8 Medication Mistakes Parents Make

Being a parent is as difficult as being a superhero- you do have power, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities. No matter how much you strive to get things right, parenting is bound to leave some gaps here and there. Medication mistakes are things that a lot of us commit unless we learn it the hard way. These mistakes can affect your child’s health adversely or can even be fatal sometimes. This is one thing that you don’t want to learn from your mistakes!

Look out for these 8 medication mistakes that you may be tempted to commit:

1) The Wrong Medication

Self-medication is harmful but it’s worse when you’re giving the wrong medication to your children. The after effects of wrong medication can be really horrible on them and it may have a long-term impact on their health. Don’t buy prescription medicines without consulting a doctor and give them to your children. Even Ayurvedic medicine can be harmful to your child if it’s not recommended by an ayurvedic doctor. Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean that it’s right for your child. Some of the ingredients in the medicine may not be for children or your child may have an allergic reaction.

2) Giving Someone Else’s Medicines

If your son had a fever and your daughter also gets sick right about the same time, do not give her the same medicines that the doctor prescribed for your son. A doctor considers many things including the medical history of your child before prescribing medicines.

3) Medicines Without Checking The Expiry Date

Always check the expiry date on the medicines before you use them. Do not throw away the cover or peel off the label on a medicine bottle because that’s where the information regarding the expiry date is usually printed. When you’re using tablets, don’t just cut off the part where the dates are printed, even if you’ve used all the tablets in that side of the sheet. Using medicines that are expired may have serious consequences on your child’s health.

4) Storing Medicines In The Wrong Way

Certain medicines like insulin are supposed to be stored under refrigeration and a lot of other medicines are supposed to be stored in a cool, dry place. Make sure you keep the medicines in a locked cabinet that’s out of the reach of children. Separate the medicines that you will need occasionally from what you use on a daily basis like your vitamins. Also, keep an emergency kit in the same cabinet so that you don’t use a wrong bottle of medicine in a hurry.

5) Medicines At The Wrong Time

Some tablets and syrups are supposed to be taken after the meal and some of them are supposed to be taken before the meal. It’s easy- so, don’t mess it up for your convenience. Do not take the tablets that you’re supposed to take in the morning, in the evening. These timings are directed by your doctor for a reason and you shouldn’t really modify it according to your wish. Such modifications can have negative after-effects and it might lower the efficiency of the medicine.

6) Overmedicating Simple Issues

Do not overmedicate simple issues like the common cold. Such health issues can be easily treated at home. Taking some good steam, drinking lots of fluids, getting enough rest, wearing warm clothes, and gargling with salt water will help with the cold. In case the cold persists even after trying all these things for more than two to three days, you should consult a doctor. Do not give your children too many meds just for a cold because it might weaken their immune system in the long run.

7) Ignoring Doctor’s Instructions

Doctors are licensed for a reason- they know things. So, when they give you instructions regarding medications of your child, you follow them. In case you have any doubts or concerns regarding it, you can ask your doctor. Do not jump to conclusions and decide things by yourself.

8) Wrong Dosage

Do not decide the dosage of medication for your child randomly without consulting a doctor. The dosage of medicine depends upon multiple factors about which a medical practitioner is more aware of.

You may feel that it’s okay to be a little ignorant when it comes to the medication of your children because you would have done self-medication and it didn’t cause any trouble. Children are a lot more sensitive than us and things can affect them pretty bad. Do you really want to take the risk? Therefore, always seek the help of a doctor.

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