Friends don’t believe in vaccinations or calpol

[Campingcarryon]

I have some friends who are new parents and have declared that their child won’t be having any childhood vaccinations and that they also don’t believe in giving kids calpol or other medicines either.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to say when they said that to me- I haven’t come accross people who were anti calpol before 🤦‍♀️

Aibu to think it’s quite irresponsible if your child is ill not to get their temp down with calpol and that you are risking things getting a lot worse, especially with really small babies that get ill and deteriorate really fast. Let alone the whole anti vax position.

Honestly, I am still really baffled by their position to be honest. I think it’s really weird and irresponsible not to want your child to feel well 🤪

@Mtbdadder

Thanks *@MissyB1* for your medical perspective and agreed there is no glory in suffering pain.

You say that pain relief is "safe" hence you use it. I also use it but as sparingly as possible. Because as I pointed out above there is evidence that they have side effects, I've also had one friend addicted to painkillers, he developed lots of thyroid problems (no idea if thyroid was related but large quantities of painkillers are dangerous for your liver and kidneys).

Medical best practice on antibiotics has changed through the years as wider knowledge of impacts of overuse are better understood. So medical practice obviously evolves. I am not a professional but I think painkillers will be similarly evaluated in future, especially in very young children/infants. Any thoughts from yourself? Is it a possibility?

No I doubt there will be a day where we say it’s safer to be in pain than use pain relief responsibly. Addicts will be addicts unfortunately, some people have a propensity towards addiction. It’s something within themselves. Most people can use any medication responsibly. As regards side effects, from paracetamol these are vanishingly rare if it it is taken according to instructions.

I breast fed DD, but there were occasions when she needed paracetamol - on the advice of a doctor while we were in hospital.

Gosh, there are some superior parents on here

@Campingcarryon

Your friends are a disgrace and should be arrested for child abuse for not giving vaccinations.

It’s simply so irresponsible it’s like gluing your child to the outside lane of the M1.

It beggars belief.

I just couldn't be friends with someone whose values were so different to my own.

Freda they are a religious sect who seek healing from God and not by medical intervention. They tend not to go to hospital but to separate Christian Scientist places. Vac's aren't banned, but not encouraged. They believe mankind's medicine gets in the way of God's power to cure.

I'm summarising of course.

My daughter had a febrile convulsion when she was one she’s now 21 and I thought she was going to die, only thing that helped was paracetamol and ibuprofen she was hospitalised. Your friends are idiots

A bit more Freda

The Church of Christ, Scientist, was founded in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy from New Hampshire, USA. She herself suffered from a great deal of ill health, and believed that she experienced personal healing after reading of the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
In 1875 she published her textbook now known as "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures". This book, and the Bible, are central to the practice of the Christian Science faith.
To most people the faith is best known for its teaching about reliance on prayer alone for the healing of sickness and disease. When someone joins the Christian Science Church it is understood that there will be reliance on God for healing, rather than on medicines or surgery. There are over 200 Christian Science congregations in the UK.
Christian Scientists will not normally be treated in a hospital, but will seek treatment in a Christian Science Nursing Home, However, they may be admitted to hospital as a result of an accident or because of family and legal pressures. They will undergo medical treatment during pregnancy and allow medical treatment for their children in accordance with UK law.

Freda - a harrowing read.

www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/06/christian-science-church-medicine-death-horror-of-my-fathers-last-days

I have a friend who wouldn’t give her son calpol because she said her sister (who was a college teacher) used to give her child calpol willynilly to make them go to sleep 🙄 I had to explain to my friend (who is intelligent in her own right) that calpol isn’t a sedative and doesn’t have any sedative qualities. I also asked her to explain why she wouldn’t give pain relief to a child in pain just because her sister misused it in an effort to sedate her child.

Some people are just morons!

@SnottyLottie

I have a friend who wouldn’t give her son calpol because she said her sister (who was a college teacher) used to give her child calpol willynilly to make them go to sleep 🙄 I had to explain to my friend (who is intelligent in her own right) that calpol isn’t a sedative and doesn’t have any sedative qualities. I also asked her to explain why she wouldn’t give pain relief to a child in pain just because her sister misused it in an effort to sedate her child.

Some people are just morons!

Oh God yes the old “Calpol to make them sleep” crap!! No!!! Paracetamol has never been a sedative! I can’t believe people still fall for it! The only reason a child might sleep better after paracetamol is because you have A: relieved their pain B: Brought their temperature down which has made them feel more comfortable.

Disgusting. Social should be onto people who put purposely decide put their children at increased risk and harm from serious illness and disease AND put other unvaccinated children at risk (e.g. Those who are too young or compromised). Except they don't. Because parents have the "choice" to allow harm to occur to their children and other people

Tbh I wish there was another paracetamol product on the market for kids other than dayglo gloopy chemically syrup, even though my kids have had plenty of it. Suppositories or a water soluble drink for older kids or something.

In vaccination I bet they'd change their minds at the first whiff of the disease making the rounds. You only have to look up what people used to suffer with polio, whooping cough, measles etc to realise we don't know how good we have it. My GM used to tell me about how she'd keep her kids in for weeks on end when whooping cough was going round. Same as lockdown really.

@Crowsaregreat

Tbh I wish there was another paracetamol product on the market for kids other than dayglo gloopy chemically syrup, even though my kids have had plenty of it. Suppositories or a water soluble drink for older kids or something.

In vaccination I bet they'd change their minds at the first whiff of the disease making the rounds. You only have to look up what people used to suffer with polio, whooping cough, measles etc to realise we don't know how good we have it. My GM used to tell me about how she'd keep her kids in for weeks on end when whooping cough was going round. Same as lockdown really.

I'm so glad Calpol is syrupy sweet and something my kids take willingly rather than having to force it in. I've had to pin them down to get medicine in in the past, it's not fun. As DH always says, if your child is having enough Calpol that the sugar is a problem for their diet, you have bigger problems!

For crying out loud, of course it's toxic - you can easily overdose on it and die, and people have. My DF takes it daily and has his liver and kidney functions regularly monitored because of that. What an irresponsible attitude.

@Mandalay246 oh for goodness sakes, don’t be so ridiculous. Nobody is advocating giving a baby overdose levels of Calpol - just (shock, horror!) allowing them to have the recommended dose when they’re ill and need pain relief. As I said, my DD had it about 20 times in her first year - hardly toxic levels.

Water is toxic if you drink enough of it - do you let your DC have that?

Honestly, some of the attitudes on this thread are batshit!

Stop expecting hassle free parenting and stop making excuses that your children ever being in pain is unacceptable because it isn't in fact it is a vital part of growing up. The real reason you are giving painkillers is for an easy life for yourselves

WTAF?

As DH always says, if your child is having enough Calpol that the sugar is a problem for their diet, you have bigger problems!

Exactly!

I rarely used Calpol, kept a bottle then replaced when it was out of date. I rarely use paracetamol myself either, last time was a tablet a night for two or three nights when I had covid in March 2020.

@domesticgoddess3

oh for goodness sakes, don’t be so ridiculous. Nobody is advocating giving a baby overdose levels of Calpol - just (shock, horror!) allowing them to have the recommended dose when they’re ill and need pain relief.

Oh for goodness sakes, how about you read the posts properly!!!!!! I never said anyone shouldn't use calpol (although I do think it is overused) - I was replying to a poster who said paracetamol isn't toxic. It is this attitude which leads to people treating it so lightly. Why do you think there are limits on the amount you can buy at one time? Maybe try slowing down and reading things properly in future.

Calpol is full of colouring and sugar.
I'm glad they still do the sugary calpol, the sugar-free one seems to give DS1 an upset stomach.

I tend to give calpol/nurofen for bad teething pain or a fever that is bothering the DC (If just a bit warm but not upset I don't). I'm also a big fan of a warm wheat bag to hug for random poorlyness.
Both DC have had all their jabs.

Many parents have lofty ideas and unrealistic expectations of parenthood to begin with. Give it a few months of little of no sleep due to teething and other bugs and they will be reaching for the calpol

I meant an alternative as well as Calpol as we know it. So that people who object to the sweetness and chemicals would still give their kids paracetamol. My kids have had to be held down for sweet Calpol sometimes, tbh a suppository would have been preferable!

I was replying to a poster who said paracetamol isn't toxic. It is this attitude which leads to people treating it so lightly. Why do you think there are limits on the amount you can buy at one time? Maybe try slowing down and reading things properly in future.

@Mandalay246 what are you on about now? Calpol is NOT toxic if used as per the guidelines when your child is unwell. Go educate yourself and take your quackery elsewhere!!

Hmmm, SIL is true anti - Vax as in her 10m DS isn't vaccinated.

Im not having covid vaccine as of yet, want to wait but 11m DD has had all her regular vaccines. Im not anti-Calpol but I don't take paracetamol myself and DH is very against medicine even when he had terrible colitis. Also, DD has only ever had calpol twice (and only one dose at that) once when she had covid and once when she had really bad teething pain and had been awake 4 hrs straight from 2am, as she refused point blank to take it and would throw up - so yes they will survive without calpol but why you'd want to leave a child in pain if you can help im not clear on.

And for those who will say I haven't tried to give calpol properly, I had tried every method known to man bar IV drip. Tried syringe , spoon, dropper, off my finger, on the boob, tricked into a meal, mixed into fave food, nothing worked. She knew it was there and threw up each time so it's not worth it. If you know any other method please let me know on a side note...

I've just seen on here that they still do sugary calpol! Where from?!?! Sugar free is vile and I'm convinced that's why DD hates it

Im not having covid vaccine as of yet, want to wait

DH is very against medicine even when he had terrible colitis