Do you take your kids to the doctors if they have a cold?

[nopinkplasticshite]

Sorry, but I have just come back from a two and a half hour wait at the surgery to see the nurse, who then referred me to the doctor. What I want to know is am I totally OTT in taking DS2 (15 months) to the doctor when he's had a cold (LOTS of green snot!) for 2 full weeks and has now developed a barking cough that is keeping the whole house awake at night?

Any time I take either DS to the nurse or doctor I am made to feel like a complete mad woman. So am I? DS1 had the same cold and got over it in a week so I didn't take him. I don't take them in every week or month - kids get lots of colds, especially when at nursery or school but if it drags on or develops into a chesty or wheezy cough I do take them. Am I being precious over them or does everyone get made to feel like this?

No. There isn't anything they can do for a cold anyway.

They shouldn't be making you feel like a mad woman though.

For a cold - no I wouldn't bother.

For a persistant cough, yes I would, it might need ABs. And some children are prone to chest infections following a cold, some aren't.

no not for a cold but if a cough didn't improve after a couple of weeks the I would check it wasn't a chset infection

Very very suprised you could get an appointment.

I dont think it's fair to a) a poorly child and b) other patients in waiting room to be in a public area for 2 and a half hours, I really dont. Child should be in it's own environment with hot drinks and ability to sleep. Other patients who may have deficient immune systems shouldn't be put at risk either.

Why is it so difficult to walk into any chemist, (with or without the child), ask pharmacist's advice and buy a remedy if needed?

Saves everybody's time.

Not for a "normal" 3-4 day cold with no temperature but for what you describe yes, I'd be demanding an appointment. All that coughing can lead to inflammation and chest infections can be nasty.

I don't for a cold but if it is a croup cough I do. When DD1 was that little she was on a nebuliser in the surgery for a cough and DD2 has had treatment in surgery for RSV. My eldest always has an ear infection if she has green snot but antibiotics never seem to work so I take her to the chiro who does something magic to clear her ear.

Ultimately, though, I don't think you should be made to feel unreasonable for taking your child in if you are worried.

whyamibothering a chemist can't tell you if it's viral or bacterial, nor can they give you antibiotics without a prescription, and over the counter cough remedies aren't terribly effective - they can soothe symptoms but they can't cure an infection

Also, the waiting room /appointment policy of the OP's dr surgery isn't anything to do with her, she can't change it.

whyamibothering - anytime I have taken a child into the chemist they advise me to go to the doctor to check it's not an infection! Also there seems to be some new rule over cough mixtures - they are rebranding all the packaging and last time I tried to buy some, I got the third degree from the assistant on what age the child was because even though the packaging said the cough mixture was suitable for children aged 2+, they had changed it to be for over 6 only!!

Antibiotics arent a miracle cure. They are drugs which dont let a young child's immune system to be built up properly. Surely pumping anything into a young body cant be right. Infections cure themselves. My children have never been in a doctor's surgery in their lives, never taken an anti-biotic and have built up healthy immune systems as a result. Coughs, colds, infections, all have a natural time scale to evolve and pass through system. Best cure - stay at home, plenty of drinks, good food, good rest and warmth.

Never, but then I am constantly surprised at how often people take their children back and forth to the doctors and how willingly they agree to AB.

Never, but then I am constantly surprised at how often people take their children back and forth to the doctors and how willingly they agree to AB.

No, I don't take them for a cold, unless the coughing gets worse.

I would have done with DS1 when he was younger - he used to get a chest infection with every single cold.

Wouldn't have done for just a cold with the other DS's though - but would have done for the cough if it had persisted for some time.

Yes I do, only when the cold/cough has dragged on for a few weeks and got worse.

On the two occasions I have taken him to the doctor because of a cold, I was told he was fine despite having a high temp. Few days later, screaming child with temp of 40c, took to walk in GP centre (1st time was on boxing day; 2nd time was at weekend)and given antibs straight away.

Feel very cross with my GP practice about this. I have only taken my DS when things have dragged on. I am a pharmacologist so don't need to be told about viral infections or the problems with overuse of antibiotics. My DS had obviously developed a secondary bacterial infection as the next day he was dramatically better after a few spoonfuls of amoxicillin. If I lived in the catchment area of the GP walk-in-centre who are also a conventional practice, I would register with them.

Not for a cough and cold no (I'd be up there every week!). I probably would for a wheezy chest though.

In those circumstances I would have taken DD (16 months) but not for a normal cold.

My doctors are lovely though - they didn't even call me a mad woman when I phoned up in floods of tears because DD had been sick when she was 9 months old . (to be fair she was very, very sick - I still don't know how so much sick could have come out of one small child)

i almost never take dcs to doctor, but did take dd at about 4 months old when she had had a barking cough for several weeks - ds1 had had bad asthma up til age 6 so i just wanted to get dd checked for my peace of mind.

I did with DD this week when she had a cough, but as a veteran of chest infections I was sure that's what it was, and I was right.

It's her third visit to the GP since she was born and her first ever lot of antibiotics.

She was 9 last month.

I would for a 2 week cough.... DS2 had barking cough for weeks as a baby and I too was made to feel like a mad woman on the numerous occassions I took him to GPs. I wasn't so mad tho when it turned out it was bronchiolitis and he had to be ventilated and IV fed in hospital for a week... some viruses and bacterial infections need GP intervention even if its not via AB.... staying home and sleeping just don't cut it in some cases...
And if it was 'nothing' why did the nurse make you see a GP!?!?

I agreee that overuse and overprescription of antibiotics is not a good thing. And of course ABs won't cure everything.

However some children are more prone to chest infections than others and they NEED ABs. What works for one child (eg no ABs to build up immunity) won't work for another.

only if I need a certificate to claim special leave from my employer. or of course if dc is really poorly.

Normally I would say a bit OTT to go with just a cold. BUT, the barking cough would concern me as it is a symptom of croup, which if not addressed quickly can become serious/life threatening (does not always end up being serious but can without proper advice/treatment).

DD had this, and the first appt we were, like you, made to feel like we were overanxious parents, the next time we went in, we were sent up to hospital and she was given steroids to relax her windpipe.

Go and be sure to mention the cough. It might be that they simply say go home and keep an eye. In the meantime, keep the air damp and also put him in the shower, hope he feels better soon.

croup symptons and guidelines for medical intervention NHS direct website.

bronchiolitis is what dd had too (re earlier post) - i had forgotten the name of it - but gp said absolutely right to get it checked