Toddler Has a Sore Throat What to Do??

Hi J.-

Poor Destiny!! Her throat sounds so painful! What I gave my kid's was Otter Pops, smoothies, & soft boiled eggs.

Hopefully you'll find something that works soon!

HI J.,
What about trying something really cold for her to have that will somewhat numb her throat such as a chocolate shake or a berry smoothie with ice cream or lots of ice in it? It may not be as nutritionally sound, but it will at least give her some protein and fill her up until she gets over the sore throat.

My Dad's Russian wife gave us her secret recipe and it seems to work. HONEY, vegetable oil, lemon, and if you want some brandy, warm it a little in the microwave. It will soothe and coat.

I have recently had a similar problem with my 2-1/2 year old son. He came down with a very high fever and ate nothing for over 24 hours. Not eating didn't worry me too much because he is a healthy weight and this is typical for him when he is sick, but he would hardly drink anything and he complained that his "mouth hurt," which worried me. I took him to the doctor and she said he had sores on his throat (poor guy!). She said it is very common for the little ones to refuse all food and drink because it hurts so bad to swallow. His is viral so no antibiotics, but I had to give him something for the pain so he would drink something (I try to avoid meds, but this is preferable to ending up in the hospital dehydrated). I tried Tylenol and Motrin at the doctor's directions; Motrin worked the best for him. About half-hour after the dose, I could see it take effect and he would drink, eat a little, and play (the Dr. "prescribed" a little higher than the normal dose for his weight). He was miserable and clearly in a lot of pain, but the Motrin really helped, and he would drink a lot after it took effect, which gave me great peace of mind. The doctor said it would take about a week to improve, but he seems to be improving already after only 2 days. He didn't need any Motrin today!

Hope your little girl starts feeling better soon!

Did they swab her throat and check for Strep?
Strep is going around, at least where I live. AND the Doctors routinely swab the throat and check for it. There are various strains. They are not all the same strain.

I would give her cold things... keeping her hydrated is very important. She is probably not eating a lot because her throat is SORE. She is sick.

Now, I would make sure that the antibiotics ARE applicable for her sore throat.... AND that it is improving it. I would really take her into her regular Pediatrician, and get a 2nd opinion. If her throat was THAT swollen...then do expect that your girl will not have the normal ability to eat/drink.

Perhaps give her cold-pops, soups, iced drinks, nothing too acidic as it may make her throat more sore. BUT salty things can help soothe a sore throat. That is what we do. She is probably too young to "gargle"....but you can try. Gargling warm salty water is soothing for the throat.

I would really take her in for a follow-up with your regular pediatrician. Make sure her sore throat is not something more serious or strep related. Strep is not something that just affects the throat....Here is a link about it:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strep-throat/DS00260

With a sore throat... eating big chunky things hurts. No wonder she could not eat her sandwich. Give her soft things, or smoothies.
All the best,
Susan

Hi J.!
I'm so sorry to hear about your baby... it's so hard on 'us' mothers to watch our kiddo's suffer.

Like Sophie, when my husband, myself, or my kids (ages 5 and 3) get sore throats, I totally do the warm tea with lemon and honey! It is sooo soothing!
Also, lots of Jello. It's easy for them to swallow, it's yummy, kids will usually eat it without complaining!

And like Eve, my pediatrician recommends Tylenol AND Motrin, and has always told me to rotate them. If the first dose is Tylenol, then on the next dose give Motrin. And, for whatever reason the Motrin does seem to work better, and longer. So, I try to time it out to where the Motrin is during the day, and Tylenol at night. The rotating has something to do with their little stomachs....

I hope you get lots of helpful advice... and I hope baby girl recovers quickly!

Many people believe that cold things help soothe a sore throat, but that is more of a "quick fix" and will eventually only make it worse (just think of it this way - would you let your kid go play in cold weather when they have a sore throat? No - then why would you put something cold directly on it?). One of my friends who is a doctor told me; WARM stuff only when you have a sore throat, and my daughter's pediatrician later confirmed that. I get a lot of sore throats, and I have been doing only warm things since my friend told me this and it really does seem to help a LOT (especially soup and tea). Another thing that helps me a lot is this; warm water with juice from 1-2 lemon slices and a teaspoon of honey in it. I also gave this "tea" to my daughter one time for a BAD cough and after she drank it she said she felt "all better", and she barely coughed after that. First time I heard about this "tea" (from my doctor friend) I thought she was crazy - that the lemon would burn my raw throat, but it really did make it heal wayyy faster than any other throat infection I'd ever had before that (and I've had many...) Plus it's all natural - bonus! ;)
Good luck!

We let our kids have whole fruit popsicles, canned fruit, Gatorade, Vitamin Water, fresh fruit, etc. We stay away from dairy as it doesn't help with the congestion. The main thing is to keep your daughter well hydrated through this. It's okay if she doesn't eat a whole lot for a few days, but you need to keep her hydrated. So popsicles, Jello, canned fruit, soup, all of that helps with the hydration.

Hope she feels better soon!

Have you tried a smoothie? They're cold, filled with vitamins (depending on what fruits are in it) and may feel soothing on the throat. We may our own with yogurt or rice milk, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, etc. Or we get one from a local smoothie store like Jamba Juice. Hope she feels better!

My daughter also likes Pedialyte popsicles!

Try making smoothies. You can even sneak veggies in there!

Try cold instead of hot. Buy frozen (no sugar added) strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. and put them in a blender with a little milk or water, until it becomes like sorbet. The coolness on her throat may be soothing and the vit.C in the fruits will help. If the natural fruits are not sweet enough, add a little frozen orange juice concentrate until is it the right taste. If she is hesitant, get your own spoon and eat it with her, exaggerating your pleasure in how good it tastes. Not too fast, though, you don't want to add "brain freeze" to her already uncomfortable life! (another good reason to eat it with her). Medicine wise, the antibiotic will not help unless the infection is bacterial, (it may be a virus, which antibiotics don't treat), so there is a good children's remedy at the Health Food store called First Defense by Child Life. It is a liquid that can be taken with a spoon or dropper. Bad taste, but quick relief. Give in doses too small to spit out (1/4 tsp at a time), and follow with something that tastes good. Extra vitamin C and rest and liquids will be good, too. She can get all her nutrients through liquids until the throat pain subsides, and it will be easier to digest while she is healing. Just the broth of homemade soups, the "fruit freeze", water, diluted juices, pureed anything. Good luck.

Do you have a pediatrition when little one is sick get profional not some moms around the city . If you cant afford prvate go to a clinic before i retired i was a r.n. Good llllluck im sure baby will be fine mother of 4 adults A. no. Hills

Jello or popsicles are a good source of throat cooling items. Make scrambled eggs for her. The mac and cheese and grilled cheese just might be too thick of a consistency for how sore her throat is. I hope this helps.

J.,
Try askdrsears.org

4 docs are on that site and give good, solid natural care.

Try to not do antibiotics, if you can help it.

Brightest Blesssings,
Deb

So sorry! We just went through the same thing with our 18-month-old. I would definitely stay far away from dairy for awhile. That will probably exacerbate the problem. Good luck!

Try the frozen pops available in the pharmacy section. They're like popsicles, but they have medicine in them. There's also sore throat suckers in cute shapes. Anything cold will be great, and nothing with texture! I spent a great deal of my childhood with strep throat or tonsillitis, and I'd often be hungry but in too much pain to eat. Jello is good, milkshakes can be good, soup can be good but is often too hot and too salty. Drinks like Pediacare are sometimes good, but often swallowing hurts too much. It might take an hour or more to finish a cup. Have her keep something near her and take frequent sips (to avoid getting dehydrated.) I feel her pain! But don't worry, this too will pass, and she'll be SO ready for her favorite foods!

I have 2 boys ages 3 and 5 and only had to use antibiotics once on the first one. I feed my children healthy food daily which helps build their immune systems and when they do get sick, I use natural remedies like Oregano Oil, homeopaths and essential oils. A great book I recommend to all parents is "Natural Baby and Childcare" by Dr. Feder. I also wrote a piece on my blog (www.bellysprout) titled " Keeping Your Family During Flu Season".

In your daughters case, I would suggest having her eat a liquid diet, consisting of homemade chicken soup, applesauce, chamomile teas with honey and lemon (great for the throat)and one glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. I stay away from solids and especially breads and dairy asit can build up mucus.

Let me know if you have questions if you read my blog post!

C. Funk
www.bellysprout.com

Hello,

You can try lukewarm water with salt. Gargle 3 times a day. Also drink a cup of warm water with lemon and honey.

Hi J.,
Well, my kids do the same with sore throats, and I've found that fruit juice popsicles are great. There are several different brands that make them with real fruit juice. This way, she's getting fluids, and vitamins.

When my kids have sore throats I give them warm broth. It gives them something to eat and the heat helps their throat feel better. I also increase their vitamin c intake. Fresh oj is best and can be warmed up as well.

My daughter started getting strep throat at that age and has since had her tonsils removed she's nearing 7, she ate lots and lots of popsicles, hope that helps.

I wouldn't do this all the time, because it could back-fire on you. Try giving her jello, puddings and also to keep her strength up Pediasure or Boost. Popcicles work great as an after meal to sooth the throat. I did this with all my kids. If she eats a little mac & cheese go ahead a give her the popscicle as this will only last a couple to days. Good Luck.

Something cool & smooth is always a hit for my kids when they have a sore throat....yogurt, popsicles (pedialite makes some, so she can still get some vitamins), jello, sorbet....

And if she likes soups, that's good too! Just make it warm, not HOT, ya know?

a personal fave of mine is sugar free Popsicles. or even better make your own out of apple juice or even just water. it feels good and tastes good too!

Urgent care is no place for a sore throat! Your daughter has a virus and antibiotics work on bacterias. They do work in some cases when people have been sick for a long time and have developed bacteria on top of/from having a virus.

Throat Coat tea is by Traditional Medicinal Tea company and works wonders. Slippery Elm losengers are tasty and effective. There is also a homeopathic by Hylands for kid's colds that works great. I have also used a natural herbal syrup that have soothed my 3 yr olds throat. Even just a spoonful of honey can work wonders. Don't worry if she doesn't eat a lot. She will be OK. Ice cream or sorbet may also be a soothing treat.

A note on the antibiotics. If you do have her take them, you may want to consider doing pro-biotics (acidophilus, biphidus, etc./ "good enzymes") affter wards as it will wipe out all of her "good bacteria" in her gut which ironically will leave her more susceptible to illness thereafter.....(I'm sorry, don't mean to make you more paranoid but it's true....antibiotics should be kept for when someone is VERY sick in my opinion....Dr.'s only give them out b/c they have little to offer for common viruses and are not educated on complementary medicine)