Which Over-the-Counter Drugs Are Safe for Kids?

Which over-the-counter medicine is safe to give your kid? Photo: Corbis.

I’m not a holistic type, but I’ve always been reluctant to take over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicine and pain relievers unless I’m really suffering. And since I’ve had kids, I’ve become even more conservative about the idea. Don’t get me wrong—when my 3-year-old twins are in discomfort, I want so badly to pump them full of children’s Motrin and numb their pain. But there’s this other mama instinct that kicks in, warning me not to overdo it. Although I trust my pediatrician, I don’t like to rely on non-curative medications, especially when a steamy bath and a spoonful of honey will often do the trick.

STORY: 13 Medical Hacks for Parents

The truth is, most pediatricians don’t like to medicate kids with over-the-counter medications unless it’s absolutely necessary. So, before giving your child a pain reliever or fever reducer like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, ask yourself if he or she really needs it. “Fevers are serious in newborns and definitely warrant a call to the pediatrician, but you don’t always need to treat every fever in infants and children,” Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP, a Seattle-based pediatrician and author of Mama Doc Medicine, tells Yahoo Parenting. “Fevers are our bodies’ natural way of fighting infection, so if your child is eating, drinking plenty of fluids and still playing, then you might want to skip the medications.”

Of course, if your little one is in real discomfort or pain, then you can use fever reducers as recommended. Just keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend ibuprofen for babies younger than 6 months due to the risk of kidney damage.

STORY: Medications to Be Wary of During Pregnancy

Giving your child the proper dosage by weight — not by age — is also key. (Check out this recommended dosing chart for acetaminophen and ibuprofen.) If your child is under 2-years-old though, consult your pediatrician before using any medication. Also, keep the original dispensing device with the medication it came with, and inform any caregivers of proper dosage and dispensers.

Cough and cold medications should be used even more rarely. Pediatricians don’t advise giving them to children under 6 years of age and often to those who are older. “Cough suppressants and cold medicines don’t actually do their job and they often have overlapping ingredients, like acetaminophen with a decongestant,” Jamie Wells, MD, a New York-based pediatrician, tells Yahoo Parenting. “When parents don’t realize this, they may end up accidentally overdosing their children.” In actuality, coughing is curative, ridding your body of bacteria that could lead to pneumonia. Why would you want to suppress that? Still, no parent likes to hear their little one hacking away, so pediatricians often suggest more natural remedies to treat colds and coughs like honey (in children over 2), humidifiers, elevated sleep positions, and lots of rest.

However, be wary of homeopathic potions—just because they’re organic, doesn’t mean they’re safe. “The standard of testing and regulations are much more lax,” says Wells. “For example, certain homeopathic teething remedies I’ve encountered contain belladonna, which is actually a poison.” Yep, she said poison.

And finally, there are parents who use certain medications and vitamins such as melatonin and Benadryl for getting their little ones to snooze through a long plane ride, or to sleep better at night — both are not great ideas. “I never recommend giving children medicine for convenience purposes, especially something like Benadryl which is an anti-histamine that enters the blood stream and often has effects on the brain, gastrointestinal system and skin,” says Swanson. The drug can also give your child dry mouth, stomachache, rash, nausea, and in rare cases, can cause an allergic response. And recently, researchers at the University of Adelaide warned against giving melatonin supplements to children claiming it can lead to negative changes in a child’s cardiovascular, immune and metabolic systems.

Your best bet with any medication is to use caution and good sense, and always, always call your pediatrician with questions or concerns.  

Please follow @YahooParenting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Have an interesting story to share about your family? E-mail us at YParenting (at) Yahoo.com.