Having a child sick is difficult and often scary. You don’t always know what to do to make them feel better, and it gets worse when they’re too young to tell you what’s wrong.
But as cold and flu season approaches, pediatric emergency physician, mother of four, and TikTok creator Meghan Martin is warning parents against using five products she “disdains” as a pediatrician.
Cough and cold medicine for children under 6 years old
“These medications are not recommended, they are expensive, often don’t work and have many side effects associated with them,” she began.
Instead, she recommends ditching expensive placebos like ibuprofen and Tylenol to treat fever and discomfort; fluids containing electrolytes (like Gatorade); saline nasal sprays; and cool-mist humidifiers.
Neosporin
This also confuses us: we don’t know that this is “problematic.” But Martin said this often leads to allergic skin reactions. Instead, she recommends cleaning the wound with soap and water, then applying petroleum jelly, Aquaphor or bacitracin. Like Neosporin, bacitracin is an antibiotic ointment. While both are effective and well tolerated, bacitracin is a brand-name drug with only one active ingredient: bacitracin.
Neosporin is a combination ointment made from the active ingredients bacitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin b, the latter of which has been linked to more allergic reactions or sensitivities.
baby fragrance
Not like perfume – although Eau de Bébé may be small but great – but “scented soaps, lotions and detergents designed for babies and newborns”.
“Many children end up with contact dermatitis or exacerbation of their eczema,” she explains.
In this case, Martin recommends not resorting to the one-for-one alternative: Just throw out anything scented for your little one.
Infant formula milk powder
“There is definitely a group of kids who need this food medically,” she explained. Her problem comes down to products like this Listed to the kids who do this no… And most kids just don’t do that. This statement is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Toddler formula is expensive,” she listed. “They’re teaching kids to drink calories instead of eating supplements, but there’s no indication that they’re doing that.”
Gummy Vitamins
We know. we know. But hear her out, because…yeah, it makes sense.
“These are actually candies with vitamins sprayed on them,” she said. “Because the dosage is inconsistent or completely inaccurate.”
This statement is often but not always true, according to reports from time. Some Gummies are sprayed with vitamins. But that fact alone points to a larger problem with gummy vitamins—it’s done to combat the reality that no matter how you make gummy vitamins, it’s difficult to get the exact dosage in each gummy.
But the problems with these products don’t stop there. Gummies can stick to teeth, putting children at higher risk for tooth decay.
And, according to Martin, most kids don’t even know need Vitamins; they get the nutrients they need from food, which often has added vitamins.
Don’t feel bad if you’ve used them in the past or are currently using them, but think twice before using them.
“There are huge marketing departments for these products,” Martin said. Instead, if you’re in doubt, it’s best to call your child’s doctor to see what they recommend. By the way, the good doctor himself has some tried and true advice in another video to help you prepare for this germ-ridden time of year.
