Nothing gets a parent more upset than when their child is sick. In these instances, medication – whether over-the-counter or prescribed by a doctor – provides peace of mind to parents by relieving their child’s symptoms. But there are common medication mistakes parents make that could make things worse.
It’s all too easy for parents to get carried away when medicating their children, with the hope of easing discomfort faster. This is where many parents may end up making medication mistakes, that could have a negative, rather than positive impact on their child’s health.
Medication Mistakes Parents Make
It helps to know when to give medicine for fever when your child has discomfort, as well as how to convince the child to take medicine. This way, you can avoid unnecessary dispensing of medicine and stress for both you and your child.
1. Over-medicating a common cold
You hate hearing your little one cough every night due to a cold, so you head to the nearest pharmacy and pick up a bottle of “cough and cold” medicine.
However, Dr Raut says that these medications do little to affect the course of illness, even though they may help to slightly relieve your child’s runny nose.
Also, according to other medical experts, many over-the-counter (OTC) medicines contain the same active ingredients, even though they treat different symptoms. For example, many multi-symptom cold medicines contain paracetamol.
So if you give your child this medicine to treat his stuffy nose, and then Panadol for fever, he’s actually getting double the recommended dose, which could be harmful to his health.
When it comes to flu medicine for kids, do not give them unless you have your doctor’s go signal.
What you could do instead
Give natural remedies a try when it comes to relieving symptoms of the common cold.
And remember, never give your child two medications at the same time unless on the doctor’s orders.
2. Stopping a course of antibiotics early
Many of us have made this mistake: our kid seems better so we stop his course of antibiotics because we assume he doesn’t need it anymore.
Antibiotics are given to kill the germs that cause an infection. But if you stop the antibiotics prematurely, there is a chance that the germs will not get completely eliminated, causing a re-infection, says Dr Raut.
He further explains that germs have a rate of growth and antibiotic duration is dependent on this rate of growth. So a slow-growing strain of bacteria will need a longer duration of antibiotics to completely kill it.
What you could do instead
Finish the entire course of antibiotics, even if your child seems better. Always defer to what your doctor prescribes – the dosage, the interval and for how long your child should take it. Follow his instructions down to a T.
3. Giving medication for ‘non-health’ purposes
Hands up if you have ever given your child a small dose of cough medicine for kids before a flight to make him sleepy?
If you do this, you might want to think again. Researchers at Georgetown University Medical College found that a popular drug commonly given to kids before a flight to make them sleepy actually might make some of them more hyperactive!
What you could do instead
Take loads of toys, books, health snacks and a good dose of patience on your next air travel trip with your kids! Save the cough medicine for kids when it is really needed.
4. Calculating the dose of medicine based on the child’s age, rather than weight
Dr Raut advises that this can lead to either under or overdosing – and both situations are undesirable and should be avoided.
Children metabolise medication differently based on how much they weigh, not how old they are. Medical experts explain that this distinction becomes even more important when giving medication if your child is either underweight or overweight.
Studies have found that overweight kids metabolise caffeine and dextromethorphan (found in many cough suppressants) faster than their average-weight peers.
This means that they might need more medicine than the label indicates.
Remember this when giving allergy medicine for kids, or diarrhoea medicine for kids.
What you could do instead
If your child’s weight is higher or lower than what is indicated in the corresponding age category on the label of the OTC medicine you pick, consult your paediatrician first. Your child’s doctor should also always calculate the dosage of medicine based on your child’s weight when writing out prescriptions.
5. Not measuring medication properly
A spoonful of sugar may make the medicine go down, but when it comes to measuring medication, a ‘spoonful’ may not be completely accurate.
In fact, according to a study in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, some household kitchen spoons may even hold two to three times more liquid than others, which could lead to an overdose of medication.
The same is true for those printed medication cups. A study from the New York University School of Medicine found that 70 percent of parents pour more than the prescribed dose into these cups. Researchers believe that this may be because some parents think the cup is the full dose, or they don’t look at the markings at eye level when pouring in the medication.
What you could do instead
Get rid of the teaspoons and tablespoon measures and use a syringe instead. A study in Pediatrics found that measuring medications in millilitres instead of in teaspoons or tablespoons cuts the risk of dosing mistakes by half.
This will help whether you are giving allergy medicine for kids or diarrhea medicine for kids.
6. Over-medicating on the same medicine
We’ve all been here: our kid has a fever so we give Panadol. In an hour, his fever is still high, so we give him more Panadol.
What this results in is over-medication which could potentially be harmful to your child’s health.
What you could do instead
You should not give your child more than four doses of paracetamol in 24 hours, so you may have to wait up to 6 hours between doses.
To help you remember, write down the time that you give each dose.
7. Medicating for a low-grade fever
Fever is actually an indication that your child’s body is working hard to fight infection. If your child has a low-grade fever, consider avoiding giving fever medicine to kids. This way, his body gets a chance the fight the bug on its own. In turn, it will help strengthen his immune system.
When to give medicine for your child’s fever?
Dr Raut says that while some kids are able to tolerate the heat of a fever of 39 degrees, others become cranky when it hits 38 degrees. He explains that the use of fever medicine for kids is more to bring about relief from the heat of the fever, rather than treat the underlying cause.
What you could do instead
If your child has a low-grade fever, try ways other than medication to bring about relief. For example, you could apply a damp cloth to your child’s forehead and armpits, which usually helps.
Remember: any fever in a newborn is cause for concern. So if your newborn has an even low fever, take him to the doctor without delay.
8. Mixing TCM remedies and pharmaceutical drugs
Traditional remedies and Western medicine work in very different ways. Dr Raut explains that it’s very hard to tell if the two will work in synergy for a particular condition, or interact in a harmful way.
What you could do instead
If your child is already on a TCM remedy and your doctor recommends pharmaceutical drugs, always tell the doctor about the TCM remedy. The same rule applies when seeking the advice of a TCM practitioner and your child is already on Western medication.
How to Convince Your Child to Take Medicine
When it is necessary to give your child medicine, here are some tips you can do to make it easier.
- Try role-playing. Have your child give medicine to their favourite doll or stuffed animal.
- Use a syringe so the medicine passes through your child’s cheek instead of on their tongue.
- For older children, have them drink ice-cold water to reduce the medicine’s taste.
- Children like to have the power to choose. Let them have a choice of whether to drink apple juice or orange juice after taking their medicine.
What to Do When a Child Vomits After Taking Medicine
When your child vomits after medicine, observe if they threw up the medicine. If it’s an antibiotic and they threw up the medicine, you can give the same dose again. If it’s paracetamol, wait 20 minutes before giving the same dose one more time. In case the vomiting persists, consult your doctor.
I Accidentally Gave My Child Expired Medicine
“I accidentally gave my child expired medicine, what should I do?”
There has been no study that shows expired medicine can cause serious harm. It can only pose a serious risk when the medication taken is not as effective because it is past its expiration date.
However, watch out not to take expired medicine for life-altering conditions. These include EpiPen as an allergy medicine for kids with severe allergic reactions, glycerin trinitrate (GTN) for angina and chest pain, and insulin for diabetes.
To avoid taking expired medication, clean your medicine cabinet regularly and throw out expired medicine. If your child goes to daycare, ensure they have proper storage of medication in childcare.
Proper Medication Storage
Proper storage of medication in child care and at home is essential. This is to avoid incidents and ensuring the medicine you have remains safe and effective.
Have a place for everything and read the storage instructions on the labels of each medicine. Double-check that they are kept away from hot appliances and stored at the proper temperature when needed.
Updates from Romy Pena Cruz
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.