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| Yes | 28% | 27 votes | Total: 96 votes | |
| No | 72% | 69 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThe sad truth is there are many babies out there today that actually DO require allergy medications within months of their birth. There is a dramatic rise in the incidence of allergies from lethal to just plain irritating when compared to days gone by. The jury seems to still be out as to why this rise has occurred but until we know and can prevent them we should use the medications we have to keep our babies healthy.
Unfortunatel y allergies are very real and a lot more than just bothersome to some infants. It has only been in the last couple of decades that allergies have even been acknowledged, studied and treated. When our parents were young they simply had a 'spring cold' every April and a 'fall cold' when the leaves began to hit the ground in September. While some would argue that the introduction of allergy medications actually causes stronger allergies to other things, they overlook the children who have truly fatal allergic reactions. I don't think these parents would think twice about giving their 6 month old prescribed allergy medicine if it was warranted.
It seems a bit odd to be giving a small infant daily medications for an allergy, however this is no different than a child who was born with medical problems and is being treated with medicines. An allergy can be just as dangerous as any other medical condition if left untreated. Some would argue that introducing daily medications at such a young age would cause damage to internal organs and perhaps give them a lesser quality of life. Those same people may be surprised to hear about the young infant who can scarcely breathe at night despite being rocked in an upright position for hours on end. What kind of quality of life is this?
In addition to aiding a baby in living more peacefully, allergy medications can stave off infection. It's no big secret that allergies that get out of hand and are not treated can turn into a sinus infection or worse. With tiny immune systems that are probably already suppressed from constantly fighting off histamines, the baby is open to all manner of infection. The so-called damage that is being done to internal organs because of daily allergy medication seems small in comparison to multiple trips to the pediatrician for antibiotics for never-ending sinus, ear and lung infections. And as every parent should know a small baby with an infection and a high fever is far more dangerous and life-threatening than taking allergy medications to prevent these infections from ever happening.
We all want to be great parents and do what's best for our child. There is so much being studied and learned every day for the betterment of our lives. In the case of the possible harm an allergy medicine could do in the long run to a baby it's another matter of the benefits outweighing the risks. And in the rough and tumble world of parenthood - we've always got our eye on the risks and how to avoid them.
Learn more about this author, Danielle Friedl.
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No
Babies, under the age of one, should not be given allergy medications of any sort for many important reasons. The first reason is that an infant must be allowed to correctly develop their immunological responses to the outside world. Secondly there is debate that allergy medications may increase a child's probability of developing more extreme allergies. Thirdly, most children may be harmed because other bodily systems such as their liver and kidneys could be damaged by the infusion of medications. Lastly, allergy medication may cover up other possible dangerous diseases and infections. Giving allergy medication to infants is useless at best and at worst could harm your child's health and development.
When a child is in the first year of life, they go through enormous growth and change. Many of the important building blocks leading to neurological, skeletal, and digestive system growth are occurring at an enormous rate. Immunological responses are 'trained' at this point as well. Many of these systems, because they aren't fully developed are unable to cope with what can be put into their bodies. For example, many children are not able to properly digest complex foods beyond milk until well after the first six months of life.
Giving a child allergy medications to a child during this most critical stage of development is dangerous. Allergy medications block many normal chemicals in a babies body that enable them to fight infection and disease. Because their bodies have not fully adjusted to operating in a world filled with contagions and allergens, it is strongly possible that the blocked chemicals in the body would actually cause a child to become more allergic to outside contagions. Because a child is being shielded from normally safe environmental factors, they will develop a greater sensitivity to it.
Please note that whenever anything is ingested in the body, the kidneys and liver have a job of ridding the body of these unnatural blocking chemicals in the body. In adults and young children, this is not a big issue because they have mostly developed organs that are capable of this task. When an infant is given medication, no matter what it is, it places unnecessary burdens on their young and developing kidneys and liver.
The biggest question I ask anyone who gives allergy medications to newborn children is what is wrong with your kid? Just because your baby constantly has green stuff shooting out of every conduit of their body, doesn't necessarily mean they are having an allergy. Allergy medications simply attempt to cover up an immunological response of the body. People who are diagnosed with herpes, do not take allergy medication, although the inflammation appears to be an allergic reaction of some sort. People with cystic fibrosis do not take allergy medications either. Many dangerous diseases appear in the first couple of life and need to be diagnosed properly early for proper treatment.
Giving allergy medication is a risk to a child's development and may interrupt the diagnosis of other disorders. Allergies are horrible, but there are many other worse things a parent needs to stay vigilant about. Inducing artificial immunoresponse blockers into a newborn isn't one of the best options for a parent. Who the hell gives a newborn allergy medication anyways?
Learn more about this author, Rodger Dodger.
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