Our children's health

It's flu and cold season. The hacking coughs, runny noses, sniffles seem to be part of the landscape at home and at school. As a parent, what do we do for our child who is sick, miserable and definitely uncomfortable. We want to make them better and as fast as possible. In this age of seeking quick solutions to our everyday problems, there is always a quick remedy as close as the medicine cabinet or pharmacists shelf.

But wait, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently called for a ban on all non-prescription pediatric medicines for coughs and colds. In a recent article in the Globe & Mail, columnist Andre Picard writes about the risks and dangers including death and adverse reactions in varying degrees of severity.

He goes on to say that Health Canada "strongly advises parents and caregivers to carefully read the labels and instructions for these products and to check the medicinal ingredients before giving them to any child, especially under the age of 2."

Picard's next word of advice is "Forget the wishy-washy bureaucratese." Get rid of these products both for children and adult—so you won't be tempted to give any of it to children—as they are virtually useless as remedies for coughs and colds.

In closing, Picard suggests the advises the following: "Symptom relief comes in many forms: A painkiller for fever, a humidifier for a stuffy nose, a cup of chicken soup for an empty belly, a favourite video for distraction, and a hug for reassurance."'

Good practical parenting does not always involve quick cures for whatever the problem may be.