Children's Chestal Cough Syrup » features

Natural Cough Relief

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:40:30 +0000

Safe, natural relief at the first sign of cough. So they feel like themselves again.

Children’s Chestal from Boiron combines safe, natural homeopathic medicines with a natural honey base, and has no artificial flavors or colors. It relieves all types of common coughs and works with little bodies two years and older, so they feel like themselves again.

Keeping Your Kids Healthy

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:20:01 +0000

9 Reasons Kids are Inclined to Catch Cough, Colds & Flu— and Tips on Keeping Them Healthy

In an average year, children catch six to 10 colds. In fact, in families with children who are in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as 12 per year.Adults, on the other hand, only catch about two to four colds per year, on average. Women, especially those 20 to 30 years of age, catch more colds than men, possibly because of closer contact with children.¹

According to the Mayo Clinic, the common cold is the number one reason why children miss school.² The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.³

But colds don’t just affect school days. Parents miss millions of workdays each year to stay home to care for their sick children. When added to the workdays missed by employees suffering from a cold, the total economic impact of cold-related work loss exceeds $20 billion.⁴

Here are nine reasons why kids are likely to get sick this year, and tips to keep them healthy.

Reason #1: Colds are on the rise when kids return to school in the fall because shortly after most schools start, the weather gets a little drier and a little crisper. The lower humidity during the colder months helps both cold- and flu-causing viruses to thrive. This weather may also dry the lining of the nasal passages, making kids more susceptible to infection.⁵

Tip: Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air in the home, and drink lots of fluids.

Reason #2: Young children tend to be less resistant to infection than a healthy adult.

Tip: Be responsible for children practicing healthy habits. Children need to get plenty of sleep and physical activity, drink water, and eat nutritious food to help them stay healthy in all year long.

Reason #3: Schools and daycare centers are breeding grounds for colds and flu because they connect children with other children who also may lack a fully developed immune system or lack “cold etiquette.” In comparison to spending the summer months at home and outside, a child is exposed to more children and is in closer contact with others when school is in session. Crowded classroom conditions increase the chance of coming in contact with someone who is sick or with a contaminated surface.

Tip: No matter how much you try, it’s almost inevitable that your child will bring home more than homework from school. Look at the positive side: Just as young children need to interact with other kids to develop good social skills, their exchange of cold and flu bugs helps to mature their immune system. But there’s no reason to overdo it! Be prepared to catch symptoms at the onset by stocking your medicine cabinet with essentials like a thermometer and safe, kid-friendly homeopathic medicines for the whole family. Don’t let colds and flu run rampant in your house!

Reason #4: Cold and flu viruses can be transmitted by touching respiratory secretions on a person’s skin (like when playing Red Rover) or on surfaces and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth.

Tip: Pack a few items like a small personal crayon pack, an individual mini pencil sharpener or mechanical pencils to reduce kids sharing germs. While it’s polite to share, it’s not polite to share germs.

Reason #5: Kids are notorious for not washing their hands—one simple way to avoid transmitting cold and flu bugs. They forget. They’ll insist their hands are clean. They’ll run water over their hands for two seconds without soap so they can rejoin their friends.

Tip: Get kids into the practice of washing their hands. Do it with them as a routine when they come home from school and before meals. The CDC recommends regularly scrubbing the hands for 15 seconds with warm, soapy water. Reinforce this practice around the house. We’ve all heard how to encourage children to wash for the length of two rounds of “Happy Birthday.”

Reason #6: Cold and flu viruses can also be transmitted by inhaling infectious particles in the air (like respiratory secretions from a cough or sneeze).

Tip: Teach children to cough and sneeze into the corners of their elbows.

Reason #7: Children may not yet have been taught—or truly absorbed—cold etiquette. They’re very likely to wipe their noses with their hands and are not likely to sneeze into the corners of their elbows. A sneeze can expel particles from the nose at more than 100 mph! Those fast-moving particles can cover an almost three-foot radius, and once airborne, can easily be inhaled by the next little guy standing nearby.

Tip: Provide children with pocket packets of tissues. Teach them how to use and discard tissues.

Reason #8: Children aren’t likely to follow the suggestion of avoiding touching their nose, eyes or mouth as a simple way to reduce the chances of getting a cold or flu. This group is notorious for chewing on pencils and even sticking fingers and other objects up their noses!

Tip: You can’t control the classroom environment, but you can control what goes on in your home. Wash doorknobs, faucets, light switches, handrails on stairs, toys, remote controls, game controls and the family computer mouse. Also replace a child’s toothbrush monthly to prevent it being re-infected by bacteria collecting on the bristles.

Reason #9: In addition to this age group being the least likely to observe germ-stopping protocol, they also remain contagious longer than adults. The period when an infected person is contagious depends on the age and health of the person. Studies show that most healthy adults may be able to infect others from one day prior to becoming sick and for five days after they first develop symptoms. However, some young children with still maturing immune systems may be contagious for longer than a week.

Tip: As a general rule, whatever objects receive the most touches have the most germs. Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20 minutes up to two hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, playground equipment and desks.⁶ The good news is that cold and flu viruses can easily be killed with plain soap and warm water, non-alcohol- and alcoholic-based sanitizers or bleach solutions. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

References:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Common cold. Available at: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/commonCold/overview.htm. Last accessed March 31, 2009.
Mayo Clinic. Children’s health. Available at: www.mayoclinic.com/health/childrens-conditions/CC00059. Last accessed March 31, 2009.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal Flu Information for Schools & Childcare Providers. Available at: www.cdc.gov/flu/school/. Last accessed March 31, 2009.
Fendrick AM, Monto AS, Nightengale B, Sarnes M. The economic burden of non-influenza-related viral respiratory tract infection in the United Sates. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163;487–494. Available at: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/. Last accessed March 31, 2009.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Colds and Flu: Time Only Sure Cure. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/896_flu.html. Last accessed March 31, 2009.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal Flu Information for Schools & Childcare Providers. (Ansari, 1988; Scott and Bloomfield, 1989) Last accessed at: www.cdc.gov/flu/school/. Accessed March 31, 2009.

Treating Your Child’s Cough

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:22:25 +0000

A Guide for Treating Your Child’s Cough

Any parent knows a child’s cough can make you feel helpless at 3 a.m. and keep the entire family from being well-rested. And doling out the medicine can escalate into a wrestling match that ends with you wondering about the dangers of giving more due to spillage. Fortunately, a little information can reduce the household stress caused by this common problem.

Children catch six to 10 colds a year, and cough is a major symptom. In fact, it’s estimated to be the symptom that most commonly prompts patients to see a doctor.

“A cough is a symptom, not a disease,” says Dr. Jim LaValle, a clinical pharmacist, author of Green Immunity Boosters, and founder of LaValle Metabolic Institute.

“Among the many mechanisms of defense and adaptation we have, coughing is one of the most misunderstood. In healthy people, it is a very useful reflex that keeps our air ducts clear from particles or excessive mucus so our breathing is protected,” says LaValle. “However, not only does it spread germs but it also interrupts sleep. This further weakens the immune system, making us more vulnerable to a secondary infection.”

LaValle offers parents some advice for treating their kid’s cough.

Stay hydrated and settle down. To start, parents can encourage kids to drink water or other healthy liquids to thin out mucous secretions, thereby soothing a cough, and discourage kids from over-exerting themselves when they have fever, aches or a cough that produces phlegm.

Honey. Grandma was right according to a study published in the December 2007 “Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.”¹ A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children’s coughs and helps them sleep more soundly. Honey coats the throat to soothe irritation and is rich in infection-fighting antioxidants. It also spurs saliva production, which can help thin out mucus. Refrain from giving honey to children younger than 1 year of age.

Opt for an expectorant, rather than a suppressant. Coughs associated with colds should be treated with an expectorant to clear out mucus. A productive cough is the body’s way of clearing out mucus. An expectorant encourages the body to get rid of the phlegm quickly and get over the coughing. Suppressants on the other hand suppress the body’s natural desire to heal.

Read the labels. Manufacturers of decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants voluntarily relabeled these medications, instructing parents not to use them in children younger than 4 years of age. The move followed a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel questioning the safety and efficacy of these medications’ use in children younger than 6 years of age. “One of the safest and tastiest over-the-counter options I recommend for kids is a cough syrup that combines honey and homeopathic medicines, Children’s Chestal^®,” says LaValle. “It doesn’t contain any of the ingredients in question by the FDA. Instead of working against the body as a suppressant, it works naturally with the body to make all types of common coughs more productive for a speedier recovery.”

Know when to see a doctor. Mostly coughs subside on their own within a week to 10 days. Coughs that linger longer or are associated with coughing up colored phlegm or blood, wheezing, temperatures higher than 101 degrees and drenching night sweats can be symptoms of a more serious illness.

Reference:
1. Paul, Ian M., Jessica Beiler, Amyee McMonagle, Michele L. Shaffer, Laura Duda, and Cheston M. Berlin Jr. “Effect of Honey, Dextromethorphan, and No Treatment on Nocturnal Cough and Sleep Quality for Coughing Children and Their Parents.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Vol. 161.No. 12 (December 2007): 1140-1146.

Benefits of Honey in Chestal

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:24:33 +0000

Honey coats the throat to soothe irritation and is rich in antioxidants. It also spurs saliva production, which can help thin out mucus.

Why should you not give raw honey to children under 1?
In rare instances, raw honey can contain spores of botulinum bacteria. Because of this rare, but serious, risk of botulism, raw honey should not be given to a child younger than 1 year of age whose digestive system hasn’t fully developed its protective mechanism. Filtered honey, like what is used in Children’s Chestal, is safe for children 2 years of age and older. Boiron does not recommend giving Children’s Chestal to children under 2 years of age unless the child’s healthcare professional allows it.

What Doctors Say

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:22:33 +0000

“For the past 3 years, I have been using Oscillococcinum, Coldcalm and Chestal, both with my family and on recommendation to my patients. Used at first sign of illness, these really do reduce the severity and the length of cold and flu symptoms. And Chestal is quite helpful to relieve the cough of children and patients with high blood pressure, who cannot use regular OTC medications. The physicians in my practice have now started recommending these products; thank you for making them available!”
——Jeanne YalonOwens, FNP, Mount Shasta, Calif.

“This is the only one cough syrup I use because this is the only one I trust.”
——Agnieszka Kendall, M.D., Pediatrician, Chicago Pediatric & Neonatology, Chicago, Ill.

“Chestal is similar to conventional cough syrups, but without all the side effects. The honey flavor helps children become more compliant when taking a dose. Even my own children love to take Chestal.”

—Bernardo A. Merizalde, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pa.

“As a pediatrician, I prescribe homeopathic medications for cold and flu symptoms because they are safe for children and have no side effects. Homeopathic medicines, such as Chestal for coughs and Oscillococcinum for early flu-like symptoms have worked very well for my patients and their families.”

—Pamela Middleton, M.D., Pediatrician, Pediatric Wellness Center, Newport Beach, Calif.