Choosing Over-the-Counter Medicines for Your Child

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"Over-the-counter" (OTC) means you can buy the medicine without a doctor's prescription. Talk with your child's doctor or pharmacist * before giving your child any medicine, especially the first time.

All OTC medicines have the same kind of label. The label gives important information about the medicine. It says what it is for, how to use it, what is in it, and what to watch out for. Look on the box or bottle, where it says "Drug Facts."

Check the chart on the label to see how much medicine to give. If you know your child's weight, use that first. If not, go by age. Check the label to make sure it is safe for infants and toddlers younger than 2 years. If you are not sure, ask your child's doctor.

Call the Doctor Right Away If...

...your child throws up a lot or gets a rash after taking any medicine. Even if a medicine is safe, your child may be allergic * to it.

Your child may or may not have side effects * with any drug. Be sure to tell the doctor if your child has any side effects with a medicine.

 

Type of Medicine

What It's Used For

What Else You Need to Know
Pain/Fever medicine  Pain or fever  Examples are acetaminophen  and ibuprofen  
--Tylenol is one brand name for acetaminophen. OK TO GIVE STARTING AT 2 MONTHS 
--Advil and Motrin are brand names for ibuprofen. DO NOT GIVE THESE TO CHILDREN UNDER 6 MONTHS
 
Antihistamine  Allergies, allergic reactions,  itching   Can make some children sleepy. Other children may become fussy, nervous, or restless.  
- Benadry, Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra,Zyzol  are common brand names
 
Aspirin NOT RECOMMENDED  NEVER GIVE ASPIRIN TO YOUR CHILD.  Aspirin can cause a very serious liver disease called Reye syndrome. This is especially true when given to children with the flu or chickenpox. Any OTC medicine which contains aspirin is also not safe. 
 
Cough medicine  Calm a cough.  In children above age one, honey is the most effective cough medicine. One teaspoon before bed can help night time cough in particular. Make sure to brush teeth after taking it.  Ask your child's doctor if your child needs any other cough medicine. Don't use cough medicine if you child has asthma. Don't give honey to children under age one. 
 
Cold medicine Runny nose, fever, and/or cough. "The common cold"  OTC Cold medicines contain lots of different ingredients. They may have antihistamines,. decongestants , cough medicines, and/or fever medicine all mixed together. Frequently they have a lot of side effects. The antihistamine might make your child too sleepy, the decongestant might make it hard to sleep. They may contain medication that your chld does not need  or in the wrong dosage for your childs age/weight.  Make sure you don't give fever medicine to your child twice —once in the cold medicine and once by itself. This could lead to an overdose.
 
Decongestant
  (liquid or pills)		  Runny or stuffy nose.  Typically, we do not recommend  oral decongestants as children may become fussy, nervous, or restless or have trouble sleeping.   Check with your child's doctor before giving this medicine.
 
Decongestant
(nose drops)
 		 Runny  or stuffy nose.    Typically, we do not recommend nasal decongestants for colds. Instead, see "saline drops" below.   
 
Saline nose drops "Saltwater"  Runny or stuffy nose Put 2 drops into each side of the nose. Then use a bulb syringe to suck out the mucus. The bulb syringe can make the nose sore so try to not use it too often. Frequently, just the drops works well. 
 
Hydrocortisone
 cream		  Insect bites or  mild skin irritation from things like poison ivy. 
 		 Don't put any on your child's face unless the doctor says it is OK. Never use this cream on burns, infections, cuts, or broken skin.
 
Stomach medicines Heartburn, gas,  constipation or diarrhea. There are different kinds of medicines, depending on what the problem is. Talk with your child's doctor before using any of them. Most of these problems go away on their own. Sometimes just changing your child's diet helps.  Some stomach medicines also contain aspirin, which can harm your child. Aspirin may be labelled as "Salicylates. "  
 
Hydrocortisone 
cream		 Insect bites or  mild skin irritation from things like poison ivy.  Don't put any on your child's face unless the doctor says it is OK. Never use this cream on burns, infections, cuts, or broken skin.

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