Parent's Guide to Medicine Safety

As parents, we never want to see our children sick. It’s often painful for us to see our children in
discomfort and it’s also difficult to comfort them when they don’t understand why they’re sick.
Sickness leads to bad moods and cranky kids, which in turn leave parents frustrated and often the
whole family gets stressed out when sickness invades the home.
Our first response is usually to find a medicine that will cure the illness. But along with curing
whatever ails your child, there are certain dangers associated with medicines, both prescription
and over the counter (OTC). This guide will help you decide if medicine is even a necessary
treatment, safety tips to ensure your child gets the correct dosage, natural remedies, tips for when
to seek medical attention, and questions you need to ask your pediatrician.
Cold Symptoms: Does Your Child Need Medicine?
What do you do when your child comes home from school sniffling? Or has a nagging cough?
Or has a slight fever? Do you run right to the store to get some cough and cold medicine?
Many OTC medicines treat the symptoms only, rather than the illness itself, so you should
determine just how uncomfortable your child is before doling out the medicine. Medicines are
most effective against severe symptoms rather than minor symptoms. A slight case of the sniffles
doesn’t require medicine but severe congestion can benefit from a decongestant. Use simple
common sense or call your pediatrician to determine the severity of your child’s symptoms.
Also take your child’s age into consideration when determining if she needs medicine. Infant
OTC medicines have been deemed unreliable for treating symptoms. Children under the age of 2
risk the possibility of severe, life-threatening side effects from some OTC medicines and the
FDA is currently reviewing the guidelines for toddlers.
Considering that these medicines are all man-made and full of chemicals, do we really want our
children ingesting medicines that might cause them harm, especially if they don’t really need it?
If there’s any question about the effectiveness, why risk the possible side-effects?
Treating Fever and Pain
Children present with fevers when their bodies are starting to fight off some sort of infection or
illness. Fever is the body’s natural way of trying to heal itself or ridding itself of the invading
germs. But many parents panic and run to get aspirin or some other fever reducer.
NOTE: Children under the age of 21 should avoid taking aspirin at all costs.
Treating any viral infection (such as a cold, chicken pox, or flu) with aspirin can be dangerous
and might lead to a life-threatening disease called Reyes syndrome. For more information about
Reyes Syndrome, please visit this link: http://www.reyessyndrome.org/
Just as with the cold symptoms, there are various degrees of severity with fevers. A mild fever
(up to 100.4 degrees F) can be caused by simple exercise, taking a hot bath, or wearing too many
clothing layers. This is considered normal and no need to worry or break out the medicine.
NOTE: Infants always require medical treatment if they have a fever over 100 degrees F.
Temperatures higher than 100.4 degrees F. are considered feverish and you will sometimes see
changes in your child’s demeanor. He may be sluggish, more tired, and less hungry. It’s
important to watch for these symptoms so you can discuss with your doctor if the fever is a
symptom of a more serious illness.
Doctors generally accept treating fevers once the child shows signs of discomfort with
acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) products. Since ibuprofen also treats
inflammation as well as pain and fever, it is stronger than acetaminophen. Accidental overdoses
are common with both products so much care is necessary when giving your child either
medicine.
Tips for Safely Giving Your Child Medicine
Here are some basic safety tips for giving your child medicine safely:
1. Read the label carefully each time – it doesn’t matter if you just opened the bottle or are
using up the last dose; read the directions carefully.
2. Read what active ingredient(s) are in the medicine and let your doctor know of any
allergic reactions to medication.
3. Choose the right strength to avoid accidental overdoses – an adult strength formula can
be deadly for an infant or small child.
4. Use the dosing tool that comes with the medicine – a different cup or kitchen spoon
might hold too much medicine.
5. Let one parent be the medicine giver – if neither parent knows the other one has already
given the child his dose, this can lead to double dosing and accidental overdose.
6. Ask your doctor or pharm