Nobody likes to think about their child getting ill. It can be heartbreaking to watch your little-one suffering or in pain, but with forward planning, you can be ready for any of the inevitable but upsetting illnesses your child might face.

Knowing what to give your child when they need it the most, can save a lot of worry and panic, ensuring you can stay calm, collected and fully able to look after your child confidently.

Obviously, it is not always possible to keep every kind of medication your child may ever need at home, and sometimes an unavoidable trip to the doctor is needed for my NHS prescriptions. However, here is a list of the day-to-day medicines it is useful to keep at home,

Paracetamol

Paracetamol might be an obvious choice; however, it cannot be overstated how useful it is to keep paracetamol as it can be used to treat all manner of ailments including fever in children, mild to moderate pain as well as the symptoms of cold and flu.

For younger children, make sure you keep some paracetamol syrup in your cabinet.

Ibuprofen

An anti-inflammatory; ibuprofen is again useful for reducing fever as well as general pain relief. It can also be used for teething pain.

Ibuprofen should be taken with a meal, and for younger children, it should be taken in syrup form.

A Thermometer

The normal temperature for babies and children is around 36.4°C, and a temperature of about 38°C would indicate that your child has a fever.

Keeping a digital thermometer in your medicine cabinet will mean that you can very quickly check your child’s temperature. Getting your child’s temperature will let you know whether you should seek medical advice.

If your child has been wrapped up or in a warm room, this might affect the reading, so you may need to let them cool down before taking their temperature.

Decongestants

Children have a knack of picking up every cough and cold in circulation, and as such decongestants such as Sudafed are really useful for blocked noses and congestion. Often, when your child is struggling to breathe, they can’t sleep, meaning they’re not getting all the rest they need for a quick recovery.

Rehydration Sachets

When your child has an upset stomach or diarrhoea, they can lose fluids and electrolytes and become dehydrated. The best treatment is always to drink plenty of water. Rehydration sachets work to correct the lost fluids and electrolytes.

With all medicines, you do need to take care to ensure you are doing what is best for your child’s health. Always check the suitable dosage for your child’s age and be sure and get advice from a doctor if symptoms persist.

It is always worth doing a regular check to make sure your cabinet is always well stocked, and also, that the medication you have is still in date.

Remember, always put medicines away after you have used them and be sure they are stored out of sight and reach of your child.  

Categories: Uncategorized

Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

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