Hot forehead, fever, sore eyes, weakness and lack of appetite - my mother will immediately determine the temperature of her beloved child. And if the thermometer shows above 38.5 ° C, it must be knocked down. Most often adults in this situation turn to paracetamol - the most popular means for reducing heat. But is it possible to give paracetamol to children? After all, the choice of medicines for babies should be approached with special care, so as not to harm their fragile health.
Paracetamol to the child - yes or no?
Among pediatricians there is a contradictory opinion about the solution of paracetamol for children. For a long time this drug was considered absolutely safe. However, recent studies have shown that paracetamol has side effects. At its or his reception first of all the children's liver suffers. Using a medicine to lower the temperature in children under two years of age sometimes leads to mild asthma. In some cases, an overdose of paracetamol can lead to death.
Despite this, the drug is recommended by WHO as the most suitable for lowering the temperature in children. Paracetamol is an antipyretic and analgesic, that is, its action is based on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. And for children prone to convulsions due to temperature, the adoption of paracetamol is simply necessary. Also, this tool is considered the most effective in reducing heat, it acts very quickly.
How to give children paracetamol?
If you still decided to give your child paracetamol, consider:
- The temperature near the fission of 39 ° C is brought down. The fact is that the temperature helps the body to fight the disease. Reducing fever, you delay recovery. This rule does not apply to infants: to give antipyretic should already at a temperature of 38 ° C.
- Do not use the drug for more than three days. If the temperature does not drop, consult a doctor - a bacterial infection is possible.
- Do not use paracetamol in the first 2 months of life baby.
- Do not give antipyretics for prophylaxis, anesthesia or in the absence of fever.
The drug is available in the form of tablets, suppositories, syrup and suspension. Paracetamol suppositories are most often used for infants. They are allowed from 3 months of age. Candles are used after emptying the intestine. Another form of paracetamol for children - syrup - is allowed from 6 months. The required amount can be diluted with water or tea. As for paracetamol for children in tablets, it is usually not prescribed until the age of six. The tablet should be crushed and mixed with a little water. The existing form of paracetamol for children - a suspension - has a pleasant taste and is allowed from 3 months, but in some cases the pediatrician can prescribe from 1 month.
How much to give paracetamol to a child?
The dose of paracetamol for children depends on age and weight. One dose is given about 10-15 mg of substance per 1 kg of the weight of a child aged from 2 months to 15 years. The daily dose of paracetamol for children usually does not exceed 60 mg per kilogram of weight. The drug begins to act after 30 minutes after administration, in rare cases in an hour. Lower paracetamol is not necessary more than 4 times a day every 6 hours. Taking medication at a shorter interval may lead to an overdose.
Decrease in temperature of adult paracetamol to children is unacceptable - to calculate the necessary dose and to separate from the tablet is rather difficult, the error is fraught with overdose. But in extreme situations, you should consult a doctor on the phone.