Misconceptions In Pediatrics

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions in Pediatrics. And many of them can result in your treating your children inappropriately when they are sick.

Here are some of the more common misconceptions about sick children that parents make:

My Child Is Lethargic

Parents call or come to the doctor all of the time because they think their child is lethargic. And they should, as being truly lethargic is a medical emergency. But just because your child is laying around on the couch and watching TV, and not running around playing, doesn't mean he is lethargic.

The next time that you think about using the word lethargic, consider this definition from The Bantam Medical Dictionary:

a degree of inactivity and unresponsiveness approaching or verging on unconscious

Is your child hard to wake up and almost unconscious? If not, then he probably isn't really lethargic.

The Pedialyte Isn't Helping The Diarrhea

Another common misconception is that Pedialyte or other electrolyte solutions will make diarrhea go away. Pedialyte isn't a cure for rotavirus and other typical causes of diarrhea though. Instead, they just help prevent your child from getting dehydrated.

In most cases, when your child has diarrhea from a simple viral infection, you should usually continue him on his typical diet and just give extra Pedialyte when he has a large, watery diarrhea. The only time that you usually have to switch to giving only small amounts of Pedialyte is when your child has a lot of vomiting. And then you give very small amounts, like a teaspoon or tablespoon, every five or ten minutes until he is keeping fluids down. You can then slowly advance how much he is drinking as he vomits less and eventually start him back on his regular diet as tolerated.

Keep in mind that you should usually avoid giving your child just Pedialyte, unless instructed to do so by your Pediatrician, for more than about 12 hours.

And remember that a BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce, and Toast) is useful more when your child is sick and doesn't want to eat, then when you simply want to restrict his diet because he has diarrhea.

Our Cough Medicine Isn't Working

It shouldn't come as a surprise that cough medicines don't work all that well, after all, if they did, then why do so many people have to bring their kids to the Pediatrician because they are coughing?

You can make it a little more likely that your child's cough medicine will work if you choose the right one though. Since many children have a cough that is caused by congestion and post-nasal drip, you should likely avoid simple cough medicines, like Robitussin DM or Delsym, when your child has a cough and a runny or stuffy nose. A combination cough and cold medicine, or even a decongestant, will likely work better.

A night time cough and cold medicine may also be more likely to work at night, since it can help your child get a good night's sleep, so that the cough doesn't wake him up.

And don't forget that prescription strength cough and cold medicines often are stronger than OTC versions that you can buy without a prescription and may work better when the cough is really disrupting your child's sleep.

Fever Is Dangerous

Many parents have fever phobia, the worry that a fever is going to harm their child. Fever is just a symptom though, just like a cough or runny nose, and by itself, it won't cause brain damage or make your child sterile, etc.

It is true that a fever can trigger a seizure in younger children, but these febrile seizures aren't usually dangerous.

That doesn't mean that you should ignore a fever. Your child can be very sick when she has a fever, but it is not the number of the fever that tells you how sick your child is. For example, a child could have a temperature of 105 degrees and be running around the house playing, while another child could have a temperature of 100.5 and be deathly ill. So look for other signs to judge if your child is 'sick' when she has a fever, such as irritability, trouble breathing, lethargy, etc.

Where Are My Antibiotics?

Fortunately, it looks like parents are getting better at understanding that they don't need an antibiotic to treat every cough and runny nose. Many parents realize that viruses cause all colds, the flu, most coughs and sore throats, and that antibiotics can't kill viruses.

The 24 Hour Virus

Another misconception is that kids should get over things in just 24 hours, but there are very few real '24 hour' viruses. Adults and older kids may get over their symptoms in only a day or so, but younger child often struggle with the same viral infections for a week or more. Diarrhea, for example, can often linger for one or two weeks when younger children have a simple stomach virus.