Kid Meds

I have often wondered about the effectiveness of over-the-counter medications for children. Our kids are 5 and 6, and we have given them doses of allergy, cold and cough medicines, as well as acetaminophen for fevers and that sort of thing. I am not sure if some of them really helped or kids feel better or not, and I would really rather not give them something they don't need or that doesn't really work. Anyway, I found a couple of recent articles of interest.

First, a few days ago it was reported that the FDA is investigating the safety and efficacy of children's over-the-counter cold medications. They are focused on children younger than ours, but am still interested in reading their findings once they are available.

The second article, describes the results of a study involving the three most common pain-relievers (acetaminophen, codeine and ibuprofen). I don't know about you, but sometimes I am at a loss as to which is more appropriate in a given situation. Well, this report would seem to indicate that ibuprofen is best suited to deal with trauma or injury-caused pain. That's good to know.

Hat Tip: MSNBC
Tags: kids; medication; pain relief; parenting