Medications for children: a guide

Children’s medicines and medications

Children need medications that have been specifically designed for their size and their needs. Some adult medications aren’t suitable for children.

If you’re not sure whether a medicine is suitable for your child, ask your doctor or phramacist. It’s recommended that you see a doctor before giving a baby under six months any medication.

Whenever you give your child medication, you need to check the dosage carefully.

Always store medicines out of your child’s reach and in the original packaging.

Call the Poisons Information Centre if you think your child has accidentally taken medication or has taken the wrong dose. If your child stops breathing, loses consciousness or is having seizures, call an ambulance immediately.

Pain and fever medications: aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen

Aspirin
Do not give aspirin to children under 12 years unless it’s prescribed by a doctor.

Aspirin can make your child susceptible to Reye’s syndrome, a very rare but potentially fatal illness. If you’re giving your child any over-the-counter medicines, check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure they don’t have aspirin.

Paracetamol
You can use paracetamol to treat pain like headache, stomach ache, earache, sore throat or fractures.

You can also give your child paracetamol if she has a fever that’s making her feel uncomfortable or unwell.

Paracetamol for children comes in different strengths and varieties, so read the label and follow the dosage instructions carefully, especially if you have children of different ages and weights in the household. Where possible, measure your child’s dose based on his weight rather than his age.

Paracetamol is safe if you give your child the right dose for short periods of time. But an overdose of paracetamol can be dangerous. It can even cause liver failure in severe cases. Ask your doctor if you aren’t sure about the recommended dosage for your child.

Ibuprofen
You can use ibuprofen instead of paracetamol for pain and fever relief. It’s suitable for children over three months, but you should avoid using it if your child has severe asthma. Ibuprofen is best taken with food or on a full stomach.

It is also recommended not  to use ibufprofen if your child is dehydrated since the drug may cause kidney injury.

Always follow the instructions on the packaging when giving your child ibuprofen.

Conditions that paracetamol and ibuprofen can’t help with
Paracetamol and ibuprofen won’t work for cough. They also won’t help children go to sleep.

Paracetamol or ibuprofen are found in many over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, so it’s important to read labels carefully to avoid accidental overdose.

If your child is in a lot of pain, especially before the next dose of medication is due, it’s OK to give paracetamol and ibuprofen. You can give them together or at different times, as long as you follow the instructions for each individual medication. Make sure to record when you give each medication so you don’t give your child too much.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics work only for infections caused by bacteria – for example, bacterial pneumonia, urinary tract infections, middle ear infections and  infected wound.

Antibiotics won’t work for viral infections like colds or the flu.

Using antibiotics incorrectly can lead to side effects like diarrhoea, dehydration or allergic reactions.

Your doctor has many different antibiotics to choose from. Some are effective against only certain types of bacteria. Others target a broad range of bacteria and are called broad-spectrum antibiotics. Your doctor will try to choose the right antibiotic to fight the bacteria infecting your child.

Your doctor might suggest other ways of treating your child’s symptoms before prescribing antibiotics. It’s best not to pressure your doctor for antibiotics if the doctor says your child doesn’t need them.

If your child needs to take antibiotics, it’s very important that he takes the entire course of antibiotics, even if he seems better after a few days. Infection might come back a week or two later if the bacteria aren’t completely gone from his system.

Never use old, leftover antibiotics for new illnesses. And never give antibiotics to someone they haven’t been prescribed for – for example, another child in the family.

Remember, overuse and misuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance. Preventing unnecessary antibiotic use is an important part of reducing antibiotic resistance.

Cough and cold medications

Children under six years should not take cough and cold medications, including decongestant nasal sprays.

Children aged 6-11 years should take cough and cold medications only on the advice of a doctor. This includes decongestant nasal sprays.

Saline nasal sprays and drops are safe options for clearing blocked noses for children and babies.

Antihistamines

Itching, sneezing, swelling or rashes can all be symptoms of allergies or hayfever. Medications known as antihistamines are used to stop these symptoms.

Antihistamines can sometimes cause a dry mouth, drowsiness and upset stomach.

Antihistamines generally aren’t recommended for long-term use, so check with your doctor before giving them to your child.

Antihistamines and sleep
Antihistamines, including promethazine aren’t recommended for helping children sleep, unless you use them under the supervision of your doctor. These medications sometimes cause daytime drowsiness, which might affect your child’s ability to learn.

Antihistamines can also have the opposite effect, causing some children to become hyperactive. This might make any sleep problems worse.

Medications to avoid

Think very carefully before giving your child medications that haven’t been prescribed by a doctor.

Anti-nausea medications
Don’t give your child anti-nausea medications unless the doctor specifically tells you to. Usually vomiting doesn’t last long, and children get over it without medication.

A mix of prescription and over-the-counter medications
Mixing prescription medicine and over-the-counter medicine from a pharmacist can be very dangerous. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist first. And if you’re not sure what’s in a particular medicine, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Medications not meant for your child
Adult medications or medications prescribed for someone else might harm your child. It’s never safe to give these to your child.

Expired medication
Expired medicine doesn’t work and can even be harmful.

Chewable tablets
Young children can easily choke on chewable tablets. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before giving your child chewable tablets.

Vitamins: a good idea?

There’s no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplements help children’s health in any way unless the child has a deficiency of some kind – and very few children suffer from these deficiencies.

Check with your doctor if you think your child might have a vitamin or mineral deficiency.