Don't try to diagnose your child's problem yourself. Always check with your child's doctor if you're unsure whether symptoms require medical treatment.
Never use leftover medications to treat your child's symptoms. For example, pharmacists will sometimes dispense more liquid medication than is needed in case some is spilled or measured incorrectly. If you have liquid left over after your child has completed the course of treatment, throw it out. For medicines your child takes as needed, keep an eye on the expiration date to make sure you're not giving an outdated medication.
Never give your child medications that have been prescribed to someone else, whether it's an adult or child. Even if two people have the same illness, they may require different drugs with different doses and directions.
If you're purchasing OTC medications, check the medicine's packaging for possible tampering, and don't use medications in cut, torn, or sliced packages. Be sure to check the expiration date, too.
Develop a relationship with a local pharmacist so that your child's medication history is in a central location. Feel free to ask your pharmacist any questions you may have about your child's medication, and don't hesitate to ask for more information about possible side effects or reactions.
Giving Medicine to Your Child
Once you've made it home with your child's medicine, you'll still need to take a few precautions. First, check to make sure you have the correct prescription. Many prescription and medicine bottles look the same, so make sure your child's name is on the label and it's the medicine that the doctor recommended or prescribed.\ Be especially careful when reaching into the medicine cabinet in the middle of the night - it's easy to grab the wrong bottle when you're sleepy.
The Right Dose: Giving your child the correct dose of medicine is important because most medicines need to be taken in a certain amount and at certain times to be effective. If your child has been prescribed medicine, the dose will be written on the prescription label. If you're giving your child an OTC medicine, the dose should be printed on the package insert, product box, or product label. In general, you should never give OTC medications to children younger than 2 years old without a doctor's OK.
