{"product_id":"2940013908994","title":"Parent's Guide to Medicine Safety","description":"As parents, we never want to see our children sick. It’s often painful for us to see our children in\u003cbr\u003ediscomfort and it’s also difficult to comfort them when they don’t understand why they’re sick.\u003cbr\u003eSickness leads to bad moods and cranky kids, which in turn leave parents frustrated and often the\u003cbr\u003ewhole family gets stressed out when sickness invades the home.\u003cbr\u003eOur first response is usually to find a medicine that will cure the illness. But along with curing\u003cbr\u003ewhatever ails your child, there are certain dangers associated with medicines, both prescription\u003cbr\u003eand over the counter (OTC). This guide will help you decide if medicine is even a necessary\u003cbr\u003etreatment, safety tips to ensure your child gets the correct dosage, natural remedies, tips for when\u003cbr\u003eto seek medical attention, and questions you need to ask your pediatrician.\u003cbr\u003eCold Symptoms: Does Your Child Need Medicine?\u003cbr\u003eWhat do you do when your child comes home from school sniffling? Or has a nagging cough?\u003cbr\u003eOr has a slight fever? Do you run right to the store to get some cough and cold medicine?\u003cbr\u003eMany OTC medicines treat the symptoms only, rather than the illness itself, so you should\u003cbr\u003edetermine just how uncomfortable your child is before doling out the medicine. Medicines are\u003cbr\u003emost effective against severe symptoms rather than minor symptoms. A slight case of the sniffles\u003cbr\u003edoesn’t require medicine but severe congestion can benefit from a decongestant. Use simple\u003cbr\u003ecommon sense or call your pediatrician to determine the severity of your child’s symptoms.\u003cbr\u003eAlso take your child’s age into consideration when determining if she needs medicine. Infant\u003cbr\u003eOTC medicines have been deemed unreliable for treating symptoms. Children under the age of 2\u003cbr\u003erisk the possibility of severe, life-threatening side effects from some OTC medicines and the\u003cbr\u003eFDA is currently reviewing the guidelines for toddlers.\u003cbr\u003eConsidering that these medicines are all man-made and full of chemicals, do we really want our\u003cbr\u003echildren ingesting medicines that might cause them harm, especially if they don’t really need it?\u003cbr\u003eIf there’s any question about the effectiveness, why risk the possible side-effects?\u003cbr\u003eTreating Fever and Pain\u003cbr\u003eChildren present with fevers when their bodies are starting to fight off some sort of infection or\u003cbr\u003eillness. Fever is the body’s natural way of trying to heal itself or ridding itself of the invading\u003cbr\u003egerms. But many parents panic and run to get aspirin or some other fever reducer.\u003cbr\u003eNOTE: Children under the age of 21 should avoid taking aspirin at all costs.\u003cbr\u003eTreating any viral infection (such as a cold, chicken pox, or flu) with aspirin can be dangerous\u003cbr\u003eand might lead to a life-threatening disease called Reyes syndrome. For more information about\u003cbr\u003eReyes Syndrome, please visit this link: http:\/\/www.reyessyndrome.org\/\u003cbr\u003eJust as with the cold symptoms, there are various degrees of severity with fevers. A mild fever\u003cbr\u003e(up to 100.4 degrees F) can be caused by simple exercise, taking a hot bath, or wearing too many\u003cbr\u003eclothing layers. This is considered normal and no need to worry or break out the medicine.\u003cbr\u003eNOTE: Infants always require medical treatment if they have a fever over 100 degrees F.\u003cbr\u003eTemperatures higher than 100.4 degrees F. are considered feverish and you will sometimes see\u003cbr\u003echanges in your child’s demeanor. He may be sluggish, more tired, and less hungry. It’s\u003cbr\u003eimportant to watch for these symptoms so you can discuss with your doctor if the fever is a\u003cbr\u003esymptom of a more serious illness.\u003cbr\u003eDoctors generally accept treating fevers once the child shows signs of discomfort with\u003cbr\u003eacetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) products. Since ibuprofen also treats\u003cbr\u003einflammation as well as pain and fever, it is stronger than acetaminophen. Accidental overdoses\u003cbr\u003eare common with both products so much care is necessary when giving your child either\u003cbr\u003emedicine.\u003cbr\u003eTips for Safely Giving Your Child Medicine\u003cbr\u003eHere are some basic safety tips for giving your child medicine safely:\u003cbr\u003e1. Read the label carefully each time – it doesn’t matter if you just opened the bottle or are\u003cbr\u003eusing up the last dose; read the directions carefully.\u003cbr\u003e2. Read what active ingredient(s) are in the medicine and let your doctor know of any\u003cbr\u003eallergic reactions to medication.\u003cbr\u003e3. Choose the right strength to avoid accidental overdoses – an adult strength formula can\u003cbr\u003ebe deadly for an infant or small child.\u003cbr\u003e4. Use the dosing tool that comes with the medicine – a different cup or kitchen spoon\u003cbr\u003emight hold too much medicine.\u003cbr\u003e5. Let one parent be the medicine giver – if neither parent knows the other one has already\u003cbr\u003egiven the child his dose, this can lead to double dosing and accidental overdose.\u003cbr\u003e6. Ask your doctor or pharm","brand":"99 \u0026cent; store, save \u0026 buy more","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47083321884912,"sku":"2940013908994","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013908994_p0.jpg?v=1763597061","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013908994","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}