To be reluctant to give calpol to DD

[wispywoo1]

DD (4 months) hasn't quite been right the past few days. She's been off her milk and started waking in the night when she has been sleeping 7-7 previously. She's slightly snuffly but happy end cheerful all day. I think it may just be a slight cold (which DH has), a wonder week or the dreaded 4 month sleep regression .

A few times my DM has said 'oh just dose her up on calpol, she will sleep better'. I'm very reluctant to do this and I don't know why. My DM keeps saying I'd be taking paracetamol/beechams if I had a cold. DD doesn't have a temp. Is this a normal thing to just give calpol willy nilly? Am I being mean by withholding?

That's a lot of people saying to give her Calpol even though you have said she seems in no discomfort and you'd rather not. It is totally normal for a 4 month old to wake in the night. I wouldn't medicate for waking. Maybe she's hungry?
But then others say they would take paracetamol for a cold and I wouldn't. I only medicate when really necessary.

She's slept solidly for 4 hrs now which I doubt she'd do if she was in pain. I did give calpol last night. It's not that I won't or don't give it. I'm just reluctant to give just for the sake of it when she's showing zero signs of discomfort. I have everything crossed that it's not a sleep regression. Calpol can't fix that

I would not be giving calpol if shes not poorly.

I'm with you, OP. Some people reach for the Calpol every time their DC so much as sneezes. I don't think it's always necessary.

I'd take something if I had a cold but others probably wouldn't so I'd say it's your call.

DD was a winter baby so lots of colds, we stuck a big book under her mattress to keep her head elevated a bit which seemed to help. Also used this menthol gadget from boots which filled the room with an olbas oil type smell and snuffle baby on her feet helped as well.

I wouldn't give it in your position either OP - paracetamol won't do anything to get rid of a sniffle and if she's fine in herself there's no evidence she's in pain. I wouldn't medicate myself in those circs either.

I really try to limit calpol to when it's actually necessary, I do worry about its overuse - people seem to use it constantly for months on end for teething etc, but I would never use paracetamol for more than a couple of days at a time myself, and the packaging says you should see a GP if use is required for more than a couple of days. I don't think YABU to be cautious.

I don't get the whole 'Calpol is bad' mentality. Paracetamol is a fairly pure medicine and there are very few side effects. If you give it and it doesn't help, then chalk it up to experience. If you give it and it does help, then your baby needed it.

Far too many parents seem to withhold drugs far too readily. I don't get it.

Sometimes DS would wake but not be obviously distressed when he was teething. As a pp said it's not always easy to spot when babies are uncomfortable/in pain. Personally I would try a dose of calpol to see if it helps. One dose isn't going to turn a baby into a raging drug addict.

Calpol doesn't make babies sleep. It makes poorly kids able to get to sleep.

It's not a sedative.

If you are not giving your baby it because you dont think she needs it, Yanbu

If you are not giving her it because you see it as a drug or sedative and just don't want her having it, Yabu

I used baby vicks and a slightly elevated mattress for a blocked nose with all my babies. They rarely had paracetamol - only if they had a fever and were miserable with it.

I give me DC calpol when they are in pain or discomfort, but yours doesn't seem to be so I wouldn't. It's perfectly normal for a 4month old to wake in the night (even if she previously slept through). That's not a reason to give calpol, and neither is a 'slight sniffle'.

At the end of the day it's your decision and your mum should stop interfering!

I'm not one to use calpol much but the one time I regret not using it my dd was 3mths and suddenly difficult and fussy for a few days. The last morning I woke to find her eardrum had burst. She must have been in quite a lot of pain. So if they really aren't themselves on occasion I'd now give calpol without being totally sure they have a temp etc.

I remember talking to a friend with a teething baby (theirs was about 9 months behind DD so I'd just experienced what they were currently having). They said she was very grizzly because of her teeth.

I advised, based on my own DD's reaction, to forget Calpol and just give baby Nurofen for teething pain. They told me they hadn't bothered with any pain relief yet. I was - how is it OK to just watch your baby suffering but do nothing to ease it?

I feel the same with colds. While I don't give Calpol as a matter of course, if DD is struggling at night I will give it. And 9 times out of 10 it helps her sleep. This is after I've done Olbas oil, Vicks and an elevated head, BTW.

I give calpol or ibuprofen if I think it will help with symptoms that are interfering with sleep.
Calpol is though perfectly safe to give for months at a time as long as the safe doses are stuck to. We have done this several times with ds following the GP's recommendations. The reason you are told to see the doctor after a few days is to make sure the problem doesn't need other treatment. Also paracetamol does not become less effective over time or lots of use (as I have read on here before.)

I agree with the "it's not a sedative" line, and give it if you think discomfort might be hindering sleep. At least you'll know afterwards if that was the case!

On the wider issue some have touched on as to whether you should readily give Calpol/Ibuprofen to babies for things like colds etc., I would urge you to definitely give it for anything that causes a temperature. Even a little cold.

A baby's primary defence to any bug, even just a mild sniffles, is to raise their core temperature. It's my understanding that the most dangerous part of 99% of bugs babies catch is the effects of that raised temperature; it can cause dehydration, apnoeas and febrile convulsions (fits) in babies. You're unlikely to "mask" symptoms with Calpol etc., especially if you make sure all care givers know it's been given, especially seeing as serious illness would present symptoms Calpol couldn't affect.

I very very rarely give DD calpol or other medicines, the last time was when she had a very high temperature and I gave her some baby ibruprofen which cooled her right down. Unless they are in obvious pain/discomfort I don't see the point. I wouldn't take a paracetamol unless I really needed it although I know some people do take medicine more often.

There have been news articles about parents "overdosing" their kids on calpol etc when there's nothing really wrong with them. But you give medicine to your child when you feel they need it

forget Calpol and just give baby Nurofen for teething pain

I agree, Confused.

Neurofen is best for teething.

If you had a tooth ache it might not mean screaming in agony but it could be bloody uncomfortable. It won't hurt to give it.

But I'm not one of these people that won't take tablets if got headache.

I would try it once or twice to see what happens.

If it does seem to help her sleep better then that proves she was in pain/discomfort without it. (Calpol only gives pain relief not sedation). In which case I would give it, but
only at night. It is quite common for illness/teeth to only cause DCs discomfort at night when there are no distractions.

If it doesn't improve her sleep then there's your answer!

If you give a dose of Calpol and she sleeps better then it indicates that it is making her more comfortable as it's not a sedative. Personally I'd rather give a dose that wasn't needed than my child being in discomfort they didn't need to be.

OP YANBU

eatsleep, it depends on the age of the baby. A fever is part of the body's immune response and is helping to fight off whatever bug is causing it. If the fever is not causing any discomfort then you don't need to treat it. The fever itself doesn't cause the convulsion - it's the sharp rise in temperature that causes it. NICE guidelines specifically say not to give antipyretics with the sole aim of preventing febrile convulsions because there is no evidence that they do. If the baby is under 8 weeks then every fever should be checked out.

Ooh, excellent info bumbley, thanks :D What about dehydration though? My doc stated this as a reasob to manage a temperature with drugs.

Reasob?? Oh, you know what I mean.

She might just not fancy milk at the moment! My DS had a week where he was taking 3oz from his usual 7oz bottle! You can't also guarantee they won't ever wake during the night. She might be back to normal next week.

Run a hot tap in the bathroom and steam her on your shoulder, prop her up at night.

I've not actually met anyone who actual suffered with the 4 month sleep regression. I've only heard it when baby has not slept a night and people want to label it.

I think at 4 months they are far more alert, they will wake to look at you or to practice their new found voice.

Maybe look at your sleeping arrangements to make sure she's not being disturbed. My DD when in her own room at 4 months and had a better nights sleep but I know that's not for everyone.

I felt like you until my FIL (doctor) pointed out that it was arguably cruel not to give pain relief to a suffering child.

I agree.