Children and Medications

Parents and other caregivers should understand two essential things about the medicines they give to children. First, medicines are not "magic bullets" that will instantly overcome illnesses and restore perfect health. In most cases, the medications that health care providers prescribe for kids are simply designed to make them feel more comfortable, while nature actually does the work of healing. (A good example would be fever and pain medications that reduce the unpleasant symptoms caused by a cold or an attack of the flu. In that situation, the body's "immune system" takes on the actual task of killing and eliminating virus. The medicine merely helps the patient to feel better during the process.)

Second, before all else, it is crucial for caregivers to store and dispense children's medicines safely. These potentially harmful substances should always be stored in child-resistant containers. They should also be kept out of the reach of children.

What to Do

The key thing a parent or other caregiver should think about after filling a child's drug prescription (or purchasing an over-the-counter medication) is safety. Here's a checklist designed to help protect kids from an accidental drug-overdose.

• Always follow the directions on the child's medicine container carefully and fully. Where appropriate, caregivers should make certain that they clearly understand the difference between a teaspoon (usually abbreviated as "TSP") and a tablespoon (usually abbreviated as "TBS" or TBSP ).

• Always read the medication label carefully and measure out the exact dosage that is required.

• Never give your child medicines that were not specifically prescribed for the youngster by a professional health care provider or an Over-the-counter medication not explicitly intended for young infants or young children.

• Never substitute your own measuring device (such as a personal measuring cup or spoon) for the measuring device that accompanied the child's medication. If the medication did not include a measuring device, make sure you're using standard, uniform measurements in dispensing it to children. (Ask your pharmacist for help, if uncertain.)

• Remember to discard leftover medications, along with all old medications. (The label on the medication container should list an expiration date.)

• Before giving your child any medication, make certain that it will not "interact" harmfully with any other medicine he or she may be taking. (Consult pharmacist, if uncertain.)

• Never give medications containing aspirin to children, in order to prevent a rare but potentially fatal illness known as Reye's syndrome.

Use Medicine Effectively

Broadly speaking, there are five basic types medicines commonly prescribed for children.

Antibiotics

These medicines attack infectious disease agents, such as the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria that cause ear infections in children  or Streptococcus pyogenes that causes “strep throat”. Antibiotics are most often prescribed for kids with sinus and middle-ear infections (otitis media), although they are also used to combat a wide variety of other infections.

Pain and Fever Medications

Pain relievers (analgesics) and fever reducers (antipyretics) such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are frequently prescribed by physicians to ease pain and reduce fever caused by earaches, sinus infections and the common cold, among other ailments.

Decongestants and Antihistamines

Decongestants work to reduce the excess mucus ("runny nose") and nasal blockages ("stuffiness") produced by the common cold. Antihistamines provide relief from the itchiness, stuffiness, runny nose and other symptoms experienced by many of the more than 10 million American children who suffer from allergy attacks each year. These are often available over-the-conter in various combinations of antihistamine and decongestant. They come in different forms including drops, syrups, chewable tablets and tablets to be swallowed. One of the newer forms is a fast acting tablet that dissolves in the mouth and is absorbed directly through the mucous membranes.

Cough Suppressants and Sore-throat Remedies

When a cold virus attacks the bronchial tubes, throat and lungs, the result is often a sore throat and/or a painful, hacking cough. This group of medications works to reduce the pain caused by inflammation in these areas, and also to "turn off" the nerve impulse that triggers cough-spasms. Cough medications are expectorants (guaifenesin), or suppressants (dextromethorphan). Each is sold individually; in some products they are combined.

Miscellaneous Medications

Along with the commonly prescribed medicines listed above, there are hundreds of other more specialized medications available to help children with specific medical conditions. These products include such substances as gastrointestinal medicines, designed to prevent nausea, diarrhea and other digestive ailments; skin creams and lotions, aimed at reducing the itching and pain of insect bites, poison ivy, rashes and eczema; antibiotic creams, which are useful in treating minor skin infections, and sunscreen, an essential preventative that can reduce a sunlight-exposed child's risk of developing skin cancer by almost half.

If you are giving your child a non-prescribed medicine you have not given him/her before, or one that has not be suggested by your child's health care provider, you should check with your child's provider to learn about any side effects or contraindications to your child taking the medication.

Self-care Steps for Dispensing Medicine to Children

• Carefully follow the preceding safety steps whenever giving medicine to a child.

• Observe children carefully after they receive medications, in order to identify possible allergic reactions, including rashes, itching, hives, swelling of facial or other tissues, and wheezing or difficulty in breathing. Notify a health care provider immediately if allergic-reaction symptoms seem to be present.

• Keep an up-to-date checklist of children's medications (past and present) and dosage amounts in a specific place at all times. Use the list to make certain -- with the help of your health care provider or pharmacist, if necessary -- that the medicine a child takes will not interact harmfully with other medication also being taken.

• Ask yourself if the child really needs a particular medicine. If the youngster is experiencing a mild condition -- a slight earache, perhaps, or a low-grade fever -- it may be best to avoid medications altogether.