Common Medical Mistakes All Parents Make

So you're trapped on a plane with your hyper 2-year-old who has chosen this moment to have a tantrum. The flight attendant and businessman across the aisle are giving you dirty looks, and you suddenly remember your best friend’s telling you how she gives her child Benadryl to make her sleepy while traveling. What she doesn't tell you is that some children react to Benadryl in the opposite fashion: they become excitable and agitated.

Doctors report that they frequently encounter patients’ misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medications. A few simple guidelines about common medical mistakes that parents make can steer you in a better direction—and keep your child safe and appropriately treated.

Cough and cold symptoms are some of the most common maladies parents treat at home. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended against the use of cold preparations in children under age 6, and the FDA removed some cough and cold preparations from store shelves because of the risk of serious and life-threatening side effects. Many multi-symptom cold products have more than one ingredient and often include acetaminophen. Carefully read labels of all medications so you avoid an accidental overdose that can easily happen when you treat your child with multiple products.

Your medical provider realizes how frustrating cold symptoms are to parents. There is nothing proven to make cold symptoms go away faster. Safe options you can employ at home include using saline nose drops, bulb suctioning and a cool mist humidifier. These methods help loosen and thin the mucous and allow for easier removal. Adequate hydration and rest may help your child feel better, as well as acetaminophen or ibuprofen for aches and pains.

Fevers can be safely treated at home with proper dosing of ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Manufacturer dosing of acetaminophen and ibuprofen is based on age and weight. Dosing by a child's weight rather than age will give a more therapeutic dose. Acetaminophen is administered every 4 to 6 hours and ibuprofen every 6 to 8 hours. It is best to choose one fever reducing medication and stick with it to avoid confusion. Also, remember that ibuprofen is not recommended in infants under 6 months of age.

Your daughter has a fever and is complaining of a sore throat. Should you give her the antibiotics left over from her brother's illness last week? A couple of  things are wrong with this scenario. First, a proper diagnosis is important to ensure that antibiotic use is necessary and appropriate. Starting an antibiotic before being seen by a medical professional can alter some testing and make diagnosing more difficult. Secondly, leftover bottles of antibiotics likely won't have enough medicine to adequately treat the condition.

Jane Buss, MD, is a pediatric associate of emergency medicine at Children’s Mercy South Emergency Department.

Jane Buss, MD