Erm... did anyone else see this about Calpol??

[Somersaults]

www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/346400/behind_the_label_calpol.html

Sorry, forgot to turn it into a link:

www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/346400/behind_the_label_calpol.html

No surprise there really - apart from the actual drug itself, its packed full of chemical nasties, such as colours or sweeteners, which IME (intolerant DD) will cause skin flare ups too readily misdiagnosed as eczema etc

I was very shocked at what effects frequent use could have. And surprised it is so readily recommended by HCPs.

Aside from the additives, I've always thought it odd the way some parents use it as a cure-all or almost as a placebo. Paracetamol is actually quite a dangerous drug and I would only give it to a child (or adult) who really needed it.

So far in my children's lives that's been only for severe earache or toothache and that's after they've been told to see how they go for some time first. I'm lucky that my Dc haven't had anything scary, but I wouldn't give it at the first sign of a slightly raised temp. As the article says, the temperature's there for a reason, nature does generally know what's it's doing.

I think moderation in all things and common sense should be used wrt childrens illnesses.

The Behind The Label series has some other interesting pieces in too. It was that article that made me quite sparing with calpol.

I think HCPs have stopped giving readily advice about calpol. As O2BNormal says a temp is there for a reason to kill off viruses etc. I find lots of Mums well meaning, give it as a precaution pre jabs. I would never recommend this although a lot of HVs do. I never take paracetamol just in case I may get a headache. It is a difficult one, best wishes x

Just last week a parent was telling me that she'd been told on a first aid course that you should give Calpol early - there's nothing wrong with it and they thought it was cruel to withhold it. GPs always seem to recommend it at the first suggestion of anything IME. Where is the real evidence based, government backed advice (so long as also evidence based!) on this?

I have a friend who gives her sons Calpol if they say they're tired . That kind of willy-nilly dosage is crazy. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with using an over-the-counter medicine for genuine medical reasons, as prescribed. Drugs are exhaustively researched and tested, and articles like this are just hippy scare-mongering. And I say this as a lentil leaver.

In general I only give paracetamol suspension for pain (and have to be sure on this one as DD1 likes the taste) and if fever over 39 degrees in child, 38 degrees in baby.

I have this book. In it Dr Mendleson says ?If your child contracts an infection, the fever that accompanies it is a blessing, not a curse. The spontaneous release of pyrogens cause the body temperature to rise, a natural defense mechanism needed to fight disease. The presence of fever tells you that the repair mechanisms of the body have gone into high gear. It is something to rejoice over, not to fear.?

They have just come out and said that a quarter of all adults are overdosing on paracetamol. Some children are being overdosed too as Calpol and the like are now seen as a 'cure-all' (NB: acetaminophen and paracetamol are the same thing).

Even if you stick to the prescribed dosage on the bottle, if your child is on the lower end of the centiles then you could be overdosing without realising it as weight of child and concentration of solution affect dosage.

I had a mum I met at a playgroup insist that I should give my then 6 month old DS calpol every night, as I'd told her I thought he was teething.

When I said that DS was sleeping fine and showing no sign of pain, she told me that I should give him calpol nightly anyway just in case, and that her health visitor had told her to do this

I ignored her 'advice', as I thought it sounded potentially dangerous, and told her so. But it did make me wonder what her health visitor had actually said.

Scaremongering.
I especially like the fact that they seem to be patronizing towards the parents that wanted to offer some relief from flu (yes, that's usually very high fevers, headaches, muscle aches etc)
There's a big difference between dosing your child on paracetamol anytime they are a bit tired/have low fever etc and using it when warranted (and bloody flu does warrant it, imo).
I also wonder about this asthma link research. Could it be that those children were given more paracetamol when younger because they already were of a somewhat weaker disposition and so had more upper respiratory infections etc? As opposed to the use of paracetamol causing the asthma iyswim? Does anyone know?
Here in France most of the children's medications are dosed by weight, so you can be sure you're giving them a right amount-I agree that dosing by age is a bit .

my mum gave us soluble disprin when i was a child, this was when we where ill enough for it to warent remaining in my memory so probably only a handfull of times through out my own childhood. i remember her halfing an adult paracetamole one when I was around 11 for a headache. and once she gave me it for sock when i seen a little girl get hit by a car, I was only about 6 or 7 my self and took it very badly.

therefore I only give calpol to dd when she is significantly ill, i think this is helped by the fact as a baby and toddler she was incredibly difficult to get any meds down and after 2 very significant illness where she pulled through with no intervention I am less reliant on child medication.

I once administaed rectal paractemaol on prscription when her temp raised 40 during tonsilitus and she had been unconsiouse for 2 days. But i was not confident in doing this ever again, not nice at all.

my disi inlaw gives a full dose of calpol and nurofen at the slightest cry from her dd blaming her teeth when there is clearly another explination grump tired etc.

winny I've just got back from France and got some of their calpol after recommendations on here. I was overjoyed to see the dosing syringe! DS (2.9) is 16.5 kilos and above the dosing range for most 'age' medications (3ml instead of 2.5 for piriton for example).

It's only given in our house for fever, headache, or growing pains which both DDs suffer from occasionally.

My GP recently said that "you could give your daughter calpol every day for a year without any adverse effects".