. Because if we do, we'll really begin to learn which natural remedies work and which don't. We'll become experts in the field, through trial and error and our own experience. Our bodies will get tougher, learning how to deal with things we used to drug into oblivion. (Or did we just drug ourselves to the point of being unable to feel them?)

Why don't we try it for awhile and see how it goes?

And of course, the number one way to ease the symptoms of an illness, is distraction. It honestly is. Having friends over who make you laugh or just are so much fun you love seeing them can make every symptom fade to nothingness. Getting involved in a fabulous movie or book. Dragging yourself off the couch for a gentle walk, long drive, easy shopping trip, or visit to the corner coffee house are all wonderful ideas. So are soaking in a hot, scented bath, long phone conversations with loved ones, an hour spent with a favorite hobby like arranging flowers or sewing--all these things are distractions. In short, it's back to my basic and oft repeated philosophy--just reach for something that feels better. Do what gives you pleasure. Find a sense of relief, and go there, give your attention to that instead of to the problems. And the problems fade and die.

So for children, distraction can work just as well. For older kids, a favorite movie, or game or easy activity might work For younger ones, being held, rocked and cuddled is far better than lying in a crib all stuffy and feverish. Didn't you ever notice how much more they want to be held and loved when they're sick? It's because the attention makes them feel better. And snuggling is the best imaginable distraction from the illness, which is WHY it makes them feel better. And they get better faster BECAUSE they feel better.

(To get anything you want, you just practice feeling as if you already have it, and before you know it, you do! So to get over an illness, do things that make you feel better, and before you know it, you'll be better!)

I'd love to hear everyone's home remedies. We should compile a whole list of helpful suggestions for children with colds and sniffles who can no longer use over the counter meds, to help those poor moms get through what I often refer to as, "The Viral Years."

Maggie