Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The ones that cause drowsiness can depress breathing, which is dangerous in kids.
My ped says coughing is required to expel phlegm, but I think she's full of it.
She is actually right, coughing is actually a life saving reflex, supressing a wet cough can actually be very dangerous in little kids, especially at night. The worst are medicines that combine both an expectorant and a suppresant.
Sorry, I should clarify: I agree that it's important to get rid of the crud, when there's crud to get rid of. But when there's just that dry, irritated cough, I'd like that to be acknowledged and addressed, instead of just getting the party line.
My dad is an old-school pediatrician, and in cases like this, where it's an issue of irritation and not congestion, he (when he was practicing-- he's retired now) prescribed a very low dose of codeine cough syrup, even for small children. It's the sleep aid that calms the useless cough reflex; this can be dangerous in some situations, of course.