O-Crumbs

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7 Medication Mistakes Parents Make

Helping or Harming?
by: Amanda Dorsey
Reviewed by: Rafiu Ariganjoye, M.D., MBA, FAAP
Review date: 08-11-2008

When it comes to giving your children medicines, you’ve got the best intentions. But mistakes are common, and in rare cases can even be fatal. You want your kids to feel better as soon as possible, but are you doing things correctly—and safely? We’ve compiled some of the most common mistakes parents make with their kid’s medicines, and ways to avoid them.

Mistake 1. Losing Track of Your Child’s Weight

Dosages are frequently based on weight rather than age, so know how much your child weighs. Age recommendations are general guidelines that work for most children, but they might not be right for your child. If a medicine has weight guidelines as well, use those instead. If it doesn’t, talk to your child’s pediatrician for precise dosages and instructions according to your child’s weight.

Mistake 2: Making a Guessing Game out of Dosing

Always give your child the exact dose recommended by his or her pediatrician. If a dosing cup, syringe or dropper is provided with the medicine, use it. Measure carefully—don’t confuse tablespoons (tbsp) and teaspoons (tsp). Kitchen spoons are very inaccurate, so don’t use them!

Medicines for infants and very young children are often given in liquid form with syringes or droppers. Slowly squirt these between your child’s cheek and teeth, where there are no taste buds and it’s easier to swallow.

Mistake 3: Stopping Medications Too Early

If your child’s medicines are prescribed for a specified period of time, give the full course—especially with antibiotics. Don’t just stop because your child is feeling better. That might make subsequent illnesses more difficult to treat. If you skip a dose of any medication, talk to your child’s pediatrician about what to do. And whatever you do, never give your child a prescription meant for someone else.

Mistake 4: Confusion About Your Child’s Medications

Find out the purpose of each medicine, read the drug label carefully and make sure you understand it. If there is a dosing device, make sure you know exactly how full to fill it—don’t guess! You should also know the active ingredient of all the medications your child is taking. If several medications contain the same active ingredients, it could result in an overdose. If you are unclear about anything, talk to your child’s pediatrician.

Mistake 5: Hiding Medications

Your child may not want to take his or her medicine, but don’t deceive them by telling them it tastes like candy or by hiding medicine in their food or drinks. Not only may the food or drink affect how the medicine works, your child may not get a full dose. Talk to your kids about the importance of taking their medicines—and make sure they know to only take them with an adult present. As your children get older, involve them in the medicine routine. Read the label with them, and explain what it means—from the directions and indications, to the side effects and risks of taking too much.

Mistake 6: Not Calling Your Pediatrician

Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s doctor questions. And make sure the doctor is aware of all the other medicines your child is taking, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Your child’s doctor can tell you:
  • If a particular OTC drug is safe for your child
  • How much of a particular medicine to use
  • How often and when to give your child the medicine
  • If other forms of the medicine are available and safe (such as a liquid instead of tablet)

Mistake 7: Too Much Treatment

Kids don’t need medicines for every cough, sneeze, bump or bruise. Treating symptoms your child doesn’t have won’t help and may even be harmful. For example, if your child has a bad cough but isn’t sneezing, don’t give her medicine for sneezing. Cough and cold medicines may not work for young children, and they aren’t safe for children under 2. And don’t always insist on antibiotics for every sore throat or ear infection—they only treat bacteria, not viruses. Overusing antibiotics now may make it harder to treat your child later if he or she really needs them.