Common Cold In Children Research Articles

Impact of Education on Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescription for Respiratory Tract Infection Based on Physicians’ Justifications: A Web-Based Survey in Japan

Background: Antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed for respiratory tract infections for various reasons. The differences of the effects of education based on these reasons has not been fully elucidated. This study assessed the impact of an educational film on antibiotic prescription patterns according to physicians’ prescribing justifications. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a nationwide web-based survey involving 1100 physicians. The physicians were required to view a short educational film and determine the need for prescribing antibiotics in simulated scenarios of different acute respiratory tract infectious diseases. The associations between the reasons for antibiotic prescription to patients not requiring antibiotics before viewing the educational film and the positive effects of the intervention were analyzed. Results: The educational intervention positively affected prescribing trends among physicians who prescribed antibiotics for “fever” in mild acute rhinosinusitis (prescription rates from 100% to 25.9%), “pus in the laryngopharynx” in mild acute pharyngitis (prescription rates from 100% to 29.6%), and “purulent sputum” in acute bronchitis without chronic lung disease (prescription rates from 100% to 29.9%) before viewing the film. In contrast, no benefits were observed when the justification was “patient’s desire for antibiotics” in mild acute pharyngitis (prescription rates from 100% to 48.5%) and acute bronchitis without chronic lung disease (prescription rates from 100% to 44.0%) or “parents’ desire for antibiotics” in narrowly defined common cold in children (prescription rates from 100% to 45.7%). Conclusions: although educational interventions might reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescription by providing accurate knowledge about respiratory tract infections, they appear ineffective for physicians who prescribe antibiotics based on patients’ or parents’ desires for antibiotic treatment.

Safety and efficacy of a fixed dose combination of oral drops of paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and chlorpheniramine maleate in the symptomatic treatment of common cold in children: an active post-marketing surveillance study

Safety and efficacy of a fixed dose combination of oral drops of paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and chlorpheniramine maleate in the symptomatic treatment of common cold in children: an active post-marketing surveillance study

Efficacy and safety of paracetamol, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine maleate and sodium citrate in Indian paediatric patients with common cold: an active post-marketing surveillance study

Background: The common cold, mainly caused by viruses, brings discomfort to children with symptoms like sneezing, congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. As no specific antiviral treatments are available to relieve common cold symptoms, it is typically managed using decongestants, antihistamines, and antipyretics. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of paracetamol, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine maleate and sodium citrate in children aged 2 to 12 years with common cold. Methods: This non-randomized, open-label, non-comparative, active post-marketing surveillance (PMS) study was conducted across multiple centres in India, involving 417 patients. The study assessed efficacy using the total symptom score (TSS) scale over 5 days with visits on days 1, 3, and 5. Safety was evaluated based on adverse events reported by patients on days 3 and 5 of the trial. Results: Initially, 417 patients were enrolled in the active PMS, of which 309 completed the study. The mean TSS showed a notable decrease from 8.95 at visit 1 to 0.19 at visit 3, depicting a significant reduction i.e., 97.90% as compared to baseline. At visit 1, most patients (95.79%) exhibited severe symptoms, whereas by visit 3, 83.82% were symptom-free, with only 16.18% experiencing mild symptoms. Conclusions: This active PMS study examined the safety and efficacy of an FDC of paracetamol, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine maleate and sodium citrate in treating common cold in children in India. The findings indicate a significant reduction in symptoms, with many patients becoming symptom-free by the third visit, demonstrating its efficacy and safety.

Safety and Efficacy of a Fixed-Dose Combination of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine and Chlorpheniramine Syrup in the SymptomaticTreatment of Common Cold in Children: A Post Marketing Surveillance Study in India

Safety and Efficacy of a Fixed-Dose Combination of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine and Chlorpheniramine Syrup in the SymptomaticTreatment of Common Cold in Children: A Post Marketing Surveillance Study in India

Effect of prenatal and postnatal exposure to home renovation on the risk of common cold in preschool children.

Common cold is usually considered to be associated with outdoor climate, but the evidence linking with indoor environmental factors is lacking. The role of indoor renovations during which critical timing window on childhood common cold remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of exposure to new furniture and/or redecoration during prenatal and postnatal periods on the occurrence and duration of common cold in preschool children. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 39782 children aged 3-6years in seven cities of China. The occurrence and duration of common cold in children, and their lifetime exposures to indoor new furniture and redecoration (including pregnancy, the first year of life, and after one year old) were assessed using a questionnaire administered by the parents. Associations between high frequency (>5 colds) and long duration (≥2weeks per cold) of common cold during past 12 months and exposure to indoor new furniture/redecoration were examined by logistic regression models in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). We found that the prevalence of high frequency and long duration of common cold in preschool children in China were, respectively, 9.2% and 11.9%. Frequent common cold was significantly associated with exposure to indoor new furniture/redecoration during pregnancy, first year, and after 1 year old, respectively, with the ORs (95% CI)=1.25 (1.12-1.39), 1.11 (1.00-1.25), and 1.09 (1.01-1.18). Furthermore, childhood long duration per cold was associated with exposure to indoor new furniture/redecoration during pregnancy with OR (95% CI) of 1.14 (1.03-1.25) but not with postnatal exposure. We identified that prenatal exposure to home renovation was more critical than postnatal exposure for an increased risk of high frequency and long duration of common cold. Sensitivity analysis showed that the association between prenatal exposure to indoor renovations and the risk of childhood common cold was consistent and robust, and the associations were modified by some personal and indoor environmental factors. Our findings indicated that prenatal and postnatal exposure to home renovation played an important role in the risk of childhood common cold, supporting the hypothesis of "fetal origin of childhood infection."

Human rhinoviruses prevailed among children in the setting of wearing face masks in Shanghai, 2020

BackgroundHuman rhinovirus (HRV) is the predominant etiological agent of the common cold in children and adults. A recent study showed that the inhibitory effect of face masks on viral shedding of HRV was less prominent than that on other respiratory viruses. Considering that most Chinese people have worn face masks in public area since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, we aimed to find out whether HRV prevailed among children in 2020 and demonstrate the details of the epidemiological features of HRV under such a special circumstance.MethodsWe summarized the incidences of various respiratory virus infections in patients who visited the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University during 2018–2020, and genotyped HRV positive nasopharyngeal specimens collected from 316 inpatients and 72 outpatients that visited the hospital in 2020.ResultsThere was a major prevalence of HRV among children in the latter half of 2020, with a clear seasonality that HRV-As prevailed in summer while HRV-Cs in autumn. HRV-As were more prone to cause severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), while HRV-Cs were closely associated with childhood wheezing. The predominant genotypes were A11, A28, A47, A82, A101, C40 and C43. Notably, A21, A82 and A101 took up larger proportions in severe cases than in non-severe cases.ConclusionsOur findings described a major prevalence of HRVs among children in 2020, which highlight the unique transmitting pattern of HRV and help to narrow the targets for antiviral strategies.

Prospective cohort study of bedroom heating and risk of common cold in children.

In countries with mild winter climates and inadequate heating, the relationship between housing conditions and health outcomes in winter have not been well studied. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between heater type and temperature factors in the bedroom and incidence of the common cold among children in Japan. In this prospective cohort study, we distributed baseline questionnaires and temperature loggers in December 2019 and administered follow-up questionnaires in March 2020. We recruited children under the age of 15 years. We performed Poisson regression analysis and logistic regression analysis. Of 297 participants, air conditioners were the most prevalent (n = 105, 35%), followed by gas or kerosene heaters (n = 50, 17%), and floor heaters (n = 31, 10%). Air-conditioners were associated with higher incidence of all events related to the common cold, especially having a fever (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) = 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41-2.40). Gas or kerosene and floor heaters showed a lower incidence rate of some events related to the common cold, such as school or nursery school absence (aIRR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37-0.82 and aIRR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.67, respectively). Bedroom temperature did not show a positive association, but children who always felt cold showed a higher incidence of some events related to the common cold. Our findings imply that the heating approach and modal thermal comfort, such as location of heating appliances, humidity, airflow, and radiant heat, may be more important for the onset of common cold in children than bedroom temperature itself.

Post-Marketing Surveillance Study to Substantiate the Efficacy and Safety for the Combination of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine, Chlorpheniramine Maleate, Sodium Citrate and Menthol in Indian Patients of Common Cold

Introduction: Common cold is frequently encountered by people and it also largely affects productivity of the daily routine life. Combination of Paracetamol, Phenylephrine and Chlorpheniramine maleate which acts as an antipyretic, nasal decongestant and anti-histaminic respectively, can be used for the symptomatic treatment of common cold. To the above-mentioned combination, Sodium Citrate was added as an expectorant and Menthol for cooling effect and this post marketing surveillance study was conducted to test the efficacy and safety for the symptomatic treatment of common cold. Methodology: Out of 200 enrolled, 174 patients completed the study. Safety assessment was made by analysing the adverse events reported by the patient or their guardian. Efficacy was evaluated by total symptom score [TSS] (eleven-point scale ranging from 0 to 10 where 0 is no symptom to 10 is the maximum symptoms) which was extrapolated to four-point Likert-type symptom severity scales. Results: TSS was reduced from 5.57 at baseline visit to 3.40 at day 3 to 1.69 at day 5. At day 3 and day 5 there was TSS reduction of 38.865 % and 69.690 % respectively as compared to baseline. 18 episodes of adverse drug reactions were reported and all of them were of expected and non-serious nature. Conclusion: Fixed-dose combination of Paracetamol 125mg, Phenylephrine 5mg, Chlorpheniramine Maleate 1mg, Sodium Citrate 60mg and mentholated flavoured syrupy base q.s. per 5ml was found to be safe and efficacious for the treatment of common cold in children of age between 2 to 12 years.

Clinical Evidence and Biomarkers Linking Allergy and Acute or Chronic Rhinosinusitis in Children: a Systematic Review.

Purpose of the ReviewWe provide a systematic review of experimental and clinical evidences linking allergy to acute, including common cold, and chronic rhinosinusitis in children. Furthermore, we questioned if anti-allergy treatment may prevent the occurrence of rhinosinusitis or improve outcomes of its specific management.Recent FindingsAllergic rhinitis is a common childhood disease in industrialized countries that is responsible for a major impact on quality of life and healthcare resources. Over the years many authors tried to correlate allergy with comorbidities and in particular to the onset of rhinosinusitis including common cold, even though conflicting results are frequently reached. We performed a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) process. Our search yielded 7103 that were finally screened. This resulted in 25 publications of which the full texts were assessed and included in a qualitative analysis per different phenotypes of rhinosinusitis.SummaryThe evidence suggests that allergy may lead to overall impairment of mechanical and immunological defense function of the nasal mucosa against viruses and that anti-allergy treatment may significantly decrease the number and severity of upper respiratory tract infections including common colds in children. It was not possible to perform the analysis for allergy and post-viral acute rhinosinusitis, bacterial acute rhinosinusitis, and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis because of paucity and heterogeneity of data. Although there is no definitive proof of causation linking allergy to chronic rhinosinusitis, studies lead to suppose that anti-allergy treatment may improve outcomes of specific CRS treatments.

Reduced development of COVID-19 in children reveals molecular checkpoints gating pathogenesis illuminating potential therapeutics

The reduced development of COVID-19 for children compared to adults provides some tantalizing clues on the pathogenesis and transmissibility of this pandemic virus. First, ACE2, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor, is reduced in the respiratory tract in children. Second, coronavirus associated with common colds in children may offer some protection, due to cross-reactive humoral immunity and T cell immunity between common coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2. Third, T helper 2 immune responses are protective in children. Fourth, surprisingly, eosinophilia, associated with T helper 2, may be protective. Fifth, children generally produce lower levels of inflammatory cytokines. Finally, the influence of the downturn in the global economy, the impact of living in quarters among families who are the most at risk, and factors including the openings of some schools, are considered. Those most disadvantaged socioeconomically may suffer disproportionately with COVID-19.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Nepeta cataria L. (Labiatae)

Nepeta cataria L. is a common herbal medicine and it has been applied to the treatment of various diseases in China, especially common cold in children. In this study, we reported and characterized the complete chloroplast genome sequence of N. cataria L. The chloroplast genome was determined to be 152,339 bp in length. It contained large single-copy (LSC) and small single-copy (SSC) regions of 95,821 bp and 23,460 bp, respectively, which were separated by a pair of 16,529 bp inverted repeat (IR) regions. The genome is predicted to contain 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the genome is 37.85%. The complete plastome sequence of N. cataria L. will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for the phylogenetic studies for Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. A phylogenetic tree reconstructed by 19 chloroplast genomes reveals that N. cataria L. is mostly related to Callicarpa nudiflora, but forms an independent evolutionary branch.

Association between indoor environment and common cold among children aged 7–9 years in five typical cities in China

The common cold is an acute, self-limited viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, it is a heterogeneous group of diseases caused by numerous viruses that belong to several different families. A total of 292 households with children aged 7–9 years from Harbin, Xi’an, Ningbo, Nanning, and Shenzhen, China were investigated and 877 air samples from both bedrooms and living rooms in study area were tested to reveal indoor air quality level in 2017. The mean indoor temperature, relative humidity, CO, CO 2 , NO 2 , formaldehyde, total count of colonies, and total count of fungi levels were 21.00 ​± ​4.05 ​°C, 54.66 ​± ​16.28%, 0.85±+2.99 mg/m 3 , 0.08 ​± ​0.06%, 0.03 ​± ​0.02 ​mg/m 3 , 0.03 ​± ​0.02 ​mg/m 3 , 173.14 ​± ​4.28 ​cfu/m 3 , and 241.21 ​± ​4.20 ​cfu/m 3 , respectively. Of the 292 children, 1.72% had >5 common colds in the past year, 12.04% 3–5 per year, and rest <3 per year. The average prevalence of the common cold in five cities was 1.68 times per year with an average duration of 5.62 days. The main symptoms of a common cold in children are cough and expectoration, which are significantly influenced by indoor relative humidity, formaldehyde, and total count of fungi. The total count of fungi as well as relative humidity are also significantly correlated with the duration of children common cold. And significant correlation was found between indoor temperature and the prevalence of a common cold. This study systematically analyzed influence of indoor environment, including physical variables, chemical variables, and biological variables, on common cold in children and identified essential indoor risk factors in China. • The average prevalence of the common cold in five typical cities in China was 1.68 times per year with an average duration of 5.62 days. •The main symptoms of a common cold in children are cough and expectoration. •The main symptoms, duration, and prevalence of a common cold in children are significantly influenced by indoor temperature, relative humidity, formaldehyde, and total count of fungi. •The socioeconomic status (SES) of the family affects indoor environment as well as respiratory health status of the child to some extent.

Léčba příznaků chřipky a nachlazení u dětí a přehled léčiv

Chřipka a nachlazeni jsou infekcni onemocněni, postihujici vsechny věkove skupiny populace, zejmena v chladnějsich měsicich roku. Přiznaky, jakými jsou zvýsena teplota, bolest, kasel a rýma, lze sledovat u obou nemoci, lisi se svou intenzitou a charakterem. Lecba přiznaků chřipky a nachlazeni probiha v nekomplikovaných připadech symptomaticky.

Discovery of a subgenotype of human coronavirus NL63 associated with severe lower respiratory tract infection in China, 2018

ABSTRACT Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) is primarily associated with common cold in children, elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Outbreaks caused by HCoV-NL63 are rare. Here we report a cluster of HCoV-NL63 cases with severe lower respiratory tract infection that arose in Guangzhou, China, in 2018. Twenty-three hospitalized children were confirmed to be HCoV-NL63 positive, and most of whom were hospitalized with severe pneumonia or acute bronchitis. Whole genomes of HCoV-NL63 were obtained using next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic and single amino acid polymorphism analyses showed that this outbreak was associated with two subgenotypes (C3 and B) of HCoV-NL63. Half of patients were identified to be related to a new subgenotype C3. One unique amino acid mutation at I507 L in spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) was detected, which segregated this subgenotype C3 from other known subgenotypes. Pseudotyped virus bearing the I507 L mutation in RBD showed enhanced entry into host cells as compared to the prototype virus. This study proved that HCoV-NL63 was undergoing continuous mutation and has the potential to cause severe lower respiratory disease in humans.

The Common Cold in Children: Timing to Refer to a Pediatrician

The Common Cold in Children: Timing to Refer to a Pediatrician

A Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Pseudoephedrine for the Temporary Relief of Nasal Congestion in Children With the Common Cold.

This multicenter, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 30‐mg tablets in children aged 6 to 11 years for the temporary relief of nasal congestion due to the common cold. The primary efficacy end point was the weighted sum of the change from baseline in instantaneous nasal congestion severity score over the period from 1 to 8 hours following the first dose of study drug on day 1. Safety assessments included adverse events, sleepiness ratings, and vital signs. Pseudoephedrine was superior to placebo in reducing instantaneous nasal congestion severity in pediatric children over the first 8 hours after dosing on day 1 (least squares mean difference between treatment groups was 1.2; P = .029). Overall, secondary end points associated with nasal congestion were supportive on day 1, whereas secondary end points on day 2 were only numerically favorable. Somnolence was reported in a greater percentage of children on pseudoephedrine compared to placebo (71.9% vs 63.9%), while similar percentages of children in the same respective groups reported insomnia (34.4% and 38.9%) and nervousness (20.0% and 23.6%).Pseudoephedrine provides temporary relief of nasal congestion associated with the common cold in children 6 to <12 years of age at the current over‐the‐counter monograph dose. Multiple dosing of pseudoephedrine for up to 7 days, when given as needed for symptom relief, was generally safe in this population of children with the common cold.

Short-course administration of a traditional herbal mixture ameliorates asthma symptoms of the common cold in children.

Asthma is an increasing chronic respiratory disease affecting over 300 million people worldwide. Several studies have shown that herbal remedies may improve asthma control and reduce asthma symptoms. In this study, the effects of short-course administration of an herbal mixture (ASMATUSTM) in asthmatic children during viral respiratory tract infection, were evaluated. Forty-six children (7-12 years old) with intermittent asthma were enrolled in this double-blind randomized clinical trial. At the onset of common cold symptoms, the patients were randomly assigned to daily receive either the herbal mixture (comprised of Matricaria chamomilla, Althaea officinalis, Malva sylvestris, Hyssopus officinalis, Adiantum capillus-veneris, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Ziziphus jujube) or placebo for 5 days. Primary outcomes included day symptoms, night symptoms, and asthma attacks. Secondary outcomes included Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), the need for β-agonist administration, oral prednisolone usage, necessity for re-visit due to uncontrolled or insupportable symptoms, as well as the number of hospital admissions and days absent from school. the herbal mixture significantly decreased the severity of coughs (p=0.049) and nighttime awakenings (p=0.029) in comparison to placebo. There was no significant reduction in wheezing, tachypnea, respiratory distress, PEF rate, absence from school, outpatient visits, asthma exacerbation, oral prednisolone or β-agonist usage and hospitalization. Short-course of herbal mixture this traditional herbal mixture, starting at the onset of signs of a viral respiratory tract infection in children with intermittent asthma, reduced cough and nights awakening. Further studies should be done to determine the most effective herbal admixture, as well as dose and duration of treatment.

Relationship between indoor environment and children's common cold in Baotou, Inner Mongolia

The common cold is the most common disease in children and is associated with viruses, bacterial infections and low immunity in children. As a susceptible population, children are very sensitive to the common cold. The survey shows that children have an average of 6−8 times a year, usually lasting 7 to 15 days. However, there are few studies in this area in China. This paper discusses the relationship between the indoor environment in Baotou City and the preschool children’s cold. This study is part of the China, Children, Homes, Health (CCHH) program, which aims to identify indoor risk factors associated with asthma and allergies in children. From March to July 2014, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 4709 children aged 3−7 years (74.0% response rate) randomly selected from 37 kindergartens in Baotou City. We found that a total of 4.8% had a high frequency (>5 colds per year) and 6.1% had long duration (≥2 weeks) of common cold in Baotou. A Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis of common cold-related risk factors. A P -value <0.05 was considered as significant. All statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 20.0. Low age children had more common cold than high age children ( P <0.05). Children who received antibiotics and had a family history of allergies had more colds and longer durations ( P <0.001). We analyzed the association between indoor exposure and the common cold. These associations were performed by multiple logistic regression after adjusting for six covariates, including gender, age, family allergy history, breastfeeding, birth patterns, and smoking environment. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated for the logistic regression models. Family allergy history and exposure to condensation were associated with frequent common cold and long duration of common cold. However, bedding that is often exposed to sunlight is negatively correlated with frequent colds (aOR, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.58 to 0.79) and prolonged colds (aOR, 95% CI: 0.59, 0.40 to 0.87). Family history of allergies and contact condensation may be a risk factor for the common cold, and exposure to bedding from the sun may be a protective factor. This study shows that in Baotou, the indoor environment and lifestyle of modern apartments are related to the frequency of the common cold in children and the duration of the cold. To prevent a child from catching a cold, it is important to reduce signs of moisture and often expose the bedding to the sun. Further follow-up studies of indoor environment could verify more about the influence of environmental exposure on the children’s health.

Prenatal exposure to ambient temperature variation increases the risk of common cold in children

BackgroundCommon cold is a frequent upper respiratory tract infection, but the role of ambient temperature in the infection is unclear. ObjectiveWe investigated the role of prenatal exposure to diurnal temperature variation (DTV), the difference between the daily maximal and minimal temperatures, in the risk of common cold in children. MethodsWe conducted a cohort study of 2598 preschool children in Changsha, China. Occurrence of common cold during the past year was surveyed using questionnaire. We then estimated each child's prenatal exposure to DTV during pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the association between occurrence of common cold and prenatal exposure to DTV in terms of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). ResultsAbout 45% children have common cold (≥3 times) during the past year. We found that common cold in children was associated with maternal DTV exposure during pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester with adjusted OR (95% CI) = 1.27 (1.10–1.46). Male and atopic children were more susceptible to the effect of DTV during pregnancy. The risk of common cold due to DTV is higher in children living in the suburban areas and the bigger houses and in those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, mold/dampness, new furniture and redecoration. We observed that the risk of common cold in children has been increased in recent years due to increasing DTV. ConclusionsCommon cold in children was associated with maternal exposure to temperature variation during pregnancy, suggesting that the risk of common cold may originate in pregnancy.

Zinc Sulfate: An Effective Micronutrient for Common Colds in Children: A Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Trial

Background: Cold is defined as a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The disease is more common in children than in adults and usually requires greater attention and care. Methods: This double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial (zinc versus placebo of zinc) was carried out using a repeated measures design. After excluding the cases that met the exclusion criteria, data was collected from 120 participants and analyzed. The study was conducted over a period of 3 months (June 2015 to August 2015). The intervention group received Zinc (1 mg/kg) for 7 days and the control group received the same amount of placebo. Results: The durations of runny nose and nasal congestion was significantly shorter in patients in the intervention group, who had received zinc, when compared with the control group (P = 0.017 and P = 0.001, respectively). Moreover, there were significant differences between patients, who received zinc and those, who did not receive the drug, in terms of the duration, severity of signs and symptoms, severity of illness, and weakness (P = 0.018). Conclusions: Based on the results of this study and other similar studies, zinc sulfate has positive effects on children with colds. Thus, the results of these studies could be utilized by medical teams to adopt a more accurate and complete clinical approach towards the use of zinc sulfate for patients with colds.