Q: My 2-year-old son is suffering from fever for the past few days. He is also suffering from cold and cough. His fever is less than equal to 102 degree C and goes up and down every 3 hours. We are giving him medicines regularly, including brufen and a paracetamol syrup. Now he is taking - Augmentim-DUD syrup (antibiotic), Zedex-P syrup and IMOL Syrup. What is the reason for such a long suffering to my child. His weight gone down to 9.9 kg. Are these medicines good for his treatment? What can we do to improve his health?

A:Your child seems to be suffering from viral infection which has lead to cough, cold and fever. In most viral infections, the fever subsides in about 3-5 days. The cold and cough may take a little longer. Though irritating and discomforting, this illness is relatively mild with no long lasting effects. Paracetamol/ brufen would help in controlling the fever. The effect usually lasts for about 4-6 hours if adequate dose is given. (For your child adequate dose of paracetamol is 150 mg, or 6 ml of pacimol syrup). Antibiotics are usually not needed for these infections and are unlikely to have an effect upon the course of illness. Make sure your child gets his antipyretic as required (whenever he has fever or at 4-6 hourly interval in case of regular fever), look after his nutrition making sure to offer him warm fluids like milk or whatever he likes to eat frequently, since a child's appetite is often suppressed during illness. If the fever persists beyond 6-7 days, or he develops additional symptoms like fast breathing/ difficulty in breathing, contact your pediatrician.