Should small children be given antibiotics for cough and cold? What do AIIMS doctors say

If small children (0 to 5 years) have cough and cold, parents give them antibiotics. The reason is that some doctors also prescribe these medicines. In some cases, children get relief by giving antibiotics. 

But should children really be given antibiotics in case of cough and cold or not? Do these cause harm to children or do they cure the disease? Let's know about this from a doctor.

Dr Rakesh Kumar, resident in the pediatric department at Delhi AIIMS, says that if your child has a cold or flu, there is no special benefit in giving antibiotics. Dr Rakesh says that antibiotics kill bacteria. 

But cold and flu are caused by viruses and not bacteria. Antibiotics work on viruses, not bacteria. If you give antibiotics to your child when he is suffering from cold or flu, it will not cure the disease. It can also cause some harm.

What are the disadvantages of antibiotics?

Dr Rakesh says that the job of antibiotics is to kill bacteria. When it is given to a child, it goes into the body and kills the bacteria, but not all the bacteria present in the body are bad. 

There are good bacteria in the digestive system that help keep it balanced. If you give antibiotics to your child, it can kill the good bacteria in some cases. This harms the body. Due to the elimination of good bacteria, the child may have problems like stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea.

The risk of antibiotic resistance

In most cases, parents do not know that antibiotics should not be given for cough and cold. Due to this, they keep giving antibiotics to the child when he has this problem. 

If this continues for a long time, it can lead to antibiotic resistance. Due to which the medicines may stop working when needed. This makes it difficult to treat the child.

What to do in case of cough and cold?

give the child plenty of fluids

Use a humidifier

Do not allow infected persons to come near the child

clean your nose with cotton