Giving kids medicine safely can be a complicated task. It may be
frightening to give a young child certain medications knowing that
too much or too little can cause serious side effects.
But with a little knowledge and a lot of double-checking, you
can give your child medicine safely and prevent dangerous
reactions.
Using medications safely means knowing when they're
necessary - and when they're not. Always check with the doctor
if you're unsure whether symptoms require treatment with
medication.
In many cases, non-medicinal treatments may be the best bet for
a quick recovery, especially with cases of the flu or the common
cold. Getting enough rest will allow the body to rejuvenate, and
plenty of clear fluids (such as water, juice, and broth) will help
your child avoid dehydration from body fluids lost through
vomiting, diarrhea, perspiration, and nasal secretions.
If your child suffers from congestion and a stuffy nose, saline
drops can thin nasal secretions. A cool-mist humidifier or a
warm-air vaporizer keeps moisture in the air, helping to loosen
congestion. If you use a humidifier or vaporizer, though, be sure
to clean it thoroughly every day because bacteria and mold can
develop if it isn't kept clean and dry.
To ensure the safe use of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines, discuss your child's symptoms with your doctor and
pharmacist.
When giving your child medicines, you'll need to know:
- the name and purpose of the medication
- how much, how often, and for how long the medicine should be
taken
- how the medicine should be administered (whether it should be
taken by mouth; breathed into the lungs; inserted into the ears,
eyes, or rectum; or applied to the skin)
- any special instructions, like whether the medicine should be
taken with or without food
- how the medicine should be stored
- how long the medicine can safely be stored before it needs to
be discarded (asthma inhalers, for example)
- common side effects or reactions
- interactions with other medications your child may be
taking
- what happens if your child misses a dose
Because the dosages of prescription and OTC medicines depend on
a patient's weight, make sure the doctor and pharmacist have
updated information about your child's size. Too little
medication can be ineffective and too much medication could be
harmful. Also, make sure the doctor and pharmacist know if your
child has allergies or takes other medications regularly.
Sometimes medicines should be given on an as-needed basis
(meaning they are given only when your child needs them for certain
symptoms, such as pain or discomfort). Over-the-counter drugs that
relieve symptoms like aches, pains, or fever (such as acetaminophen
and ibuprofen) should only be taken as your doctor recommends.
Many medications, though, should be taken until finished as
prescribed by the doctor - even if your child begins to feel
better before that. For example, antibiotics help to kill
bacteria in the body, so it's important to finish all doses
even after symptoms disappear because the infection can return if
the antibiotic is stopped too early.
Never give aspirin to children, especially during viral
illnesses. Using aspirin during an illness caused by a virus (such
as the flu, chickenpox, or an upper respiratory infection) can
cause Reye syndrome, a potentially life-threatening disease with
symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue that
progresses to a coma.
Because some OTC medicines (including some that treat headache
and nausea) contain aspirin, you should always read labels and
check with your doctor before using them. Be aware that some
aspirin-containing medications use words other than aspirin (such
as salicylate or acetylsalicylate), so avoid those, too.
Other tips for safe medication use:
- Don't try to diagnose your child's problem yourself.
Always check with your doctor if you're unsure whether
symptoms require medical treatment.
- Never use leftover medications. For example, pharmacists will
sometimes dispense more liquid medication than is needed in case
some is spilled or measured incorrectly. If you have liquid left
over after your child has completed the course of treatment,
throw it out. For medicines taken as needed, keep an eye on the
expiration date to make sure you're not giving an outdated
medication.
- Never give your child medications that have been prescribed
to someone else, whether it's an adult or child. Even if two
people have the same illness, they may require different drugs
with different doses and directions.
- If you're purchasing OTC medications, check the
medicine's packaging for possible tampering, and don't
use medications in cut, torn, or sliced packages. Be sure to
check the expiration date, too.
- Develop a relationship with a local pharmacist so that your
family's medication history is in a central location. Consult
your pharmacist if you have questions about any medication,
including information about possible side effects or
reactions.
Giving Medicines to Kids
After leaving the pharmacy, you'll still need to take a few
precautions. First, check to make sure you have the correct
prescription. Many prescription and medicine bottles look the same,
so make sure your child's name is on the label and it's the
medicine that the doctor recommended or prescribed.
Be especially careful when reaching into the medicine cabinet in
the middle of the night - it's easy to grab the wrong bottle
when you're sleepy.
Read all instructions.
Both prescription and OTC medications usually come with printed
inserts about common side effects and further instructions on how
to take the medicine. Be sure to read all information carefully
before beginning the medication, and call the doctor or pharmacist
if you have any questions.
With or without food?
All prescription medications contain labels or instructions about
how to take them. For example, "take with food or milk"
means the medicine may upset an empty stomach or that food may
improve its absorption. In this case, your child should eat a snack
or meal right before or after taking the medication.
Another common instruction on prescription medicines is
"take on an empty stomach," in which case your child
should take the medicine 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal
because food may prevent the medicine from working properly or may
delay or reduce its absorption. Some medications interact only with
certain foods or nutrients, such as dairy products, so be sure to
check the label for any additional instructions.
The label may instruct you to shake a liquid medicine before
using so that the active ingredients are evenly distributed
throughout it.
The right dose.
Giving the correct dose is important because most medicines need to
be taken in a certain amount and at certain times to be effective.
The dose will be written on the prescription label or, on
OTC medications, should be printed on the package insert,
product box, or product label.
In general, use caution when giving OTC medications to
young kids. Cough and cold medicines are discouraged in children
younger than 2 years old due to potential side effects. Consult
your doctor if you have any questions.
You can dispense medicine in a variety of ways, and the best
choice depends on your child's age and willingness to take
medicine. For babies who aren't yet able to drink from a cup,
try a calibrated dosing syringe, which lets you dispense the
medication into your baby's mouth, making it less likely to be
spit out. Be careful when using a syringe, though - many come with
a small cap on the end that can be a choking hazard to young
children. Store a medication syringe in a safe place out of the
reach of kids.
Other options for young kids are plastic
droppers; cylindrical dosing spoons (these have a long handle
that's easier for children to grab); and, if your child can
drink easily from a cup without spilling, the small dosage cups
that come with many medications.
Some medicine dispensers are fashioned like pacifiers and proved
effective with infants and toddlers. With these, you put the
medicine in a small measuring cup attached to a
pacifier, and then give the pacifier to the baby to suck -
most of the medicine slips past the taste buds, making the
medication go down easily.
Whatever method you use, it's important that your child
takes all of the medicine each time it is given.
Never use tableware or a kitchen spoon to measure medication
because these don't provide standard measurements. Instead,
visit your local pharmacy or drugstore to find a measuring device
designed to deliver accurate medication doses.
"But it tastes yucky!"
Try these tips to get kids to take "yucky" medications
willingly:
- Some kids may prefer it if medications are chilled, but
refrigeration may alter the effectiveness of some drugs. Check
with your pharmacist to see if chilling the medicine is
safe.
- Mixing the medicine with a small amount of liquid or soft
food (such as applesauce or yogurt) may make it more palatable.
Use only a small amount of food and make sure your child eats the
entire portion to receive the complete dose of medication. Avoid
mixing medication in a baby's bottle - a baby who doesn't
finish the bottle might not receive the full dosage. Check with
your pharmacist to make sure that the medication's
effectiveness will not be altered by mixing it with food or
liquid.
- If you're using a syringe, try squirting the medicine (a
little bit at a time) on the inside of the child's cheek,
where there are no taste buds.
- If your child has difficulty swallowing a tablet or capsule
medication, you may be able to crush it and mix it with soft food
(such as pudding). However, always check with your pharmacist
before crushing a tablet or opening a capsule because the
effectiveness of some drugs may be compromised by crushing.
- Some pharmacies offer flavorings such as chocolate, cherry,
grape, and bubblegum to make drugs like antibiotics and cough
syrup more appealing to children. Only a small amount
of flavoring is needed to disguise the taste. Although supporters
say the better-tasting flavor may be an incentive for a child who
has to take medication regularly, other experts say the chemicals
in the flavoring may diminish the effectiveness of the drug. Ask
your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the safety
of flavoring in medicine, especially if your child has an allergy
to certain dyes or sweeteners.
Never try to entice a child who balks at taking medicine by
saying that it's candy. This tactic can backfire, and a
child could accidentally overdose by taking dangerous medicine that
he or she thought was a tasty treat. Instead, explain that medicine
can make your child feel better, but it should never be
taken without a parent's supervision.
If your child spits out or vomits medication, don't give
another dose - call your doctor for instructions.
Side Effects
After giving your child a dose of medicine, be on the lookout
for side effects or allergic reactions. The pharmacist or product
packaging may warn you about specific side effects, such as
drowsiness or hyperactivity.
If your child has side effects such as a rash, hives, vomiting,
or diarrhea, contact your doctor or pharmacist. Penicillin and
other antibiotics are among the most common prescription drugs to
cause an allergic reaction.
If your child develops wheezing, has trouble breathing, or
difficulty swallowing after taking a medication, seek
emergency help by calling 911 or going to the emergency department
immediately. These could be symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
that requires emergency care.
Safe Storage and Disposal
You'll need to be as vigilant about storing medications as
you are about giving the correct dose. Read the medication's
instructions - some drugs need to remain refrigerated, but most
should be stored in a cool, dry location away from direct
sunlight.
Despite the convenience of your bathroom's medicine cabinet,
it's a poor choice for storing most medicines because of the
humidity and moisture from the tub or shower. Instead, store
medicines in their original containers in a dry, locked location
that kids can't reach.
Child-resistant caps can be difficult even for adults to open,
but make sure to protect your kids by re-locking and recapping
child-resistant bottles properly.
When disposing of medications, make sure they stay out of the
reach of children and don't contaminate the environment. Keep
these suggestions in mind:
- Break down tablets or capsules and return them to their
bottle. Remember to put the child-resistant top back on. Then
secure the bottle further - for instance, with tape or enclosing
it in a bag - before finally tossing it into a garbage can that
is well out of the reach of children.
- Return the medication to a local pharmacy. Many pharmacies
take back expired pharmaceuticals. However, each pharmacy
has a different policy regarding old or unused medications, so
contact the yours beforehand to see if it will accept them.
- Local household hazardous-waste collection facilities often
take expired medicines. These are the places where antifreeze,
oil, and used batteries are taken for proper disposal. Similar to
pharmacies, each facility has a different policy regarding unused
medication, so call first.
Reviewed by:
Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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