Every mother and every father wants to see their child healthy. Therefore, many in the cold season, as well as during periods of growth in overall morbidity, try to protect their child as much as possible from possible infection with influenza and ARVI.
This desire is understandable and commendable. But let's take a close look at how the vast majority of parents act. They go to the pharmacy and buy antiviral drugs, preferably in syrup. It is indeed the most popular form of drug therapy for children. Today we will talk about when and how to take such syrups.
How do they work?
According to the mechanism of their action, antiviral drugs are divided into several main groups:
- Some directly affect the virus, its ability to spread. These medications usually have a lot of side effects.
- Others have immunostimulating effect, they "induce" the child's immunity to an early immune response to the invasion of viruses. These drugs do not have the best effect on immunity, they can cause immunodeficiency.
- The third large group of antivirus products contains interferon - a protein that is produced during the immune response and which is actively involved in the process of blocking viruses with antibodies. There is a fairly large group of homeopathic remedies, the manufacturers of which claim to have a pronounced antiviral effect.
Advantages and disadvantages of the form
This dosage form has many advantages:
- Ease of use. That is why parents often call her "children's". The drug manufacturers have tried their best, so all antiviral syrups have a pleasant taste, smell, they are sweet. Anyone, even a very capricious kid, will gladly take such a delicious medicine, especially if it smells like strawberries and banana.
- Versatility. Syrups can be given to children from a very young age, including babies up to one year old. The form does not require chewing, quick swallowing, drinking. Some medications can be diluted with tea or water to make it easier for the child to take.
Among the minuses, there are several nuances that moms and dads should know:
- Contraindications. Syrups, although they are called "baby medicine", have certain disadvantages, for example, sugar in the composition. Sweet fruit preparations should not be given to children with diabetes, prone to diathesis, allergies, especially food. Just read the instructions for use! Indeed, for 5 ml of syrup, most modern drugs have 3 g of sugar! This is a lot.
- Wrong dosage. Some antivirals are sold as a ready-made syrup. There are no problems with it, because the bottles are equipped with measuring caps. But there are a considerable number of drug names that offer only a powder for self-diluting a suspension (syrup). Despite the detailed and detailed instructions, many parents make mistakes with the amount of water or powder, as a result, they receive an incorrectly prepared product that can either cause an overdose or not have the desired effect due to poor concentration.
When to take?
Despite the fact that syrups with antiviral action are sold in pharmacies in our country without prescriptions, I will never tire of repeating to moms and dads that self-medication is not worth it. Especially when it comes to a child. It is dangerous to buy and give such medicines to a baby without a doctor's recommendation.
Frequent use of antiviral drugs can cause "laziness" of the immune system, that is, the child's immune defense will cease to fulfill its immediate responsibilities. The kid will start to get sick even more often, and every trifling "sore" will be difficult for him, for a long time and not without consequences.
Antiviral agents can usually be prescribed as part of complex therapy for:
- Flu;
- ARVI;
- Corey;
- Chickenpox;
- Scarlet fever;
- Hepatitis;
- Immunodeficiency of various etiologies;
- ARI;
- Herpetic infection;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- Shingles, etc.
In addition, antiviral drugs can be prescribed by a doctor to prevent influenza and ARVI during periods of seasonal growth of diseases, as well as if there are already infected people in the child's environment.
Experts do not recommend giving your child antiviral syrups more than two courses a year.
Efficiency
The effectiveness of antiviral syrups for children, like any other form of drugs in this large group, is currently in question. The fact is that the clinical effect of antiviral drugs has not yet been convincingly proven. Most manufacturers indicate that their remedy eliminates influenza and SARS within 3-5 days. But that is exactly how many days it takes for the child's own immunity to defeat the virus on its own without drug support.
And now Dr. Komarovsky will remind us when to give antibiotics to children.
Even more questions are raised by homeopathic preparations, in which the active substances are in such negligible concentrations that it is generally not possible to check their effectiveness in laboratory conditions. For this very reason, many doctors believe that homeopathic remedies are the most common "dummy" that does nothing but the "placebo" effect.
List of popular syrups
Orvirem
Doctors try not to prescribe this antiviral agent to children under one year old. The main substance in the syrup is rimantadine. Manufacturers (Russia) declare that the drug has a pronounced direct antiviral effect, moreover, it stimulates the immune system, promotes the production of its own interferon, as a pleasant bonus - it has a slight anti-inflammatory effect.
There is always a syringe dispenser in the package with a bottle of ready-made syrup. You do not need to breed and measure anything at home, all dosages are prescribed in the instructions for use, and the necessary divisions are indicated on the dispenser.
This syrup is not recommended to be taken simultaneously with antipyretics, since the latter significantly reduce the antiviral effect.
Orvirem is given to children from 1 year old after meals. Babies from one to 3 years old are usually prescribed 10 ml. syrup 1 to 3 times a day. From three to seven years old, children can take 15 ml. syrup. Children over seven years old are allowed to take 20 ml. "Orvirema" 1 to 3 times a day, depending on the severity of the viral infection.
Citovir 3
It is a popular three-way anti-virus drug in syrup form. The main active ingredient is benzadol, which stimulates the production of its own interferons in the child's body... The composition also contains ascorbic acid. Everyone knows about its benefits during illness. The syrup can be given to children one year of age and older.
You can buy "Tsitovir 3" in two versions - ready-made syrup with a measuring spoon in a package or powder for making syrup at home. It is better to buy the powder for those patients who suffer from diabetes mellitus and for whom ready-made syrup is contraindicated. The medicine that you receive after dilution according to the instructions is also sweetish, but not because of sugar, but because of the presence of fructose in the composition.
The syrup is given half an hour before meals, no more than three times a day. Babies from 1 to 3 years old no more than 2 ml. per reception, children from 3 to 6 years old - 4 ml, children from 6 to 10 years old - no more than 8 ml. in one go. The number of appointments (one, two or three) should be determined by your pediatrician, depending on the characteristics of the course of the disease.
Algirem
This drug, like the two previous ones, is recommended for children over 1 year old. The main active ingredient is amantadine. Mode of action - direct blockade of the virus... The product is produced in the form of a ready-to-use substance. It is given to the child after a meal; it is advisable to drink Algirem with water or juice. The frequency of admission is from 1 to 3 times a day. Children from one to three years old - a single dose should not exceed 10 ml. From 3 to 6 years old - no more than 15 ml at a time, and for children over 6 years old - no more than 20 ml.
Immunoflazid
This drug can be given even to babies up to one year old. In the composition - vegetable substances. For children, the medicine is given 1-2 times a day using a dispenser half an hour before meals. Crumbs up to a year - no more than 0.5 ml at a time, from 1 to 2 years - 1 ml each, from 2 to 4 years - 2 ml each, from 4 to 6 years - no more than 4 ml per dose, from 6 to 10 years - 5-6 ml. The medicine is sold in the form of a ready-made syrup, which must be shaken thoroughly before use.
Price
The average price for antiviral syrups in Russia today is quite affordable for most families. It starts at 200 rubles for the cheapest drug. "Citovir 3" costs about 360 rubles, "Orvirem" - from 230 rubles. The most expensive of the syrups is the plant "Immunoflazid". Its price starts at 460 rubles for a 50 ml bottle.
