MANAGING A SICK CHILD

• AAP’s Symptom Checker – If you need to give medicines, please see SICK CHILD MEDICINE DOSAGE below.

SICK CHILD – MEDICINE DOSAGE

Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Feverall, Paracetamol) is available without a prescription. Children over 2 months of age can be given acetaminophen. Give the correct dosage for your child’s weight every 4-6 hours, as needed for fever or pain. No more than 5 doses in 24 hours.

Suppositories: Acetaminophen is also available as a rectal suppository in 120-mg, 325-mg, and 650-mg dosages. Suppositories are useful if a child with a fever is unable to take oral medication.

Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) is available without a prescription. Children over 6 months of age can be given ibuprofen. Give the correct dosage for your child’s weight every 6-8 hours, as needed.

Alternating or Combining Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen
Combining acetaminophen and ibuprofen is not recommended. Combining can cause confusion, dosage errors, and poisoning. Also, it is usually not important to control a fever that closely. However, if instructed by your health care provider to alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen, do it as follows:

• Alternate doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen every 4 hours
• Alternate medicines for only 24 hours or less, then return to a single product.

Avoid Aspirin
Children (through age 21 years) should not take aspirin if they have chickenpox or influenza (any cold, cough, or sore throat symptoms). This recommendation is based on several studies that have linked aspirin to Reye’s Syndrome, a severe encephalitis-like illness.

KEEP ALL MEDICATIONS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. In case of accidental ingestion call POISON CONTROL

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PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS:

1. Poisoning: (800) 848-6946
2. American Academy of Pediatrics
3. Center for Disease Control (CDC)
4. Flu.gov

MEDICAL RESOURCES ON THE WEB

GENERAL HEALTH

• WebMD
• Pediatrician’s guide to your children’s health and safety
• Kids Health
• Medical resource used by doctors
• Medical Conditions and Ailments in Babies
• Medical Conditions and Ailments in Children
• Medical Conditions and Ailments in Teenagers

 ADOLESCENT HEALTH

• AMA’s Adolescent Health
• The AWARE Foundation – AWARE (Adolescent Wellness through Access to Resources and Education) includes lists of support hotlines for teens to call for help with mental health, sexual abuse, eating disorders, suicide, STD, emergency contraception, and more
• CDC’s Adolescent Health
• I Wanna Know – This sites aims to teach kids about sexually transmitted diseases before they learn the hard way
• Teen Growth – Unlike many other “teen health” sites this one has a medical advisory board of pediatricians
• Planned Parenthood
• Teens Health (Nemours Foundation)
• Uniquely Girl (Adolescent information)       

ALLERGY, ASTHMA, & IMMUNOLOGY

• Food Allergy Network
• Asthma education for kids and parents      
  

CANCER

• The Anti-Cancer Diet: Cancer Nutrition Tips and Cancer-Fighting Foods

DEVELOPMENT

• Development – Links to state, regional, and local early intervention and testing services
• Head Start Programs
• Development focus on the first three years of life
• The Whole Child, a PBS website featuring articles, ideas for activities, reading lists, forums
• US Dept. of Health & Human Services
• Best Bones Forever

DRUG ADDICTION

• Background on addiction, withdrawal, and treatment of heroin addiction

HEART DISEASE

• The American Heart Association Children’s Health Section

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH

• American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry –assisting parents and families in understanding developmental, behavioral, emotional and mental disorders affecting children and adolescents
• American Association of Suicidology – Dedicated to the Understanding and Prevention of Suicide
• Depression

OBESITY

• American Obesity Society

OPHTHALMOLOGY (EYE)

• Conjunctivitis/ Pink Eye information
• The American Academy of Ophthalmology – Providing authoritative information about eyecare for the public and members

PREVENTION

• Prevent Blindness America – With sections on fireworks, sports, eyewear, and kids’ safety measures

SPORTS MEDICINE

• National Center for Sports Safety

SUBSTANCE ABUSE (Tobacco, Alcohol, Drug Abuse)

• Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS)

Disclaimer: Information presented by the Natural Pediatrics Facebook and Webpage is for educational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice of a doctor or other medical professional. Statements made on this site are not an endorsement of any specific product, or a recommendation as to how to treat any particular health concern. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise, supplementation or medication program. Dr. Shridharan makes no guarantee or warranty of any kind, express or implied, with respect to products, information or services offered on this website.