FORT WASHINGTON, PA Nov 01, 2000 Each year, kids sniffle, sneeze and wheeze their way through as many as 10 colds. With symptoms lasting an average of one week, children can spend up to 10 weeks battling the common cold each year - about the same length of time as most summer vacations. But they aren't the only ones who feel the impact.
"There's a reason we call it the 'common cold'," explained Mark Stegelman, M.D., a pediatric urgent care physician with Emory Eastside Medical Center, Snellville, GA. "For most parents, colds are a rite of passage. What's often underestimated is their tremendous cyclical effect. Kids bring a cold home from school or daycare, and in as few as six days, it can wreak havoc on the average family of four. Just when everyone's feeling better, one of the kids catches another cold, and the cycle can start all over."
While the vicious cycle of colds can't always be broken, there are solutions to help children feel better. The newest option is Children's Motrin(R) Cold - the first and only children's ibuprofen cold product available over the counter. Recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the temporary relief of stuffy nose, fever, sore throat, headache, minor body aches and pains, and nasal and sinus congestion for children between the ages of two and 11, Children's Motrin Cold helps parents get their kids back to their normal routines faster.
"We're already seeing an aggressive, hard-hitting cold season this year - a little earlier than usual. But regardless of when a cold hits, a child can have everything from a stuffy nose and sore throat to a headache and fever," continued Dr. Stegelman. "Children's Motrin Cold combines ibuprofen to relieve pain and fever with a decongestant to tackle a kid's most troublesome symptoms."
CYCLE OF COLDS CONFIRMED IN NATIONAL CONSUMER SURVEY
Anew survey conducted by Yankelovich Partners Inc., is evidence that the cycle of colds hits home. Approximately three-fourths of parents (74%) say their kids catch a cold first, and even more parents (77%) have witnessed colds spreading to other family members. When asked to characterize the effect of colds on their household, "a doctor's waiting room" was the analogy most often cited.
Colds keep Americans from their regular routines more often than you may think. Each year, kids miss 22 million school days due to colds - not surprising considering kids catch 85% of the 62 million cases of the common cold each year. Americans in general spend 45 million days sick at home thanks to colds - the most common contagious disease in the world. It's no wonder that most parents surveyed agree the ripple effect of colds on families is often underestimated. cold symptoms may not be as severe as those of the flu, a cold's incredible ability to invade your home and disrupt your routine repeatedly throughout the year can be even more wearing," emphasized Peggy L. DeFelice, M.D., Philadelphia-area pediatrician and mother of five young children.
UNTIL THERE'S A CURE...
While the cure for the common cold remains a medical mystery, the good news is there are a number of simple steps parents can take to keep germs at bay and decrease the number of colds hitting the household.
"Teach children to cover sneezes, wash hands frequently and use a paper towel or sleeve to twist a doorknob. Believe it or not, these commonsense tips can go a long way in preventing the spread of colds," continued Dr. Stegelman. "And just as importantly, be prepared with household items like over-the-counter medication, facial tissues, orange juice - before cold season hits."
For more information about kids' colds, log onto www.cycleofcolds.com.
ABOUT CHILDREN'S MOTRIN COLD
Children's Motrin Cold is a patented formula* that combines the fast, long-lasting pain and fever relief of Children's Motrin(R) (ibuprofen) with a decongestant (pseudoephedrine HCl). Children's Motrin Cold does not contain phenylpropanolamine (PPA). Each teaspoon of Children's Motrin Cold contains 100 mg of ibuprofen and 15 mg of pseudoephedrine HCl, and comes in a convenient liquid formulation available in two flavors that kids like - grape and berry. The recommended dose is 1 teaspoon every 6 hours for children aged 2 through 5, and 2 teaspoons every 6 hours for children aged 6 through 11.
UT CHILDREN'S MOTRIN
Children's Motrin is the leading and most widely recommended pediatric ibuprofen pain reliever/fever reducer and is available in a variety of forms and flavors. McNeil Consumer Healthcare introduced Children's Motrin as a prescription product in 1993. The safety profile of Children's Motrin was supported by a landmark study involving nearly 84,000 children - one of the largest and most rigorous children's clinical studies ever conducted. The study spanned three years and included 1,735 physicians nationwide. The FDA approved its sale as over-the-counter (OTC) medication in 1995, making it the first new OTC children's pain reliever and fever reducer introduced in 35 years.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, headquartered in Fort Washington, Pa., is a member of the Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) family of companies. McNeil's OTC pain reliever franchise is one of the most extensive and comprehensive of any company in the world, with its Motrin(R) and TYLENOL(R) brands.
*U.S. Patent No. 5,374,659. Additional patents pending.
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