When a Baby Has Fever Do I Ulternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen

Parents often have what I phone call "fever phobia." They rush to aggressively maintain a normal temperature for their child when a fever could actually be an indication of their kid'due south natural virus-fighting abilities in high gear.

I know that your child's condom and recovery will exist your number ane concern when a fever is involved. Secondarily, you will want to make your child as comfy as possible during this fourth dimension.

This calendar week, I'm post-obit upwards on my previous post about fever research with an update regarding Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen (popularly consumed under the brand names Tylenol® and Motrin®) every bit fever treatments for children. To write this mail, I consulted the latest research findings from the American University of Pediatrics (AAP) too equally our own pediatric pharmacy experts at Children'southward Hospital Los Angeles.

Giving Your Child Over-the-Counter Fever Medication

Stick to Ane Formulation Parents should be careful to only use one conception of an over-the-counter medication. This means not switching between bottles of 50 mg and 100 mg over the course of the same fever.

Guidance for Dosing Although in proper dosing, these medications are safe, acetaminophen overdoses are the most mutual single medication reported in children's emergency room visits. The steps below will help you foreclose an overdose in your kid.

• Give the dose based on your child's weight.
• Avoid using measuring cups or spoons from your kitchen drawer. Instead, use measuring devices from your chemist to be more authentic.
• Do non give more medication than the dosage listed.
• Do not requite your child fever medication more 5 times a day.
• Do not requite fever medication to a baby under two months one-time

Word of Caution for Parents: Eighty percent of Tylenol® overdoses in children are from unsupervised ingestion by children. And then parents should store the medicine where fiddling hands cannot reach.

Acetaminophen vs. Ibuprofen: Which is Amend?

A lot of parents swear by one a particular brands of these fever medications. The latest research on pediatric fevers from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows no prove that one favorite fever brand of medication is amend than another. Parents should feel costless to requite either of these medications to reduce fever or flu discomfort in their child. Of course, parents should follow the guidance on the bottle. In addition, I've provided some guidance beneath.

Alternating Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen for Fever Treatment

The latest AAP research findings indicated that alternate these two fever treatments can pb to a risk of overdose for a child with fever. Want to know more than? See below.

Why Non Alternate?

If you read my last blog mail on treating fevers in your child, y'all probably already know the reason why alternating medications tin can be tricky business organisation for your child—the difficulty with alternating these medications is that information technology increases the chance for confusion for parents (and teens).

Acetaminophen is commonly dosed in amounts that allow for redosing every four hours. Ibuprofen is usually dosed every vi hours. Every bit a result, timing tin become confusing for decorated parents.

I checked in with our pb pharmacist at our infirmary and she indicated that the problem with alternating medications is that it is so easy to go confused and given an extra dose of one or both medicines. In some children, especially if they are dehydrated or having other medical problems, giving both medications can crusade serious side effects, specially affecting the kidneys.

Take it from a Nurse From my perspective, knowing decorated parents as I do, information technology'southward not worth the risk of overdosing your child to alternate these medications. Selection one medication or the other and use consistent dosing following the guidance on the labels to provide the best treat your kid.

Other Common Fever-Fighting Practices Exposed

Below is a list of common things parents practise to fight fevers in their children that could really exist harmful.

• Do non give your child a cold bath.
• Practice not use alcohol baths.
• Practise not use aspirin.
• Do not give Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen along with whatever over-the-counter common cold medication which may contain Acetaminophen already.
• Practise not wake a sleeping kid to give Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen.

Special Note for Parents If your child has chronic illnesses such as kidney or liver disease, asthma or is on other medication, consult your physician regarding the best course of treatment for a fever.

Stay Away from Adult Medications

I thing that parents should always recollect–treating a kid is dissimilar than treating an adult. Fever care is no different.

As a nurse, I ask you, please do not ever treat your child with adult doses of Acetaminophen (ofttimes purchased as Tylenol®) or Ibuprofen (often purchased as Motrin®) or any other adult medication.

Like to Share? Have you heard of other fever treatments which I have not covered? Like to know more? Leave me a comment below and I'll respond.

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Source: https://www.chla.org/blog/rn-remedies/treating-child-s-fever-common-treatments-exposed

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