Question
My baby is 9 months old, and for the past few days, they have been sneezing with white mucus, not running a fever, and they seem in good condition. However, when they drink milk or sleep, their throat makes a honking sound as if there’s a lot of phlegm. They’ve started to cough a bit since yesterday. What medication should I give them, experts?
Answer
Hello: Considering the symptoms, it’s possible that your child has a cold. When your child has a cold, they should rest in bed, consume liquid or soft foods, and temporarily reduce the amount of milk for infants. Maintain a stable room temperature, avoiding extremes of heat or cold; the relative humidity in the room should ideally be between 50% to 60%. In recent years, a 10% ribavirin (virazole) solution has been used for regional nasal drops in the upper respiratory tract (2 drops per nostril for children under 2 years old, 3 drops per nostril for children over 2 years old). During the high fever period, drop it every 15 minutes for a total of 4 times, then once every 2 hours thereafter, discontinuing at night. After the fever subsides, switch to 4 times daily. This is effective for viral infections. For nasal congestion, you can use Xinmeisu E Compound (10 mg of neomycin sulfate, 5 mg of hydrocortisone, and 10 mg of ephedrine, diluted with physiological saline to 10 ml). Apply it before meals or before bedtime, using it 4 to 6 times daily, with 2 drops per nostril each time. For temperatures above 38.5°C, you can give aspirin at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, taken every 4 to 6 hours, or use physical cooling methods. If complications occur, consider using antibiotics.