Kids’s OTC Cough & Chilly Medication: Dos and Don’ts

You should buy over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in your baby and not using a prescription out of your physician. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply these medicines are innocent. If they’re taken the mistaken manner, they’ll make your baby really feel worse and might even be dangerous. Learn by this checklist of dos and don’ts to be sure to are giving your baby OTC cough and chilly medication safely.

Table of Contents

Dos

Do discover ways to learn and perceive all elements of the drugs’s drug info label.
Do search for a drugs that may deal with solely the signs your baby has. For instance, in case your baby solely has a runny nostril, don’t choose a drugs that additionally treats headache and fever.
Do use the proper measuring machine (for instance, a spoon, syringe, or cup made for measuring medication) when giving your baby the proper dose.
Do learn the drugs’s label fastidiously. Be aware of any particular directions, similar to meals or actions your baby ought to keep away from whereas taking the drugs.
Do make certain everybody who takes care of your baby (similar to college nurses, day care staff, prolonged relations, or babysitters) is aware of what medicines your baby is taking and when their dosing schedule.
Do retailer medicines of their authentic packages to maintain observe of vital labels and expiration dates.
Do retailer all medicines up and away, out of the sight and attain of younger youngsters.
Do preserve medicines in a cool, dry place. This may assist stop them from turning into much less efficient earlier than their expiration dates.

Don’ts

Don’t give OTC cough and chilly medicines to a baby youthful than 4 years of age until your baby’s physician says it’s okay.
Don’t share your grownup OTC medication together with your baby. OTC medicines made only for adults may be dangerous for youngsters. As soon as your baby is a young person, they might be sufficiently old and sufficiently big to take grownup OTC medicines, however test with your loved ones physician first.
Don’t give aspirin or a drugs that accommodates aspirin (test the “energetic elements” part of the drug info label) to a baby youthful than 18 years of age. Aspirin could cause a critical sickness known as Reye syndrome whether it is given to youngsters.
Don’t mix prescription medicines with OTC medicines until your baby’s physician says it’s okay.
Don’t use greater than 1 OTC cough and chilly medication on the similar time until your baby’s physician says it’s okay. They might have related energetic elements that add as much as be an excessive amount of medication. For instance, many OTC medicines include acetaminophen and antihistamines.
Don’t use an OTC medication after its expiration date.
Don’t retailer medicines in loos or lavatory cupboards, which are sometimes sizzling and humid.
Don’t wait too lengthy to take your baby to the physician. Chilly signs ought to get higher shortly, and OTC medicines are solely meant for short-term use. In case your baby has been taking an OTC medication for a number of days and their signs appear to be getting worse, name your physician.
Don’t give your baby cough or chilly medication simply to make her or him sleepy. This can be a aspect impact of some elements, similar to antihistamines, in cough and chilly medicines. In case your baby has hassle falling asleep, discuss to your loved ones physician about different issues you are able to do to assist your baby sleep higher.

Inquiries to ask your physician

Ought to I ask my physician which over-the-counter medication to make use of earlier than I give it to my baby?
Is expired medication dangerous or simply ineffective?
What unwanted effects ought to I search for when giving my baby over-the-counter medication?
Are generics okay to make use of?

Sources

U. S. Food and Drug Administration: Should You Give Kids Medicine for Coughs and Colds?
National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus: Medicines and Children

This info gives a common overview and should not apply to everybody. Speak to your loved ones physician to search out out if this info applies to you and to get extra info on this topic.