Question

My baby is 9 months old. Lately, they have been having white nasal discharge, no fever, and are in good spirits. However, when they drink milk or sleep, there’s a gurgling sound in their throat, as if there’s phlegm stuck. They’ve started coughing a bit since yesterday. What medication should I give them, experts?

Answer

Hello: Considering the symptoms, it appears to be a pediatric cold. When a child has a cold, they should rest in bed, consume liquid or soft foods, and for infants, temporarily reduce milk intake; maintain a stable room temperature, avoiding extremes of high or low; 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, and 3 drops per nostril for those over 2 years old). During the high fever period, drops should be administered every 15 minutes for a total of 4 times, then once every 2 hours thereafter, discontinuing at night. After the fever subsides, continue with 4 times daily. This is effective for viral colds. For nasal congestion, use Xinmeisu E Compound (10 mg of neomycin, 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, give aspirin at a dose of 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, taken every 4 to 6 hours, or perform physical cooling (cooling). If complications arise, consider the use of antibiotics.