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Caring for kids with colds Caring for kids with colds
Children can get up to 5-10 colds a year. Caring for kids with colds is tough: they sniffle, sneeze and feel miserable. However, antibiotics are not the solution for their colds.
Antibiotics work only on bacteria. They don't work on the viruses that cause common colds, so they won't help common colds get better faster, won't stop cold symptoms getting worse, and won't stop colds spreading to others. Common colds usually get better on their own in 5-7 days.
Using antibiotics when they are not needed contributes to the development and spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. This makes antibiotics less effective when they really are needed.
Tips for preventing the spread of colds
Common colds can be passed on to others by touching hands and objects or by breathing in droplets from sneezes and coughs. Reduce the spread of colds by encouraging children to
- cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing
- keep their hands away from their eyes, noses and mouths
- dispose of used tissues
- wash their hands thoroughly with soap, particularly before eating and after blowing their noses
- not share cups, glasses and cutlery.
Tips for managing colds without antibiotics
The National Prescribing Service encourages you to manage common colds by
- taking it easy
- relieving the symptoms
- seeing a doctor if the cold worsens.
Common colds need common sense, they don't need antibiotics. For more information and free newsletter articles, go to the 'parents & carers', 'children's services' and 'schools' pages of the common colds section of the National Prescribing Service website.
The information in MedicinesTalk is not medical advice, so seek professional help before making any decisions based on this information.
This article was accurate and up-to-date when it was published. The evidence or context for this article might have changed since then.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
