If your baby or toddler is sick with another cold or virus and needs more the usual cuddles, fluids and rest, medication may be in order. But before you lot head to the drugstore, you'll want to make sure you're getting medicine that'due south prophylactic for your little one and know the right doses to dole out.

To gear up you, here are some handy medication safety guidelines and tips for babies and toddlers.

How to requite a infant or toddler medicine

Hither are some tips on giving your little one medication:

  • Never give a baby under ii months old any medication, non even an over-the-counter one, that'south not recommended or prescribed past a doc.
  • Only two types of unmarried-ingredient pain and fever medications should be considered for both babies and toddlers: acetaminophen (like Tylenol) for babies 2 months and older, and ibuprofen (such as baby Motrin or Advil) for those half dozen months and older.
  • Always utilize the baby or toddler formulations. Never requite your baby or toddler a medication intended for older kids or adults.
  • Don't get physical. To forestall choking, don't squeeze your lilliputian ane's cheeks, hold her nose or force her head dorsum when offer her medicine.
  • Make sure your kid is propped up. If your baby is old enough to sit up, manipulate the medicine with infant in a sitting position. If your baby tin't notwithstanding sit down up, aim the dropper to the inside of baby's cheek while propping baby upwards slightly to prevent choking.
  • Aim the dropper to forestall gagging. Don't signal the dropper to the back of your fiddling one'southward mouth, since that can trigger gagging.
  • Have a few tricks upwardly your sleeve. If your baby resists taking medicine, try gently blowing on her face, which triggers the eat reflex in young babies. Or offer a pacifier to suck on immediately after offer medicine, as the sucking action will help the medicine become where it needs to go.

Medications to avert giving babies and toddlers

When it comes to medication safety for babies and toddlers, certain drugs may exist harmful. These include:

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  • Cough and cold remedies. Studies take shown that cough and common cold remedies don't stop the sniffles or silence the hacking, and they may even crusade immature kids to develop serious side effects such as a rapid heart rate and convulsions. That's why the manufacturers of these drugs have voluntarily inverse their labels to indicate that these meds shouldn't be used in children under 4 years old, and why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says coughing and cold medicines should just exist used in children who are at to the lowest degree 4 with their pediatrician's approving. Otherwise, the AAP recommends waiting until children are at to the lowest degree 6 years sometime to requite them cold medicines specifically designed for them, and again merely with the doctor's approval.
  • Aspirin (and anything containing salicylates). Doctors have been warning parents for years against giving their kids aspirin, but the message bears repeating: Don't give aspirin to children younger than 19 years old because it has been linked to the onset of Reye's syndrome, a rare but very serious illness that affects the liver and encephalon. Although research comes down hardest on aspirin, the National Reye's Syndrome Foundation advises confronting giving children any medication that contains any form of salicylate, so read ingredient lists on drug labels carefully.

Questions to ask your chemist

Getting a medication for your child requires more than just picking it up from the chemist's shop: You demand to know the dose, how and when to give it and what the side furnishings are, among other details. Your pediatrician should give you well-nigh of this information, but you lot'll also want to talk to the pharmacist to be on the safe side.

If y'all're giving your child an OTC drug, check out the back label. For prescription medications, read the pamphlet that comes inside the box. Either manner, bring whatever questions upwards with your pharmacist. Here are a few y'all'll want to have answered earlier you lot head domicile:

  • Are there whatsoever generic (i.due east. less expensive) equivalents to this brand-proper noun medication?
  • What is the drug supposed to practice?
  • How should the medication be stored?
  • Should it be given before or with meals? Can I mix information technology with food or milk?
  • Are at that place alternatives that require fewer daily doses (if it'due south given three times per day)?
  • If my child spits up a dose, should I requite another one?
  • If I miss a dose, should I double up the adjacent time?
  • How before long should I look to run into an improvement? When should I call the md if I don't see an improvement?
  • Does my baby have to terminate the total prescription?
  • Are there any common side effects I should look out for?
  • If my infant is taking some other medication, should I be worried about whatever interaction?
  • Could the medication affect my baby's chronic health status (if applicable)?
  • How practice I get my toddler to take liquid medicine?
  • Would yous be able to divide the medication into 2 bottles, each with its own label, and so that one tin can exist kept at home and 1 can be kept at day care (if applicative)?

Common safety tips for giving your kid medicine

When giving your child medicine, follow these tips:

  • Always talk to your doctor outset. Y'all shouldn't requite a child of any age any medicine (OTC, or even an sometime prescription written for your child) without getting a specific okay from a medico for every illness, unless your dr. has given you standing instructions (e.chiliad. whenever your infant has a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, give acetaminophen, or utilise asthma medicine any time wheezing begins).
  • Treat herbal remedies like any other medicine. No one really knows whether many herbs are prophylactic for babies and toddlers. They aren't fully regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which ways yous might be getting more of an active ingredient than is advertised on the label, or it may comprise other contaminants. All of which means herbal remedies should be treated just like any other drug, only to exist dispensed to your child with an approval from your doctor. This includes herbal remedies that merits to treat colic, teething and gas.
  • Only utilise medications made for kids. Children are not mini-adults who can take smaller doses of adult medication. Children'southward bodies are less developed, and an adult medication (which is formulated specifically for an adult body) could not only work very differently on them, just could also cause serious side effects. When choosing meds for your baby or toddler, limit yourself to medicine found in the pharmacy's children's aisle and to the medication your pediatrician prescribes.
  • Read the directions carefully. Read the medication insert and/or label carefully. The rule of thumb when measuring the dose is to follow the weight recommendation — fifty-fifty if the packet suggests one dose based on your child's weight and a dissimilar dose based on her age. If the instructions disharmonize with your doctor's instructions or aren't specified for your infant'south or toddler's age, call the dr. or chemist first. Follow the instructions well-nigh timing, shaking and giving with or without nutrient.
  • Employ equally intended. Unless otherwise recommended past your doctor, only use a medication to care for the indications listed on the characterization or insert. And don't give a medicine longer than prescribed.
  • Avert double-dosing and go on records. Never give your infant or toddler more than one medication at a time without checking with your doctor or chemist first. Some combinations are unsafe, and many parents accidently give double doses. Always document when and how much medication was given to your child then you don't accidentally offer upwardly a double dose or skip 1. Try using a piece of paper on the refrigerator door or a shared document (call up notes or tasks or reminders) with any other caregiver to go on track. If y'all do give your child a dose a little late, don't stress — just get back on schedule with the following dose.
  • Check the ingredient list. Know the active ingredients in the medication you're dispensing to avert accidentally giving your baby or toddler two medications with the same active ingredient at the same time — peradventure causing an overdose. Reading the ingredient list also clues you in to whether the medication contains anything that your kid may be allergic to.
  • Steer articulate of expired meds. Drugs that have expired are not only less stiff, merely they may also have undergone chemical changes that can render them downright dangerous (this applies to prescription meds you lot may have hanging around from a previous illness, likewise). Look at the expiration engagement earlier you buy a drug to make certain it isn't outdated or about to expire. Recheck expiration dates periodically — otherwise you may end upward making a pharmacy run in the wee hours. Time to clean out your medicine chiffonier? Learn how to safely dispose of expired medications.
  • Never requite your kid a prescription medication intended for someone else. While it may exist tempting to skip the trip to the pediatrician and requite your tot her older sib's leftover antibiotics in a pinch, don't do it. Just considering your v-yr-old benefited from a medication doesn't mean your 2-year-old will. Plus, taking someone else's meds could exist very unsafe to your child. Only requite her a prescription medicine that's been written specifically for her by the pediatrician.
  • Turn on the lights. If you're doling out medicine in the wee hours of the morning, brand sure you can see — and call up — clearly (not always easy when you've been upward all night with a sick toddler). Read package labels in good light (nether a night-light when you lot're exhausted doesn't count) then you don't fault "tsp" (teaspoon) for "tbsp" (tablespoon), or "every four hours" for "every ii hours."
  • Measure out with care. In one case you've nailed downwardly the correct dose, manipulate the medication in the loving cup that comes with information technology, or use a calibrated medicine spoon, dropper or loving cup. Don't apply spoons from your flatware — you can't count on them to equal a truthful teaspoon or tablespoon (and that'south how many dosing mistakes happen). Make sure the pharmacy doses your medicine in milliliters for your kid's age and size.
  • Merely mix with food if recommended by your doctor. Likewise be sure your child will finish the whole canteen or cup (and therefore the whole dose of medicine).
  • Be conservative later on any medication meltdowns. If your baby or toddler spits or vomits up a medication, it's all-time non to give a second dose without checking with your pharmacist or md first, since under-dosing is less risky than overdosing. Definitely be sure to check with your dr. nearly antibiotics, since taking the full dose as recommended is especially important.
  • Take the full course of antibiotics. On that note, if your pediatrician does prescribe antibiotics for your toddler, be certain she takes the total course, even if she appears to be meliorate. Stopping antibiotics midcourse tin give lingering bacteria the opportunity to grow back. The end result? A ill kid all over again and, maybe, the need for notwithstanding another (perchance stronger) grade of antibiotics. Nip the affliction in the bud the commencement fourth dimension around and terminate off the antibiotics.
  • Shop meds safely. Go along medicine for babies and toddlers (as well as those for the adults in the firm) out of kids' achieve and in a cool, dry out identify. That means you'll want to avoid stashing them in bathroom cabinets, where humidity from the bath and shower can damage the drug'southward potency. Also, while information technology'due south easy to get distracted with your sick baby or toddler when yous're giving her medication, remember non to leave the drugs out and unattended after dispensing them. Put them away quickly so they don't terminate upwards in the wrong hands. That goes for your medications too, including those in the pill-a-day dispensers that can look like an enticing toy or box of candy to a kid.
  • Re-read the label every time. That way you're certain to get dosing, timing and other important data correct.
  • Update other caregivers. If your child will be at twenty-four hours care or staying with another caregiver, be sure they take clear instructions on how to use the medication. Licensed child care facilities require special forms to administrate any prescription and nonprescription medication (including vitamins). Ask your day care about the policy so you lot know what to expect should your child demand to finish out a prescription for something like an ear infection while in their intendance.
  • Don't call medicine "candy" or a "treat."While doing so might temporarily brand your baby or toddler cooperate, that kind of association could lead to an overdose if your child subsequently finds and manages to open the medicine, and decides to try out the "treat." Vitamins and medicines often look similar candy to a child, farther adding to the defoliation.
  • Inquire questions. If you're always unsure whether to give a medication to your baby or toddler, or if your child seems to be having an adverse reaction, telephone call your doc.

Getting your baby or toddler to accept medicine

Where'due south Mary Poppins when you need her, right? Unless you're lucky enough to have a babe or toddler who happily opens up wide at the sight of a medicine dropper, having these tricks in your back pocket to "help the medicine go down" tin can help (spoonful of sugar not included):

  • Try giving the medication to your toddler before meals. Unless you're instructed to give medicine on a full stomach or afterwards eating, try offering it before breakfast, lunch or dinner. Your child may exist more likely to have it when she'southward hungry.
  • Avoid taste buds. Taste buds are located in the front end and center of the surface of the natural language. Bypass them by placing a medicine behind the rear gum and inside the cheek, where it will glide down the throat without hitting the taste buds as much. (Yes, this requires a bit of skill, and maybe an actress set of hands to keep your toddler all the same while you perfect your douse shot.)
  • Keep medicine absurd. If your pharmacist says chilling the medicine doesn't affect authority, try sticking information technology in the fridge to brand the taste less pronounced. Otherwise, offer a cool bottle, a mesh feeding pocketbook with frozen fruit or a Popsicle first to slightly arctic and numb baby'southward tongue and so it doesn't gustation as strong.
  • Look for fun flavors. Enquire your chemist for an FDA-approved child flavoring (like FLAVORx) that can combat the icky-tasting flavor of many medicines. Sometimes these do take a small up-charge, only it can be totally worth it.
  • Blackmail. Okay, last resort. Offer a treat, a small prize, stickers or extra time watching a show in commutation for taking medicine without a fuss. Pull out all the stops if it helps!

Side furnishings of babe and children'southward medicine to wait out for

Some children may feel side furnishings when taking certain kinds of medications. Here'due south what to lookout man for in your babe or toddler:

  • Diarrhea

  • Change in action or mood (e.g. increased fussiness or drowsiness)

  • Sweating/flushing

  • Unexplained rash/swelling

  • Rapid heart rate

If you notice your baby having whatsoever trouble breathing or showing other signs of distress, telephone call 911.

Though you lot should apply medication sparingly when your infant or toddler is sick, take heart in knowing that if other at-dwelling house remedies but aren't working to make her feel better, there are some rubber options for infants and young children. Be sure to follow these guidelines and your pediatrician'south communication when giving your little one medicine, and remainder assured that she'll presently be on the mend.