Effective antiviral drugs for children under 1 year, 1-3 and after 3 years

Modern antiviral drugs will help a child’s body overcome a viral infection within a few days and quickly recover from an illness.

Every mother wants her baby to always remain healthy. But, unfortunately, children's weak immunity cannot resist many viral diseases.

Children often suffer from viral diseases

That’s why kids get sick so often, and their parents don’t know how to help and often experiment with medications, trying to find a miracle pill for all childhood diseases. However, such an approach can only harm the baby’s already compromised health.

Experiments with antiviral drugs can harm a child's health

In order for an antiviral drug to help the child’s body cope with the disease, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of drug.

Antiviral drugs for children - list

At the first symptoms of illness, the child should be shown to a doctor as soon as possible. But if this cannot be done in the near future, you can support the baby’s body and prevent the disease from “playing out” with the help of an antiviral drug.

The doctor will be able to accurately determine the nature of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment.

Antiviral drugs are also given to children for prevention during adaptation to kindergarten, during periods of epidemics of colds, and after contact with sick people.

After close contact with a sick person, children's immunity needs support

Antiviral drugs from the following groups are used for children:

• homeopathy ( Aflubin, Vibrukol, Oscillococcinum, Influcid ) - medications whose effectiveness may be unpredictable in each individual case

Aflubin is a homeopathic antiviral remedy

IMPORTANT: If a homeopathic antiviral remedy does not bring relief to the child within 24 hours, you need to discontinue the drug and choose a medicine from another group.

• interferons ( Interferon, Laferobion, Kipferon, Viferon, Gippferon, Nazoferon, Anaferon ) - are available in the form of tablets, suppositories, and nasal drops. Can cope with a viral disease in 3 days or significantly alleviate it
• immunostimulating ( Immunal, Riboxin, Bronchomunal, IRS-19, Ribomunil, Isoprenosine, Imudon ) - used for chronic adenoiditis, tonsillitis, to restore immunity after illness, for the prevention of ARVI
• drugs of chemical origin ( rimantadine, orvirem, arbidol, Tamiflu, ribavirin, acyclovir ) - drugs of a narrow spectrum of action, used only as prescribed by a doctor

Arbidol is an antiviral drug of chemical origin

Classification

All antiviral drugs are divided into the following groups:

• Anti-flu.
• Antiherpetic.
• Antiretroviral.
• Broad-spectrum antiviral.
• Homeopathic.
• Interferons.

All groups of drugs indicated in the list have one common feature: they started taking them earlier and got more effective results.

The effectiveness of antiviral drugs will be better if you start taking them no later than 36 hours from the moment the virus entered the body. If more than 72 hours have passed, there is no use in taking such medications.

Antiviral drugs must be selected very carefully, since each drug acts on a specific type of virus. If the medicine is chosen incorrectly, the child’s condition may not only not improve, but may even worsen.

Homeopathic

Homeopathic medicines include:

• "Oscillococcinum".
• "Aflubin."
• "Ergoferon".
• "Anaferon".

As with all homeopathic medicines, the listed remedies contain small doses of active substances. They consist of lactose, sucrose and other fillers. It is recommended to take them according to the scheme.

• "Anaferon" is indicated for the prevention of influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, cytomegalovirus and herpes infections, and bacterial infections. The remedy significantly alleviates the condition of the listed diseases and speeds up recovery. The drug has immunomodulatory properties, increases the level of antibodies and produces interferon. Available in tablet form.
• "Aflubin" is a homeopathic remedy used for the treatment and prevention of rheumatism, ARVI, and influenza.

Interferons

Interferon is a protein produced by human, animal and bird organisms. The action of the protein is to protect against viruses. The most common dosage form of interferon is drops - they can be given to newborns. Rectal suppositories are also often used to treat infants.

Interferons include:

• "Derinat";
• "Kagocel";
• "Tsitovir".

1. "Tsitovir" is a complex immunostimulating antiviral agent with interferon action. Forms - ointment, tablets, creams, bottles with liquid.
2. "Derinat" is a drug that activates the immune system. Prescribed for fungal, viral and bacterial infections. The drug is indicated for sore throat, ARVI, sinusitis, burns, frostbite. Derinat can be used to treat infants over one year of age, as well as for breastfed babies.

Anti-flu

The action of anti-influenza drugs is aimed exclusively at influenza viruses; ARVI cannot be treated with anti-influenza drugs.

The most common anti-influenza drugs are:

• "Tamiflu";
• "Relenza";
• "Remantadine."

1. Tamiflu is used to prevent and alleviate influenza A and B infections. Tamiflu is available in capsules and powder form. The product should not be given to infants.
2. "Remantadine" is a specific chemotherapeutic agent that has an antiviral effect. Used to treat influenza and adenovirus infections. However, the drug should not be given to children under 7 years of age. "Remantadine" is also used for prophylactic purposes to prevent the incidence of tick-borne viral encephalitis. Form: tablets.
3. "Relenza" has an antiviral effect and is effective in the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B. The drug can be used by children over 5 years of age. Form: solution for inhalation.

Antiherpetic

These drugs are drugs with proven effectiveness. They act on the herpes virus, as well as on diseases caused by herpes, for example, chickenpox.

Acyclovir (Zovirax). Thanks to the drug, the number of viruses in the patient’s body decreases, creating an immunostimulating effect.

Antiviral drugs for children under one year of age

The child's body is very vulnerable and sensitive to medications taken orally. Therefore, when choosing an antiviral for a child under one year old, you must read the instructions and make sure that the medicine is recommended for the treatment of children of this age group.

Antiviral drugs for the treatment of children under 1 year of age should be chosen with caution

IMPORTANT: Symptoms of a cold in infants include frequent sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and increased body temperature.

Children under one year old are often prescribed drugs for the treatment of ARVI: influenza, anaferon, laferabion, kipferon. These and other interferon-based medications will help the child’s body quickly overcome the virus and prevent the addition of a bacterial infection.

Immunoflazid and Imupred are plant-based medicines approved for use by children from birth. You can offer them to your child after making sure that the baby is not allergic to the components of the drugs.

Also for children from birth, the use of Aflubin (in drops), Oscillococcinum, Acyclovir .

IMPORTANT: Treatment of viral diseases in children under 1 year of age is carried out only under the supervision of a pediatrician. If the illness is accompanied by high fever, convulsions or vomiting, the child and mother are sent for further treatment to the infectious diseases department.

Oscillococcinum is an antiviral homeopathic drug approved for the treatment of infants

Antiviral drugs for children 2 years old

The body of a two-year-old child is ready to take more “serious” antiviral drugs. Unlike babies under one year old, two-year-olds also tolerate ARVI and colds more easily.

The body of a two-year-old child will quickly cope with a viral disease

The most popular drugs for treating children over 2 years of age are:

• Groprinosin (tablets) – low toxic antiviral and immunostimulating agent
• Anaferon (tablets) - a drug based on interferon, helps the body quickly cope with the disease if taken strictly according to the instructions, from the moment its first symptoms appear
• Aflubin (drops, tablets) is an antiviral homeopathic remedy. Used three times a day from the first day of illness
• Influcid (tablets, syrup) is a highly effective antiviral homeopathic drug. Shows excellent results as a prophylactic and as the main drug in the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections and colds.
• Viburkol (suppositories) – anti-inflammatory antispasmodic agent with complex effects, homeopathy
• Laferobion (suppositories) is a drug based on interferon. Facilitates the course of colds and ARVI in children
• Oscillococcinum (tablets) is another homeopathic remedy. When choosing it as an antiviral agent for a child, you need to be prepared for the fact that the drug may not work at all
• Immunoflazid, Imupret, Flavozid, Proteflazid (syrups) – immunostimulating drugs based on medicinal plants

IMPORTANT: The pediatrician may prescribe an antiviral from the list in combination with other drugs, for example, Panadol or Nurofen for fever, Ambroxol or Lazolvan for cough, Nazoferon, Rinazolin, Otrivin for the runny nose.

Children's Panadol will help reduce a child's high temperature during treatment

Dossier

Dr. Evgeny Komarovsky, a native of the Kharkov region, became famous thanks to a series of books and publications for parents. He became one of the first doctors who explained to mothers and fathers in an accessible and understandable manner what the causes of childhood diseases are and how to approach treatment correctly. Komarovsky himself is famous in the professional community as an adherent of a not entirely standard fundamental school of medicine; his opinion sometimes runs counter to the official position of the Ministry of Health. He raised two sons and now has a grandson and a granddaughter. He hosts the TV program “Doctor Komarovsky’s School” and a column on Russian Radio.

Antiviral drugs for children over 3 years of age

All antiviral drugs recommended for the treatment and prevention of ARVI in young children can also be used for older children, subject to dosage.

At the same time, the older the child, the more opportunities for treatment appear, since many antiviral drugs have strict age restrictions.

The older the child, the greater the choice of antiviral drugs for his treatment.

Thus, from 3 years of age, the use of Arbidol and Kagocel , which are very effective in fighting influenza, is allowed.

General recommendations

• You should not combine reception and. A high temperature is a sure sign that the body is undergoing a protective reaction and is producing its own interferon. By knocking it down, we seem to “forbid” the body to fight, and by giving medications that stimulate the immune system, we confuse the child’s defense system.
• Antibiotics can be combined with antiviral drugs if a bacterial complication has begun to develop against the background of a viral illness. Both drugs should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor to avoid negative consequences from self-medication.
• Do not exceed the dosage prescribed by the specialist and the duration of the course of treatment against viruses. This may cause antibodies to the pathogen to begin to destroy completely healthy healthy cells of their own body.
• Before asking your pediatrician to prescribe antiviral tablets, ask if you can use folk remedies to treat viral infections. An excellent natural “destroyer” of viruses is viburnum, any sour berries (cranberries, red and black currants, cherries). Age 8+ allows you to give your child honey, which strengthens the immune system no worse than an expensive pharmaceutical immunostimulant drug. Onion juice and garlic will come to the rescue in the fight against influenza and ARVI.
• On average, the course of treatment for the acute stage of a viral infection lasts 3-7 days. Taking antiviral drugs is designed, according to the manufacturers' recommendations, for approximately the same period. For the purpose of prevention, such medications are prescribed in small doses according to a specific scheme 2-5. The child takes an “Arbidol” or “Arbidol” tablet for two days, then a break is taken for five days. The prophylactic regimen may be different at the discretion of the doctor.
• You should not try to treat flu or ARVI in a child with antibiotics. Antibacterial agents are completely powerless in this situation.

And now Dr. Komarovsky will tell us his opinion about antiviral drugs.

Antiviral drugs for children over 6 years of age

Children over 6 years of age are prescribed antiviral drugs less frequently than younger children. The fact is that the healthy body of an adult child can already cope with the virus on its own. Active production of interferon in the body occurs at 38 – 38.5˚C, so there is no need to rush to bring down this temperature.

IMPORTANT: To alleviate the condition of a child over 6 years old with ARVI, it is enough to provide him with regular warm, fortified drinks and maintain the air temperature in the room no higher than 21˚C.

The body of a six-year-old child can cope with a viral disease without the help of antiviral drugs.
If, nevertheless, there is a need for antiviral drugs for a child over 6 years old, then you can choose any children’s drug and give it to the patient from the first days of the disease, strictly observing the dosage.

Release forms and prices

Medicines against viruses are available in a wide variety of pharmacological forms. These include drops, syrups, tablets and much more. For children 7 years old, it is possible to use drugs in the form of rectal suppositories and suspensions, and you can buy powders from which syrup or suspension can be easily prepared at home.

Seven-year-olds, unlike their younger comrades in misfortune, can be given solid forms of medicine - tablets. But capsules cannot be taken at this age. They are intended for teenagers over 12 years of age.

In terms of prices, antiviral agents differ quite greatly from each other. The fact is that there are original drugs, and there are so-called generics (cheaper analogues). With regard to anti-virus drugs, it is quite true that price does not affect quality. Both drugs costing 1,000 rubles and their analogues costing 100 rubles can have the same effect.

Antiviral drugs for children with ARVI

The appearance of the first symptoms of ARVI in a child should alert parents. You should not wait for the further development of the disease, hoping for “maybe.” Timely start of taking an antiviral drug guarantees a quick recovery and recovery of the child.

The sooner treatment is started, the sooner the child will recover

Most modern antiviral agents have a broad spectrum of action. Therefore, by choosing one of the drugs for your child, you don’t have to worry that the medicine won’t work:

• Amiksin
• Aflubin
• Anaferon
• Viferon
• Hippferon
• Influcid
• Kagocel
• Laferobion
• Oscillococcinum
• Ridostin
• Cycloferon
• Ergoferon
• Engystol

IMPORTANT: When choosing homeopathy as an antiviral agent, you need to be sure that the child’s body is “responsive” to the effects of drugs of this group.

Efficiency

Many drugs labeled by pharmacists as antiviral are actually capable of destroying viral particles. But only in a laboratory setting, in a test tube. Manufacturers pass this ability off as efficiency. But in clinical settings, test results are not so rosy. In most cases, drugs do not have the same “killer” effect on the virus if the virus is in the human body and not in a laboratory test tube.

However, manufacturers indicate that the drug has been tested. True, nowhere, even on the official website of this manufacturer, will sufferers find a truthful report on the clinical trials conducted.

Many drug manufacturers prefer to invest money in advertising a new drug “for influenza and other dangerous viruses” than to order high-quality and correct testing of their drug on a large group of people. Not because, apparently, they are very sorry for the money, but because they understand perfectly well what the results of this trial will be: none, zero or insufficient for a convincing conclusion, according to the requirements of evidence-based medicine. And I really don’t want to write “Effectiveness has not been proven” on the box.

Video: Treatment of flu in children - 7 tips

The doctor should choose an antiviral drug for the treatment of influenza, having previously determined the type of disease and noting the general condition of the patient. Typically, one of the following drugs is prescribed for treatment:

• Remantadine, Amantadine - prevent the proliferation of influenza viruses by blocking channels
• Oseltamivir, Zanamivir – weaken viruses
• Tamiflu, Oseltamivir - deprives influenza viruses of the ability to penetrate into cells

IMPORTANT: Anti-flu drugs have serious side effects and are not used in the treatment of ARVI.

Tamiflu blocks the ability of viruses to penetrate cells

Antiviral drugs for children for prevention

The need to prevent viral diseases for a child arises in several cases:

• one of the family members is sick
• the child is preparing for the first visit to kindergarten
• the child had contact with the sick person
• seasonal increase in the incidence of ARVI and influenza

IMPORTANT: There is no special medicine for prevention. In order to prevent the occurrence and development of a viral disease, the same drugs are used as for its treatment.

Preventive regimens are indicated in the instructions for any antiviral drug. For example, the instructions for Influcid indicate the need for a child to take the drug three times a day in order to prevent viral diseases during a seasonal epidemic.

Prophylactic doses of antiviral drugs are usually 2–3 times lower than the doses recommended for treatment.

Before visiting kindergarten, doctors recommend preventing ARVI in children

Traditional medicine

Many plants have antiviral properties, which makes it possible to fight diseases without resorting to the use of pharmaceutical drugs. Therefore, instead of them, parents can use folk remedies to treat their children. Such antiviral drugs include garlic, onions, echinacea, ginger, and beets.

Use traditional medicine instead of antiviral drugs in cases where the disease progresses without complications and a significant increase in temperature.

Garlic and lemon

The juice of two lemons or two lemons minced in a meat grinder is mixed with three cloves of garlic. The resulting slurry is poured with boiling water, mixed and left to cool. After 20 minutes, the product is filtered and put in the refrigerator. The resulting mixture is considered an excellent prevention of viral diseases. The medicine should be given to the child in the morning before feeding, during periods of exacerbation of infections, as well as for sore throat and flu.

Echinacea

Antiviral drugs with immunomodulatory properties are replaced by tea, for example, with echinacea, a natural immunomodulator that can change the state of the body's defenses. For a child over 7 years old, alcohol tincture of Echinacea is acceptable according to the following scheme: 10 drops per 100 g of water, 3 times a day during a cold or for its prevention. Tea is prepared for newborns and infants with the addition of chamomile, calendula, and sage.

Modern immunomodulatory drugs are prepared on the basis of echinacea (for example, “Immunal”), some of the drugs can be given for up to a year.

Beet

It has many useful properties, including antiviral. For a child with a cold and its prevention, beets are prepared in the form of juice, decoction, and salads. Recipes:

• Juice: you need to grate the root vegetable and squeeze out the juice.
• Decoction: boil unpeeled beets in 2 liters of water for an hour until the liquid is reduced by half. Then the beets need to be removed from the pan, cooled, grated, put back into the broth and boiled for half an hour.

It is not advisable to give the resulting product to newborn children, so as not to cause an allergic reaction or disorder. Children over two years old should drink the decoction three times a day. In order for the child to drink this medicine with pleasure, it is advisable to add a little honey to the liquid. The cake obtained after preparing the decoction is perfectly eaten with honey.

There is no clear answer to the question of which antiviral drugs are the most effective, since all antiviral drugs have different purposes and principles of action. The doctor chooses this or that drug based on the individual characteristics of the child, diagnosis and severity of the disease.

Antiviral drugs for children are inexpensive

All expensive advertised antiviral drugs, as a rule, necessarily have cheaper, but no less effective, analogues.

For example, an analogue of Immunal , priced at about 250 rubles. is the usual tincture of Echinacea purpurea (50 rubles), and the expensive Anaferon, Laferobion, Gipferon, Nazoferon and others can just as successfully replace Interferon in ampoules .

An available anti-influenza drug is Remantadine . Its price in pharmacies does not exceed 70 rubles.

Echinacea tincture is one of the cheapest antiviral agents

Popular children's nasal drops against viruses

Interferon

This is the most popular drug in the family of antiviral interferon drugs. It consists of human leukocyte interferon, obtained in the laboratory by artificially “collising” the virus with donor blood cells. The second way to obtain interferon is by adding a human gene to the DNA of the virus using genetic engineering. As a result, protein begins to be produced. This interferon does not have a direct effect on viruses, but activates the baby’s own immunity almost immediately after contact with the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. The spread of viral infection slows down as a result.

And here is a small fragment about interferon as interpreted by Doctor Komarovsky.

The drug can be bought at any pharmacy without a prescription. Pharmacists offer it in the form of a powder, which parents can easily dilute with cooled boiled or distilled water. In addition, the medicine exists in the form of a spray with a convenient dispenser.

Antiviral drugs for children suppositories

The use of antiviral drugs in the form of suppositories is very convenient when treating young children. If the baby refuses to take a pill or syrup, candles come to the aid of parents.

The following children's antiviral drugs are produced in the form of suppositories:

• Laferobion (dosage 150,000 and 500,000 for the treatment of children from birth to 1 year and from 1 year to 7 years, respectively) - used for the treatment of ARVI 2 times a day for 5 - 7 days. Interferon-based drug
• Viburkol is a homeopathic remedy used in the complex treatment of acute respiratory viral infections in children.
• Viferon is an interferon-based drug used to treat acute respiratory viral infections and influenza.
• Genferon - analogue of Viferon
• Kipferon is an expensive drug based on interferon with the addition of donor blood components. Used to treat viral diseases in children accompanied by severe dysbacteriosis

Kipferon - interferon-based suppositories with the addition of donor blood components

IMPORTANT: The child should be given a candle only after bowel movements. In order for it to painlessly penetrate the rectum, the child’s anus should be lightly lubricated with baby cream before administering the drug.

Immunomodulators

Such medications are aimed at stimulating the immune system and mobilizing the body’s defenses to fight foreign microorganisms, substances, and cells.

The attitude of specialists towards antiviral drugs of this type specifically for children aged 3 years and younger is ambiguous. Many of them believe that immunomodulators should not be given to children. After all, their protective system is still being formed, and if it is spurred on from the outside, it will never learn to fight on its own. However, in some cases their use can bring more benefit than harm.

In order not to harm the baby’s immune system, you should never give him immunomodulators on your own. The appropriateness of their appointment will be determined by the doctor on an individual basis.

These include the following inexpensive antiviral drugs for children:

• Immunal;
• Alpizarin;
• Deriant.

All of them are suitable for treating not only children, but also adults.

A baby with flu and colds needs to be helped quickly, effectively and as safely as possible. It is better to choose gentle or local remedies - sprays, suppositories. They have a minimum of possible complications.

As for immune stimulants, there are different pills. I don’t see anything wrong with such plant-based products. Immunal is considered one of the best such drugs. Don’t forget about foods rich in vitamin C - white cabbage, bell peppers, rose hips, etc.

But it is better to abstain from chemical immunomodulators at such a young age. They cause addiction in the body.

Immunal

Available in the form of a solution and tablets - for adults, and in the form of syrup for children from 1 to 4 years.
It is based on plant raw materials – the juice of the Echinacea purpurea herb. The juice of this plant contains caffeic acid derivatives, polysaccharides, alkamides - substances that stimulate the immune system and increase the body's defenses. It is prohibited for use in case of some serious disorders of the nervous system, as well as in case of high susceptibility to the main active substance.

Alpizarin

The medicine Alpizarin is available in the form of ointments and tablets.
In addition to the immunomodulating effect, it also has a slight antibacterial effect. It is made on a plant basis - it is the herb of pennyweed. It is used to treat various viral diseases, including herpes, herpes zoster, and warts. The only contraindication is an individual negative reaction.

Derinat

Available in the form of injections, as well as a solution for the nose, throat, eye wash, douching, microenemas.
Helps stimulate recovery from pharyngitis, sore throat, sinusitis, flu, runny nose of a viral and bacterial nature. In the form of injections it is used for tuberculosis and pneumonia. Can also be used for preventive purposes. Contraindication – individual intolerance.

An effective antiviral drug for children

Parents who, with every ARVI, look for the most effective antiviral drug for their child, will go the wrong way. Unfortunately, pills for all diseases have not yet been invented. Any antiviral agent can be either very effective or completely useless.

Many children benefit from harmless homeopathic remedies. At the same time, parents of other sick children say that they “threw money down the drain” when they purchased homeopathy to treat ARVI.

A healthy lifestyle is the most effective remedy against viruses

The most effective remedy against ARVI in children is hardening and a healthy lifestyle. If a baby is accustomed to fresh air, active physical activity and simple food from birth, then no viral diseases can greatly harm his health.

How to choose?

Antiviral drugs in Russia, unlike other countries, are sold without a prescription. And the huge selection of different tablets, ointments, syrups, ampoules and rectal suppositories can baffle even very competent adults.

Ideally, a specific drug is recommended by a doctor who examined the child and assessed the degree and severity of his viral infection and made sure of the presence or absence of complications. If there is no opportunity to show the baby to a pediatrician (you are not at home, you cannot invite a specialist to call, you went on vacation or out of town), all responsibility for the effect of the chosen remedy falls on the shoulders of the parents.

It should be noted right away that the effectiveness of antiviral drugs is almost unproven. Therefore, the question of whether or not to give antiviral medications to a two-year-old child is quite controversial.

However, these drugs have proven themselves to be positive in the prevention of influenza and ARVI, and also quite quickly help alleviate the condition of the baby if you start taking them in the first 36 hours after the onset of the disease.