Calpol night - now only for the over two's!

[Lucyand2]

I've been giving my 8month old DD2 calpol night for the last few nights because she has a terrible cold. I checked the bottle but as I've had it for a year it still says that it is safe for 3 months upwards. A few people at playgroup were talking about it and I discovered today that it is no longer recommended for the under 2's.
I've been very careful, only giving her one 2.5ml dose a night and not giving her anything else containing paracetemol.
From what I can tell it was withdrawn because of concerns about overdosing, parents were giving their kids calpol night and other medicines containing paracetemol. It was also mentioned that parents were giving it to make their baby sleep!
To be honest it has really helped DD2 with her runny nose at night so I'm going to give her a little bit more tonight. Does this make me A Very Bad Mother or are other people giving it to under 2's?

It wasn't around when my two were that age so I can't really say, although it sounds rather like medised which I did use. However, the one I liked best, particularly for the runny/blocked nose thing was Tyxylix (sp) cough and cold. It doesn't have paracetamol so you don't have that issue, but I found it really good.

i think if its only the one dose each night then you are fine, as long as you have not given any other paracetamol products within 6hrs.

otherwise just give her normal calpol for 3mths plus and then give a does of tiylix too.

I no longer have any under twos but if it is what was in the papers, I believe it is the results of a survey whose methods are being disputed.

AFAIK, it was some kind of postal survey and the methodology has been criticised as being weak - leading questions etc.

In answer to your question, no it doesn't make you a bad mother. I've been giving my nearly 9 month old Calpol night for the last few nights for the same reasons. I didn't give him any last night and he was snuffly and restless all night so he is getting some tonight. Apparently they have changed the instructions because people were not giving the correct dose it's the same with medised as well.

It's daft, I started feeling guilty about it despite the fact that it was obviously helping. Thankyou for all the responses, I think I wanted to put my mind at ease as according to DP I was just being stupid feeling bad about it. He does have a point!

This has reminded me of the time when DD1 (now 16) was about a year old and suffering with earache. Our GP asked if we had given calpol according to the instructions and I replied that I had. He then said "well don't worry about that, just give it when needed for a day or two"!! I know she was slightly older that your dd but she certainly suffered no ill effects.

I bought a bottle of Medised for my DS when he had a really vile cold a few months ago and lied when the pharmacist asks me how old he is. I'm fed up with being told what to do by some nanny state with no medical evidence to support their POV.

So if you're a bad mother, so am I