COUGH/CROUP
"Most coughs in kids are from postnasal drip [when mucus runs down and irritates the back of the throat] from a cold, rather than an infection in the lungs," says Tanya Remer Altmann, a pediatrician and a mother of two boys in Los Angeles and the author of the upcoming Mommy Calls: 101 Most Common Questions Parents Ask Their Pediatrician (AAP). "If it's a barky cough, it's probably croup, an infection of the upper airway and voice box, but not the lungs."
how to treat them
The most common type of croup is viral, so antibiotics won't treat it. Put a humidifier in the bedroom, or run the shower and sit in the steamy bathroom for a few minutes with your kid. As for coughs, the FDA recommends that children under 2 not take any over-the-counter cough medicines. Cynthia Robertson, an integrative internist and a mother of two teenagers in San Diego, suggests treating sinus congestion with a saline nasal wash (like Little Noses).
when to call the doctor
Call if you see signs of labored breathing—"wheezing, skin sucking in above and below ribs, chest pain," Altmann says. If your child is leaning forward and still not getting air, go to the ER.
EARACHE
An earache can be painful for a kid and harrowing for a parent. "Your kid might writhe in pain," Jana says. "He might act like he's possessed." But it's rarely a medical emergency. "Even if the ear is oozing greenish pus or blood"—possible signs of a ruptured eardrum, which is fairly common—"you can wait until morning to have it looked at," Forshey adds.
how to treat it
Make sure your kid is comfortable. Give him a pain reliever, like ibuprofen (Children's Motrin), Shu says, and place a warm washcloth or hot-water bottle over the ear. You can try numbing ear drops or mullein—or garlic-oil drops, she says"but don't use them on a ruptured eardrum." Another thing to keep in mind is that 80 percent of all ear infections go away without antibiotics. And only bacterial infections respond to drugs—viral ones won't.
when to call the doctor
If there's blood or pus (again, signs of a rupture), call the doctor in the morning. Also, Shu says, if you see signs that the infection has spread—the area behind the ear is red or swollen or the child has a fever—call the doctor right away.
DIARRHEA
Common causes are diet (lots of fiber, too much juice), an inability to digest certain foods (such as lactose), infection, and gall-bladder disease.
how to treat it
As with vomiting, you want to protect against dehydration: Replenish the fluids they've lost with Pedialyte, LiquiLyte, or equal parts Gatorade and water. Altmann points out that while anti-diarrheal medications like Children's Imodium are okay to give older kids, if they're recovering and don't have a fever but have lingering diarrhea (to help them get back on a regular schedule), they're not recommended for kids younger than 2. Forshey also suggests changing your child's diet to white flour, starchy foods, bananas, and cheese for the duration. "We don't normally want to give kids an antidiarrheal to stop the diarrhea," she says, "because we'd rather get rid of the infection that's causing it."
when to call the doctor
Shu says to get medical attention if there's blood in the diarrhea. It could be a sign of bacterial infection. Call as well if your kid is especially sluggish or is too weak to take fluids—she may be severely dehydrated.
