Infant Cold Medicines
The recent withdrawal of infant cold medicines by manufacturers has led to a number of questions and concerns. You may read about the official announcement regarding these withdrawals at www.otcsafety.org. It is important to understand that this is not being done because of any safety concerns. There are two main issues with infant cold medicines. First, there are no good dosing guidelines available for these medicines for infants, and there have been many reports of overdoses in this age group. Secondly, these medicines do not work very well for infants. In fact, there is no good scientific evidence that they are of any benefit. If your baby develops upper respiratory (cold) symptoms, please call our office for advice regarding their care.
MRSA
MRSA stands for methicillin resistant staphylococcal aureus bacteria. This is a very real current issue which unfortunately has been over-dramatized and sensationalized by the media. The Mayo Clinic provides a nice discussion regarding this bacteria and infection at www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735. Staph is a normal bacteria often found on the skin, and is very common and nothing really new. When there is a disruption in the skin integrity, it can cause infections such as impetigo, boils, or cellulitis. Although MRSA is resistant to some of the usual antibiotics which we use in children, there are a number of antibiotics which are still very effective for this not uncommon level of community acquired infection. Again, if you have concerns about your children, please contact our office with your questions.
