Mumsnet Talk

Hi all,
I am a new member here. I am from Norway and live in Oslo but has spent half my life in the UK (London)

I have had this long disucssion with some friends here in Norway who claims they have UK friends who regulary give their kids Calpol even when they are not sick. This in order to get their kids off to sleep at night.

I refuse to believe this is common practice and i never came across anyone who did this when I lived in the UK (ok, few years ago now but still..... )

The reason for this argument of course is the case of Maddie and the fact that her parents seemed to give her Calpol to sleep better but this is not, by any means a normal thing to do - or is it?

(In Norway I think you would be reported to the child protection unit if you give your kids drugs when they are not sick!)

why would paracetomol help a child sleep unless that child was in pain?

the child's anme is madeleine by the way not maddie.

not common practice as far as i am aware.

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No that's plain weird...and ineffective!

Calpol doesn't contain a sedative ingredient. Do you mean - do you give your child pain relief when they are teething and cannot sleep? Yes, of course, as recommended by the paediatrician.

If you quote us, please spell our names correctly OK?

No of course I am not a journalist!

I was asking a basic question - WHY the hostility?

Several people I know claim they know UK parents who give their kids calpol to sleep, I keep saying I never came across this in all my years in the UK.

I thought by posting a question here I would prove I was right. This is NOT common in the UK. Seems like I was right!

i think you've hit a nerve by mentioning Madeleine. there was no need to bring any of that into your question.

No. It isn't.

Calpol does not contain a sedative so, unless the child was in pain and the paracetemol eased the pain, I can't see how it will help a child sleep better.

There is a medicine called Medised which does have a sedative in it. But I wouldn't think most people would use this just to make their child sleep.

No, I don't believe this is common practice. But it is a constant low-level joke among parents I know (along the lines of 'essentials of parenting - 1. daily Calpol' etc).

When working in a health call centre I can certainly say that there were a lot of calls from parents worried their child had overdosed on Calpol - usually after they had had 3 spoonfuls or some other tiny amount. Which would not suggest it is casually used.

Also I can believe that some parents occasionally do overuse sedatives, or at least that certain bleeding-heart liberals (like myself) are convinced that some parents do. I remember that cracking good poem 'Timothy Winters' which was written in the Sixties - by Roger McGough? - and includes the line 'Timmy gets dosed with Aspirin'. Much the same concerns have been expressed in the past over gripe-water, gin etc. Not sure how real any of these issues are, though I bet it happened and happens occasionally.

It is illegal to mention this case in the UK? I simply gave the background to why this discussion came up?

Wow I wonder what world you guys live in. Not just in Norway but all over Europe the press has mostly focused on the fact that the parents left the kids alone, this is NOT common practice elsewhere but I know it is in the UK.

Is it not legal to discuss facts?

fgs - if it's a genuine question then just answer it and leave the poster alone...Mille, no not common practice - as far as I know Calpol doesn't contain any sedative. I'd only use it at night when dd is in pain, teething etc..

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sorry, of course calpol is not a sedative, but it feels like a sedative, to have had a fractious child which goes to sleep well after a dose of it.

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Thank you to those of you who answered the question. I think it has proved my point, it is by no means common practice as I have stated all the way along.

And as I said, i mentioned the case because that is why the discussion came up, end of story.

Think best I leave this forum.

'Not just in Norway but all over Europe the press has mostly focused on the fact that the parents left the kids alone, this is NOT common practice elsewhere but I know it is in the UK'

Urrrr....no it's not.

I reckon there've been about 10 journalists asking this question on here over the last few weeks

First person to spot the feature in the papers gets a badge

(let's guess the headline)

"the fact that the parents left the kids alone, this is NOT common practice elsewhere but I know it is in the UK."
How do you "know"? It it isn't common practice dearie!

"Wow I wonder what world you guys live in. Not just in Norway but all over Europe the press has mostly focused on the fact that the parents left the kids alone, this is NOT common practice elsewhere but I know it is in the UK. "


It is not commonplace in the UK to leave our children home alone.

Mille, it is NOT common practice to leave your children unattended in the UK, please don't let the media furore surrounding this case colour your perception of UK parents.

Calpol is a godsend for teething/ill children as is Medised when they have colds (and as already mentioned, Medised does have a sedative in it).

I do know of a fair few parents (mostly with medical connections) who use Phenigan (sp) to sedate their DC's for long journeys, but again not common practice, I would say.

Cripes! Scrub that last comment, could be completely misconstrued.

Truth Behind The Curtains

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