Ask Dr. Pixie McKenna your Q about children's health in winter and you could win a £150 Love2Shop voucher! ANSWERS NOW BACK

[AnnMumsnet]

As we head into the colder months, sniffles and sneezes may become more common. Courtesy of Nurofen for Children, we’ve teamed up with Dr. Pixie McKenna who is on hand to answer your questions on keeping your children healthy this winter, specifically looking at colds and flu, fever and sleep difficulties. As well as being a medical expert, Pixie is also a mother so she’s had first-hand experience of looking after her own child and is here to share her top tips and advice with you.

Here’s a little bit more about Dr. Pixie:

Pixie comes from a family background of medicine, being the third generation of doctors in her family. She has over 13 years of medical experience since qualifying and is currently a practising GP at London’s Harley Street.

Post your questions to Dr. Pixie by the 27th November and we will pick 20 for her to respond to. Everyone who posts a question will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnetter will win a £150 Love2Shop voucher. A link to her responses will be posted by 4 January.

Please note, Dr. Pixie is here to give advice but cannot mention, discuss or endorse any brands or products.

This Q&A is sponsored by Nurofen for Children. Nurofen for Children 3 months- 9 years. Contains Ibuprofen. Always Read the label

UK/NfC/1016/0053

Thanks,

MNHQ.

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What's the easiest ways to tell the difference between full blown flu and a cold?

do children get SAD? my Niece seems to be not as happy in the Winter as she is in the Summer??

My son has had a chesty cough, much worse at night, for the last three weeks. Have been to doc's (week one), and they say his chest is clear. Should I take him back, or just let nature take its course. Should I give him anything?

How can I protect my little one from constant colds?

My son has a tendency to lick the outside of his mouth, particularly the corner.
This leads to sores, and can get very bad in the cold weather.
Any tips for stopping him from doing this?

My son started reception at school this year, since he started in September he has had an awful cough and cold which he's passed to his sister she has had it 11 weeks after 3 visits to the doctors and being told it's not infection it will clear up its self she still has it! now he's come home with conjunctivitis is there anything I can do to stop him picking up every illness going at school?

At what point should I keep my 9 year old home from school when they have colds/winter infections, his attendance record is poor but he is always suffering from acute coughs (not asthma) and gets ill really easily. It doesn't help that lots of other people send their kids in to school when ill and he picks up bugs from them and the whole things starts again.

My 3 year old has constant coughs and colds and although they don't always make her very ill she is always sick when coughing, it's usually phlegm getting it off her chest but is there anything we can do to prevent it?

My 3 year old get a temperature at least every month, for no apparent reason, just that shes got a high temperature. she starts nursery in January and im scared she's going to pick up lots of bugs. do you have any suggestions

Whats the best way to stop children biting their nails? We've tried everything from horrible tasting nail polish to reward charts.

Is it normal to have kids falling ill with different bugs consecutively?

When does a cough warrant a visit to the GP? My son has had a horrendous cough for weeks, he struggles to speak, as it sets off a cough. Doctor said his chest was crackly but didn't recommend antibiotics.

So my question really is when does a cough become worth an appointment?

Also a doctor told me not to use cough bottles as it just masks the symptoms and doesn't actually help with the cause of the cough, is this true?

Should you keep your child off school at the first signs of a cold or wait until it develops

How do we avoid all the sickness bugs, cold bugs etc that come with this time of year? Is there any way that we can improve their immunity/build up their tolerance to them?

my child gets a cold every few weeks. She copes fine without any medication apart from the occasional cough medicine to soothe her throat. Any tips to prevent her getting them in the first place?! Nothing seems to work :(

Which foods help children ward off colds if any? I will happily eat raw garlic when I get a cold but my DS won't touch it! And is echinacea totally safe for children?

My 19 month old dd has eczema that is managed well throughout the year until colder months where it flares up terribly and becomes really uncomfortable for her. Her skin is so dry despite us slather ing it in cream. I know it's exacerbated by central heating and the cold in winter, but is there any way we can prevent it having such an effect?

Is there any scientific reasoning behind the advice to rub menthol products on the underside of children's feet to relieve their blocked noses?

It is hard to get all the recommended daily vitamins and minerals into a child naturally, would you recommend giving them a daily vitamin ?

Should we give our children vitamins over the Winter period to help fight against colds and flu bugs?

My daughter has sjoergrens syndrome and this time of year she suffers terribly with tonsillitis and gets any cold or virus going. Would getting the flu jab help to prevent this? She has never had the flu jab.

My son and daughter both get croup on and off through the winter. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

With particular nasty colds (nursery seems to give her regular colds) and especially as it effects our daughters sleep is it advisable to wake her every 4 hours to give her medicine and would it actually help clear it up quicker for her?

Does my child need vitamin supplements over winter?