There are so many things to think about when you have children, that gathering information about their medicines can often seem a little intimidating. Several medications may seem complicated to administer, and you may worry about any side effects they can cause.
Often the best medication for your young children is bed rest, plenty of liquids, and something like Tylenol for their aches and pains. Occasionally, a stronger medication is needed for a bacterial infection or the like, and you may have questions about the types of medicine prescribed, the dosage and any side effects. You may also want to know how to give medicine to a child.
Every medicine comes with specific dosage information. Dosages usually correspond to a patient’s weight, which means it may not be the same for all of your children.
Different medications can be taken in different ways. Some medicines are taken orally, others breathed into the lungs, some applied to the skin, and others injected by your doctor.
When you receive a prescription, there will always be the name of the medicine on it, as well as how much medicine is taken each time, for how long, and how often. Any questions about your child’s medicine and it’s time to call your doctor or pharmacist.
In fact, you should make it a priority to get to know your pharmacist. They are a wealth of information about every medicine concern, and can even offer you tips on how to give medicine to a child. They will also always recommend that every prescription be taken until finished, even if your child is feeling better halfway through.
Sometimes, medicines come with special instructions, for example that they should be taken with food or milk. By making sure they are eating healthy, adding medication at mealtime shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Especially if you talk to your kids about the importance of medicine that will help them to fight infections.
With every medication, there will be an information sheet that accompanies it. Here you can read about any side effects or drug interactions you should be aware of. If you need to know more, never hesitate to ask questions during your child’s doctor visit at Happy Valley. All of the Pediatrix staff are more than happy to put your every concern to rest.
