Most parents know that colds are caused by viruses. There are hundreds of different cold viruses, and the average child comes down with 5 or 6 of them each year. Children in daycare centers get more colds early in life, but once they've built up their immunity to many of the common viruses, they get fewer. Antibiotics kill bacteria, but don't do anything for the common cold. It doesn't make sense to take an antibiotic "just in case," because unneeded antibiotics encourage the growth of resistant germs.
It came as a revelation to me - but it shouldn't have - that chicken soup really does combat the common cold. Chicken soup may be an old wives' tale, but old wives are sometimes right! When you have a cold, white blood cells rush to your nose, releasing chemicals that cause congestion. In the laboratory, diluted essence of chicken soup reduces the activity of white blood cells. The warmth, saltiness, and protein also probably help. Kathi Kemper, MD, author of The Holistic Pediatrician, points out that chicken soup works best when sipped, not gulped. Be sure to add carrots and onions and other veggies to get the best effect.
Vitamin C is less of a clear-cut story. You can find scientific studies that showing that large doses can prevent and shorten colds. But when scientists combine the results of many well-done studies in what is called a "meta-analysis" - as they did in a recent article in the trusted Cochrane Database -- the benefits from C are small or non-existent. I wouldn't give large doses of vitamin C to a baby, but an otherwise healthy child can safely handle 1000 mg or more. So if you believe in C, go for it. Zinc, another favorite, has not been shown to be effective in for colds in otherwise healthy children.
Dry air dries out the mucus in a child's nose, so it helps to keep the air in your child's room comfortably humid. But making it downright steamy doesn't help, and may be uncomfortable. Cool-mist humidifiers add moisture to the air as well as hot-steam vaporizers, with no risk of scalding. (Be sure to clean out the humidifier to prevent mold; a daily rinse with diluted bleach water works well.) Menthol and eucalyptus in the vaporizer can be soothing. They may not actually open up clogged noses, but they often make children feel better.
The most dangerous cold myths are the ones you can buy. Over-the-counter cold medicines might help adults, but there is little evidence that they help children. And they can cause nasty side effects. One little girl I knew went into a 24-hour zombie-like state after two doses of an over-the-counter decongestant. Scared her mom silly. Antihistamines often make little children hyperactive and irritable. Cough suppressants haven't been show to work in young children. Drugs that combine multiple actions (antihistamines plus decongestants, for example) just increase the likelihood of side effects, without any added benefits. Decongestant drops and sprays usually don't work well, or work only for two or three days. After that, children can become dependent on the drugs, and get more congested when they try to stop.
I try to convince parents to stay away from most over the counter cold "cures." For infants with stuffy noses, salt-water (saline) nose drops are the best way soften up dry mucus. Use a nasal aspirator bulb to suck the gunk out (see "A Tip on Tips," posted on Feb. 3, 2006).
Cold got your child down? Find a good read-aloud story book or put on some soothing music. Try some vitamin C, if you want, and perhaps a menthol rub. Rinse out your humidifier. And heat up that chicken soup!
