My two daughters have colds, they are 2 1/2 years old and 11 months old. What Vick's can I take to make it ok for both girls?

Hello Ma'am,

You should not use Vicks on a child under the age of 6.

In fact, I never recommend Vicks, even in older children.

The best thing to do in a situation like this (and a technique that can be used in both of your daughters) is nasal hygiene.

There is a very useful technique to help children cough less by reducing the amount of mucus that flows from the nose to the throat. To do this, you'll need a syringe (without a needle) and saline or distilled water, plain and simple.

Then, depending on your child's age, the amount of water to use per nostril will differ a bit (between 3 mL and 10 mL per nostril). For details on the technique and the exact amount to use in your situation, refer to pages 6 and 7 of the following document.

In the first 2 days, use this technique about 5 times a day, and then in the following days you can decrease to 2 times a day.

Most parents see significant improvement in symptoms within 48 hours.

Happy day,

Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist