The common cold (Upper Respiratory Infection or URI): The winter is always associated with an increase incidence of colds in our children. A child on average can have up to three to eight colds per year. Although URI's are equated with the cold winter weather they generally are not caused by exposure to the cold itself. More likely the facts that children spend more time indoors with closed windows and also spend time in school where viruses are easily transmitted contribute to the increased number of colds we see in the winter months. Because of the myriad of causes of colds effective vaccines and treatments have yet to be developed. Proper hand washing and avoidance of crowded conditions are helpful in prevention of transmission. On the controversial side the use of high doses of vitamin C has not been proven to be effective in the treatment or prevention of colds although there are individuals who firmly tout its benefits. High doses of vitamin C can be toxic and a child should not be subjected to mega doses. The use of zinc and Echinacea are also not proven effective by the mainstream medical community. Good nutrition, proper rest and emotional well being are tried and true approaches to cold protection. Chicken soup, as a large following of support and it's hard to argue with generations of use. Proper instruction of hand washing and cleaning environmental surfaces are steps that may be of some help. As parents we cannot keep our children our of school of daycare for the duration of a URI (7-10 days). However, it might be wise to keep your child home during the acute phase where he is feeling poorly and has copious amounts of nasal secretions.