You should be careful with medications, especially when it comes to selecting medications for the smallest patients. It must be understood that it is only in extreme cases that parents who do not have special education should choose an antiviral drug for their children on their own - it is better to consult with an observing pediatrician (at least by telephone, if it’s impossible to go to an appointment or call a doctor). He knows your baby well and will say which drugs are more likely to help, and which ones do not bring any benefit or even harm. However, we will still talk about the most popular drugs.
Arbidol
If you ask you to recommend an antiviral drug for your child, most likely they will call you Arbidol. He really effectively fights with a large number of viruses that cause colds in babies . The spectrum of action of "Arbidol" is quite wide: it helps with influenza (A, B), and with adenovirus and respiratory-scintial infections, and with parainfluenza. The drug is prescribed for children from 2 years of age (in the absence of individual intolerance) both for treatment and for prevention. "Arbidol" helps to increase the production of its own interferon and immunoglobulins, in addition - it regulates the ratio of B and T lymphocytes, and also has an antioxidant effect.
Remantadin
This antiviral drug is not suitable for a child under 7 years old. However, as a means of treating influenza and the common cold in younger schoolchildren, he established himself very well. Nevertheless, “Remantadine” has a greater number of contraindications, to which liver and kidney diseases and hyperthyroidism join.
Kagocel
"Kagocel", as a rule, is prescribed for children from 6 years and older. It is effective not only with influenza, but also with other colds, as well as acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI). However, he also has his own peculiarity - this antiviral drug for the child must be managed to be given no later than the 4th day after the onset of the disease, otherwise the treatment will not be sufficiently effective.
Viferon (Interferon Alpha)
Speaking about which antiviral drugs can be given to children, it is worth telling about the popular “Interferon Alfa” among pediatricians. A medicine in the form of rectal suppositories is produced, and its main advantage is that it can be used from an early age. However, some pediatricians believe that it interferes with lowering the temperature.
However, as already mentioned at the very beginning, one should be very careful when choosing antiviral drugs for children. Komarovsky - one of the most famous and respected pediatricians today - claims that almost everything that can be found in modern pharmacies is medicines with "unproven effectiveness", and therefore it is better to prevent the disease and help the child cope with it faster with the help of proven centuries and 100% safe folk methods.