A GP and mum has revealed four things that she doesn’t do when her kids are sick, and they are mistakes that so many parents make.
When our children are unwell, we want nothing more than to help them feel better. Whether that’s doing an emergency dash to the pharmacy for Calpol, running to the shop for comfort foods or the expensive and extra soft tissues, or letting them sleep in our bed until they are feeling better.
But while we will go above and beyond for them, there are some things that you should actually avoid, and they are things that parents may think are helping.
RELATED: GP And Dad Shares 3 Things Not To Do If Your Child Has A Cold
4 Things this doctor doesn’t do when her kids are sick
Dr Eliza, a GP and one of the faces behind the Instagram page Boob to Food, shares tips for parents on a wide variety of topics, from feeding to speech development to health.
The doctor and mum-of-three shared some things that she always does when her kids are unwell, before adding the four things she doesn’t do.
- Use antibiotics for a viral illness – Antibiotics can be useful, but they will not help if the illness is viral, which Eliza says ‘most’ childhood illnesses are.
- Use decongestants in babies or young toddlers – While decongestants are useful to help clear stuffy noses and sinuses, they are not safe for small children. You should contact your doctor if you have any queries about this.
- Don’t treat every fever – Sometimes a fever is a sign of something serious, but often it is just the body’s way of fighting off a virus. ‘A child with a high fever who is alert, drinking, and interacting is very different from a child with a lower fever who is floppy, lethargic and difficult to wake,’ the GP said.
- Use cough syrup – Dr Eliza says that she ‘skips’ cough syrup as most ‘haven’t shown to work well in children and some can in fact be risky.’ She advises giving children over 12 months honey as it can help soothe a cough and irritated throat.
