Over-The-Counter Medications For Kids – Part 1: Tackling Fevers, Allergies And Colds
Wellness
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Kids’ over-the-counter medication: Fever, allergies and colds
Caring for children during cold and flu season can be challenging, especially when fevers, allergies and colds seem to strike all at once. Understanding the symptoms and knowing how to manage them is crucial for parents. Fevers in kids often cause alarm, but they’re typically a sign the body is fighting off an infection. Meanwhile, seasonal allergies can exacerbate cold symptoms, making it tricky to determine the cause of discomfort.
Deciding among the different over-the-counter (OTC) medication options that can help kids can be confusing and overwhelming. Learn about how to treat fevers, allergies and colds below and discover OTC medicine options for kids.
Need help with OTC medications for constipation, gas and indigestion?
Fever and pain medication for kids
For most kids, fever and pain can be safely treated with 2 medications, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. If your child is 2 years old or younger, talk with your pediatrician before giving acetaminophen. Ibuprofen is safe for children 6 months and older.
If your child is 3 months old or younger, always let your pediatrician know about a temperature over 100.4° F. For older children, medication typically isn’t needed for a fever under 102° F.
If your child has discomfort from a fever, consider these medications to help. As shown in the table, each of these generic medications is marketed and sold under several different brand names. Be sure to follow the package instructions or your pediatrician’s advice for proper dosing.
| Active Ingredient | Common Brand Name | Additional Medication Information |
|---|---|---|
| Acetaminophen | Tylenol®, PediaCare® Children's Acetaminophen, FeverAll®, Little Remedies®, Tempra® |
|
| Ibuprofen | Motrin®, Advil®, PediaCare® Children's Ibuprofen |
|
Because these fever and pain medications use different active ingredients and mechanisms to treat symptoms, parents can use both acetaminophen and ibuprofen (alone or in combination) to safely treat their child’s fever and pain. Learn more about child fevers.
- Aspirin should not be used in children (less than 16 years of age) with viral illnesses due to an association with Reye’s syndrome, a serious and potentially life-threatening illness.
- Although acetaminophen can safely be used, fever-reducing medications should not be given to babies less than 2 months old before speaking with a pediatrician or health care provider. Learn more about fever and its causes and treatment.
- Too much acetaminophen can be dangerous for your child. Be sure to check all OTC medication ingredients for acetaminophen so you know exactly how much you’re giving your child.
Allergy medication for kids
Allergies and colds can be common in children, especially when the seasons shift, and the body adapts to changing weather patterns. Luckily, avoiding allergens as much as possible and taking OTC allergy medicine can help kids manage symptoms. Children with allergic symptoms, such as a long-lasting itchy/runny nose, sneezing/sniffling or watery/pink eyes, may need to take a daily medication to help reduce their symptoms.
Some OTC allergy medicines are approved for children as young as 6 months. Always check the product label to make sure the medication is approved for your child’s age. When in doubt, talk to your child’s pediatrician.
Common antihistamines include diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine. These medications block histamine from causing allergic symptoms. As shown in the table, many of the generic allergy medications for kids have several different brand names.
| Active Ingredient | Common Brand Name | Additional Medication Information |
|---|---|---|
| Diphenhydramine | Benadryl® |
|
| Loratadine | Claritin®, Alavert® |
|
| Cetirizine | Zyrtec® |
|
| Fexofenadine | Allegra® |
|
Although these allergy medications use different active ingredients to treat allergic symptoms, they all similarly block histamine and should not be used in combination unless advised by your pediatrician or health care provider.
- Diphenhydramine is a quick-acting antihistamine that requires more frequent dosing and is typically used to treat shorter-acting symptoms, such as hives, itchiness or severe allergic reactions. Also, because it causes drowsiness, diphenhydramine is often found in many nighttime cold and cough medications.
- Loratadine, cetirizine and fexofenadine, on the other hand, can be used for more persistent or chronic allergic symptoms since they’re longer acting and only given once or twice a day. They’re not as effective as diphenhydramine for allergy-related coughs.
- Try different allergy medicines to determine which one works best for your child.
Cold and cough medication for kids
When it comes to children’s cold and cough relief, popular OTC medications typically contain active ingredients such as acetaminophen (for reducing fever); brompheniramine, chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine (antihistamines to manage allergy symptoms); phenylephrine (a decongestant); dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant); and guaifenesin (a cough expectorant). Each brand and product uses a unique combination of these ingredients to target different symptoms. The difference between each children’s cold and cough medicine brand (and their multiple products) lies in the “recipe” of active ingredients found in each medication.
- For example, Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold & Flu contains acetaminophen and diphenhydramine.
- Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold contains dextromethorphan, guaifenesin and phenylephrine.
In general, young children (under age 7) should not use OTC cough and cold medications unless directed by a health care provider. Do not use OTC cough and cold medicine for babies and young children under 4. Research does not support or show that these medications provide any symptomatic relief or improvement in young children and have been associated with serious and potentially life-threatening side effects related to their use.
Common kids’ cold and cough medication brand names
- Children’s Mucinex® Cough & Congestion
- Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold
- Children’s Nyquil™ Cold & Cough Medicine
- Children’s Robitussin® Cough & Cold CF
- Children’s Robitussin® Cough & Cold Long-Acting
- Children’s Sudafed PE® Cough + Cold
- Dimetapp® Cold & Cough
- Dimetapp® Multisymptom Cold & Flu
- Dimetapp® Nighttime Cold & Cough
- PediaCare® Cough & Cold
- PediaCare® Cough & Congestion
For children who are too young for OTC medications, alternative kids products, such as saline (salt water) sprays, suction bulbs/syringes/aspirators and cool mist humidifiers, can all be used safely.
When to see a doctor
If chosen and used appropriately, common, childhood symptoms and illnesses can be safely treated with OTC medications. Kids’ OTC medications can help with allergies, fever and cold symptoms.
However, if your child has a chronic, medical illness or severe and persistent symptoms, you should always speak with your pediatrician or subspecialty doctor before starting any new medications. Find a Texas Children’s Pediatrics location near you.
If your child accidentally takes too much medication or the wrong medication, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. If he/she becomes unresponsive, stops breathing and turns blue, develops seizure-like activity or appears very ill, call 911 and seek medical care immediately.
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