Advertorial – Do you take the same medicines from the shelves for your child as for yourself? Medicines for adults are not always suitable for children.
Drugstore Cristina: We notice in the drugstore that parents often come up with questions about drug use. Logical, because you are extra careful with your child. Many parents do not know which product is suitable for their child, how much of it a child can have and how long they can use it. What should you pay attention to?
Is there an age limit?
A drug works differently in children than in adults. So always check with your drugstore whether the medicine is suitable for children:some medicines have an age limit.
What dose is suitable for a child?
Also check which dose or strength a child may have:that sometimes depends on the age or weight of your child.
Are there other reasons why the drug is not suitable?
There can also be other reasons why a product is not suitable for children. For example, a baby with a stuffy nose should not be given products with menthol to keep the airways clear. Babies do not tolerate menthol, it can make them anxious.
How long can you use a substance?
Always look at how often and for how long a substance can be used in succession. For example, nasal spray with the substance xylometazoline may only be used from the age of 2 and you may use it for a maximum of one week in a row, because otherwise the nasal mucosa can be damaged.
Is it safe in combination with other drugs?
Is your child taking other medicines? Then it is good to check whether the product you want to buy can be used together. Not all medicines can be combined just like that.
Get informed In short, get good advice when you buy an over-the-counter medication for your child and always read the package leaflet. Even if you used a medicine for your child a year ago.
Learn more about drug use in children
There is an information campaign about drug use in children this month. In the drugstores with the Certified Specialist in Self-Care quality mark, you can bring a handy checklist with tips about medication use in children. You can keep it and hang it in your medicine cabinet. The checklist can also be downloaded. Also take the test and find out how your knowledge about drug use in children is.
Who is Cristina?
Cristina Knollema-Lertora is a licensed druggist and works in a drugstore with the Certified Specialist in Self-Care quality mark, which is the quality mark for good advice on over-the-counter medicines. On www.erkendspecialistinzelfzorg.nl you can find out which drugstores in your area have this quality mark and what you as a customer can expect from these drugstores.
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