![]() Pick one medication or the other and use consistent dosing following the guidance on the labels to provide the best care for your child. Take it from a Nurse From my perspective, knowing busy parents as I do, it’s not worth the risk of overdosing your child to alternate these medications. In some children, especially if they are dehydrated or having other medical problems, giving both medications can cause serious side effects, especially affecting the kidneys. I checked in with our lead pharmacist at our hospital and she indicated that the problem with alternating medications is that it is so easy to get confused and given an extra dose of one or both medicines. As a result, timing can become confusing for busy parents. Ibuprofen is commonly dosed every six hours. If you read my last blog post on treating fevers in your child, you probably already know the reason why alternating medications can be tricky business for your child-the difficulty with alternating these medications is that it increases the risk for confusion for parents (and teens).Īcetaminophen is commonly dosed in amounts that allow for redosing every four hours. The latest AAP research findings indicated that alternating these two fever treatments can lead to a risk of overdose for a child with fever. Alternating Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen for Fever Treatment ![]() In addition, I’ve provided some guidance below. Of course, parents should follow the guidance on the bottle. Parents should feel free to give either of these medications to reduce fever or flu discomfort in their child. ![]() The latest research on pediatric fevers from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows no evidence that one favorite fever brand of medication is better than another. Ibuprofen: Which is Better?Ī lot of parents swear by one a particular brands of these fever medications. So parents should store the medicine where little hands cannot reach. Word of Caution for Parents: Eighty percent of Tylenol® overdoses in children are from unsupervised ingestion by children. Do not give fever medication to a baby under two months old.Do not give your child fever medication more than five times a day.Do not give more medication than the dosage listed.Instead, use measuring devices from your pharmacist to be more accurate. Avoid using measuring cups or spoons from your kitchen drawer.Give the dose based on your child’s weight.The steps below will help you prevent an overdose in your child. Guidance for Dosing Although in proper dosing, these medications are safe, acetaminophen overdoses are the most common single medication reported in children’s emergency room visits. This means not switching between bottles of 50 mg and 100 mg over the course of the same fever. ![]() Stick to One Formulation Parents should be careful to only use one formulation of an over-the-counter medication. Giving Your Child Over-the-Counter Fever Medication To write this post, I consulted the latest research findings from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as well as our own pediatric pharmacy experts at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. This week, I’m following up on my previous post about fever research with an update regarding Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen (popularly consumed under the brand names Tylenol® and Motrin®) as fever treatments for children. Secondarily, you will want to make your child as comfortable as possible during this time. I know that your child’s safety and recovery will be your number one concern when a fever is involved. Parents often have what I call “fever phobia.” They rush to aggressively maintain a normal temperature for their child when a fever could actually be an indication of their child’s natural virus-fighting abilities in high gear. ![]()
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