When it comes to your child and medication, I really believe that you just can’t be too careful. Witness the young deaths as a result of using children’s cold medication. With some safety precautions, you can ensure that you child’s medication is safe and effective. If you missed the first post on this subject, click here: How to Use Medication Safely.
Now, I’ll share some more tips.
Never give medication to a child (or really anyone) that was prescribed for someone else. I always cringe when I hear about how someone gave their child leftover antibiotics when their child was sick. Two different people may require two different medications or two different dosages. Height and weight of a child often plays a part in the type and the dosage of medication. And without a real prescription, your doctor or pharmacist can’t alert you to any possible drug or food interactions.
Follow any instructions on the packaging of a medication, such as shaking it well or refrigerating it. It is sometimes hard to remember if a medication needs to be shaken, but this can affect how much medicine is being given. One technique I find helpful is to get into the habit of shaking everything. I could be wrong, but I haven’t come across a medication that would be harmed or negatively affected by shaking it.
Never give aspirin to a child unless specifically instructed to do so by your pediatrician. Aspirin, when given during viral illnesses can cause Reye syndrome in children, a potentially fatal condition. Double check that any over the counter cold medication you give does not contain aspirin.
Don’t give a child old medication. Even if it isn’t expired on the label, the medication could have become ineffective or changed in the time period after it was first opened. The old medication may not be the right one for your child’s current illness or could have be recalled without your knowledge. Check with your pediatrician.
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
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