18/12/2025
Advise for children this cough and cold season.
Please take a look at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/ and https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/ webpages for more info.
These are very common in children and normal, healthy children can sometimes have 8 or more colds in a year!
The symptoms are of a short duration and there are no symptoms of major concern. Discoloured sputum is common with viral infections and does not indicate a bacterial infection and is not a reason to prescribe antibiotics.
This is a viral infection which is self-limiting and does not respond to antibiotics. A child’s immune system is very powerful and will clear up most common infections by itself.
Treatment is therefore aimed at relieving symptoms and the following is recommended:
• Make sure they get plenty of rest and offering them healthy food (like fruit).
• Give your child plenty to drink. This will help prevent dehydration, loosen phlegm, and lubricate the throat. Try to avoid very sugary drinks.
• Pain and fever are best treated with Paracetamol
• You can try over the counter cough mixture, although there is limited evidence of benefit
• Make sure no-one smokes around your child.
Please also have a look at the following websites which will provide you detailed information on when to worry and seek further assessment:
https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parents.../worried-your-child-unwell
http://www.whenshouldiworry.com/.../When%20should%20I...
Information as to why antibiotics are not appropriate can be found on the following page: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antibiotics/
Please ensure if your child does develop any symptoms of concern described in the above sites then please seek further urgent assessment.
Find out about the common cold, including what the symptoms are, how it's spread, how it's treated, and how you can prevent it.
