Category: general

🎈 Conquering Kids’ Allergies with Over-the-Counter Power!

By Dr. Russell Homan, MD, IBCLC | Canopy Pediatrics

Spring sunshine and blooming flowers are lovely… until allergies strike! Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny noses — we know the drill. The good news? With the right mix of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, you can get about 90% of the effectiveness of prescription allergy meds — and help your child breathe easier.

Here’s how we break it down at Canopy Pediatrics.

👶 For Little Ones (6 months to 2 years)

Start with Zyrtec (cetirizine):

  • Dose: 2.5 mL once daily
  • Tip: Less than 10% of kids feel drowsy. If that happens, give it at night.

🧒 For Kids 2 to 5 Years

You have two solid options:

  • Zyrtec (cetirizine): 5 mL once daily
  • Claritin (loratadine): 5 mL once daily

If their symptoms aren’t budging, you can step it up with a nasal steroid spray.

🌬️ Nasal Sprays: Big Relief in a Small Spray

Flonase Sensimist (fluticasone furoate) is our go-to because it’s gentle and effective.

🧒 Ages 2–11: Start with 1 spray per nostril once daily. If needed, increase to 2 sprays.

🧑 Ages 12+: 2 sprays per nostril once daily.

Other great second-generation sprays:

  • Flonase (fluticasone propionate)
  • Nasonex 24HR (mometasone)

✅ Look for these ingredients on the label — they’re barely absorbed into the bloodstream and super safe.

⚠️ Side note: Spray toward the outside of the nostril, not the middle. This helps avoid nosebleeds. A few people may get mild headaches.

👀 For Watery, Itchy Eyes (Allergic Conjunctivitis)

Try these tried-and-true eye drops for ages 2 and up:

  • Ketotifen (Alaway or Zaditor): 1 drop per eye, twice daily
  • Pataday: 1 drop per eye, once daily
  • Pataday Extra Strength (our favorite): 1 drop per eye, once daily

🚫 Avoid other OTC drops without ketotifen or olopatadine (Patanol) — they just don’t work as well.

💊 Bonus: Zyrtec and Claritin help with eye symptoms, too!

💪 For Stubborn Symptoms

Still not seeing enough improvement? You can also add Astepro (azelastine), a nasal antihistamine spray:

  • 1 spray per nostril twice daily
  • Approved for ages 6 and up
  • Heads-up: it can have a bitter taste (the kids’ version smells a little nicer!)

🍯 What About Natural Remedies?

We talk about those too! When I see patients in my office, we often chat about natural support, like local honey, which may help mild symptoms over time. The more ways we control allergies — gently and consistently — the better kids feel.

🩺 When to Call Your Pediatrician

If your child’s allergies aren’t improving within a week, or you’re unsure where to start, reach out to your pediatrician or allergist. It’s always better to get ahead of allergies than to play catch-up later.

✨ With this smart, simple plan, you’re well on your way to helping your child enjoy the outdoors again — no tissue box required!

Beyfortus for RSV Illness Prevention

Beyfortus (nirsevimab), developed by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, is a monoclonal antibody (see next paragraph) designed to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Approved in July of 2023, it is recommended for infants who are less than 8 months-of-age during the RSV season, and it is given right around the start of RSV season.

In our area, RSV season starts in October and runs through April.  The first large post-release study in Spain (published August of 2024) showed that Beyfortus is highly effective, reducing hospitalizations due to RSV-related lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) by 82%!  It has proven safety, with no significant adverse events reported in real-world conditions.  In placebo-controlled trials, the patients in the placebo group and the Beyfortus had the same amount of adverse events.  

A monoclonal antibody is a lab-made protein designed to mimic the immune system’s ability to fight infections. It’s “monoclonal” because it comes from a single type of immune cell, meaning it’s highly specific in targeting a single substance, like a virus, in this case, the RSV virus. By binding to the virus, they block its ability to spread, offering protection to those who might not have developed strong immunity naturally, like infants.

Synagis (Palivizumab) is the “original” RSV monoclonal antibody.  It was released in 1998, and we still use it, but it is very expensive and only lasts one month.  Since it only lasts one month, babies have get the shot every month for the entirety of RSV season.  For this reason, Synagis has only been used for high risk babies (such as babies who are premature or have lung or heart issues).

To schedule your child’s RSV shot, log into your patient portal and select a “nurse or vaccine appointment.”  Christi Arrington, RN will be administering shots from 8:45 am to 1:45pm, and Hannah Frost, RN will be administered shots in the late afternoon.

S.O.S. Body Positioning for the Cradle Hold

I just finished my first educational video, and the positive feedback has made it worth the work!  It’s about my S.O.S. positioning strategy for the breastfeeding parent. For those of you that haven’t seen the video yet, I’m going to hit the high points.

First, the whole point of my breastfeeding video is for the breastfeeding parent to have a lactation experience that is as comfortable, joyful, and successful as possible.  There are many possible problems that can get in the way, such as low milk supply, mastitis, or tongue-tie, BUT the most common problem is NIPPLE OR LATCH PAIN.

Now, most people focus completely on the latch. But what I have found (and research shows) is that if you first make sure that the breastfeeding parent is well-positioned, then your chances of having a comfortable latch increased greatly. I cannot over express the importance proper positioning of the breastfeeding parent before trying to get a comfortable, functional latch. Good breastfeeding parent positioning is especially important for the first-time parent, newborns, or premature infants. 

Thankfully, positioning is not that complicated, and to make it even easier, I have created a system for the cradle-hold that is easy to remember:

S.O.S.

  • “S” for Semi-reclined Positioning
  • “O” for Open Shoulders and Chest
  • “S” for Skin-to-Skin Contact

Semi-reclined Positioning

Semi-reclined positioning is achieved by laying back 30 to 45 degrees like you were sitting in your grandparent’s recliner.  Not only is the semi-reclined position comfortable for repetitive nursing sessions, but it also enables the baby to rest her weight against the nursing parent’s chest and brings the nipples upward so that they are more accessible to the baby.  The mother in the top picture is semi-reclined.

Open Shoulders and Chest

Focusing on maintaining open shoulders and chest brings the breasts even more out for the baby and keeps the nipples upward for the baby and keeps the arms out of the baby’s way.  It’s also just more comfortable than being turned inward. Notice how the mother in the top picture has her shoulders and chest open and this helps keeps her upper arms away from the baby.

Skin-to-Skin Contact

And the last “S” is for skin to skin contact, which comforts the baby, activates the breasts to produce more milk, and activates the baby’s natural nursing reflexes.  In the picture, you can see that she will maximize skin-to-skin contact by nursing without a bra or top. She will also have the baby covered only by a diaper. If a nursing parent is in a situation where clothing is necessary, it is very helpful to at least have the baby’s face, her nose, cheeks, and chin, make contact with the bare breast.  Last, notice the wonderful skin-to-skin contact the mother in the top picture is getting.

Not every breastfeeding parent that has poor positioning will have breastfeeding trouble.  But, breastfeeding problems are more likely if there is poor body positioning. Breastfeeding position is especially important for the first-time parent, newborns, or premature infants. 

An Example of Poor Positioning

Now consider the body positioning of the woman in the above picture. She is not in a semi-reclined position, rather she is upright and is even leaning over somewhat. Second, her shoulders are turned inward and her chest is turn downwards. Last, she and the baby are both fully dressed, which minimizes skin to skin contact.

Again, this mother-infant pair may be having breastfeeding success in spite of poor positioning, but again, breastfeeding problems are more likely with poor positioning.  Conversely, breastfeeding success is not a guarantee with good positioning either.

IF you would like to see more examples and hear more about SOS body positioning for the Cradle Hold. I hope you found the information helpful. Visit the video section of my website to view the actual SOS breastfeeding video or click here to sign up for my weekly mailing list that will have helpful information like SOS positioning. Visit the events section of my homepage to see my Facebook Live schedule. Check back in a few days for the next blog!