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To be proactive in dealing with common child illnesses, apart from preparing Tet delicacies and tidying up the house, families with young children should equip themselves with a variety of baby medications and essential medical supplies to prevent and cope as needed during the Tet holiday.
Essential Baby Medications to Prepare for Tet
During Tet, in addition to preparing medical supplies, families with young children should also stock up on some basic medications in the medicine cabinet to prevent in case of necessity. So what baby medications should be prepared in the family medicine cabinet for Tet?
Fever Reducing Medications for Babies
This is an essential medication in the medicine cabinet if the family has children. Currently, the recommended pain reliever and fever reducer for children by healthcare professionals is Acetaminophen (also known as Paracetamol).
This medication can come in the form of tablets, powder, or suppositories (inserted into the rectum). Suppository medications must be kept refrigerated. When fever-reducing medication is available, adherence to principles and usage methods is crucial.
Parents should only use rectal fever-reducing medication when the child cannot ingest, has difficulty swallowing, vomits, and has a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius.
Parents need to pay attention to the dosage used; overdosing can be dangerous for the child. The dosage is 10-15mg/kg/dose, 3-4 times a day, with doses spaced approximately 4-6 hours apart. Note that when the child has a fever, it is not necessary to use fever-reducing medication immediately; instead, use a cool compress to lower the fever.
For infants 1-5 months old (4-6kg), the dosage is 80mg. For infants 6 months to 1 year old, 150mg for a weight of 7-12 kg. 250mg form is used for children 2-9 years old weighing 13-24kg.
Parents must absolutely avoid giving aspirin to children under 12 years old as it is associated with Reye's syndrome, a rare disorder that affects the brain and liver, posing a more dangerous risk of death for the child.
Treatment for Digestive Disorders
Digestive disorders are common during Tet holiday, especially among children. Children often consume a lot of protein and fat while lacking minerals and fiber, leading to constipation.
Stored food in the refrigerator, repeatedly cooked, many processed foods containing preservatives such as sweets, carbonated drinks, and soft drinks... can lead to digestive disorders with symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain,...
Medication for Children with Constipation
Laxatives containing fiber supplements such as Inulin, Fructo-oligosaccharides, Galacto-oligosaccharides, Psyllium, Polycarbophil, and Methylcellulose,.. When ingested, the medication will absorb water, swell, increase stool volume, stimulate intestinal peristalsis, and soften stool for easier passage.
Other options for treating constipation in children include: Citrucel, Sorbitol, Duphalac, Forlax, Loperamide, Berberine, Smecta, probiotics, and prebiotics.
To significantly improve digestive issues in children such as loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting during Tet, mothers can consider using probiotics for children such as 10-strain probiotics, Biogaia probiotics,...
Medication for Children with Cough and Runny Nose
Herbal syrup is one of the safest medications for children with cough and runny nose, including:
- Prospan cough syrup
- Ích Nhi cough syrup
- Nam Hà bronchodilator cough syrup
- Bảo Thanh cough syrup
- PH cough syrup
- Astex cough syrup
Additionally, there are specialized medications such as bronchodilator inhalers for children with asthma attacks. Parents should be cautious with cough medicines containing dextromethorphan (especially for children under 6 years old) as they may have serious side effects.
Usually, when children have a cough and runny nose, antihistamine medicines in syrup or liquid form are used to combat allergies and soothe and reduce cough effectively. Histamines have sedative effects, so mothers can repeat the dosage at night.
Doctors recommend not using antihistamines for children for prolonged periods and not using them in cases where children have cough with phlegm, suffer from asthma, or have lower respiratory tract infections.
Allergy Medication for Children
Not only adults but also young children can experience allergies, including common issues like allergic rhinitis, itching, hives,... Children's immune systems, especially those under 6 years old, are much weaker than adults'. Therefore, parents need to be extremely cautious when treating allergies in children.
Currently, antihistamines for children with allergic rhinitis, food allergies, seasonal allergies, etc., are divided into 2 main groups:
- First-generation antihistamines have sedative side effects, including medications such as Promethazine, Chlorpheniramine, Triprolidine, Hydroxyzine, and Diphenhydramine.
- Second-generation antihistamines have fewer sedative effects and are more widely used, including: Cetirizine, Desloratadine, Loratadine, and Fexofenadine.
- Allergy medications for hives: Omalizumab, Loratadine, Hydroxyzine,...
Topical Medications
Skin ointments or creams help treat insect bites and rashes. Healing ointments aid in healing cracked skin and lips. For families with infants and young children, it's essential to have diaper rash cream containing zinc oxide and petrolatum to protect the skin from moisture.
Topical medications for children with insect bites: Apply hydrocortisone cream, antihistamine cream, calamine lotion.
Eye and Nasal Drops
Parents should also prepare some common eye and nasal drops, such as 0.9% saline solution or consider adding Otrivin 0.05%, Naphazoline (for young children).
Physiological saline solution can be used for both nasal and eye drops, helpful when children experience eye pain or runny noses. Otrivin 0.05% is used for nasal congestion.
Tips for Preventing Illness in Children During Tet
To ensure children's health during Tet, parents need to equip themselves with some knowledge about caring for their children's health, such as:
- Dress warmly for children in cold weather when going outside: When taking children out in cold, windy weather, mothers should remember to dress them warmly, wear hats, scarves, gloves, and masks for children.
- For infants, mothers should breastfeed them adequately and evenly to help boost their immune system. A strong immune system in children will enhance their ability to fight off disease-causing agents more effectively.
- Ensure children get enough sleep: Activities during Tet may make children stay up later or sleep later than usual, but mothers should try to ensure enough sleep time for children.
- Maintain hygiene for children: Parents need to pay attention to cleanliness for children before and after meals and when returning home from outdoor activities.
Hopefully, the above sharing has provided parents with useful information about preparing medications for children in advance during Tet to prevent and cope when needed. To make the family's Tet days more peaceful and complete, parents should not forget to learn about the types of medications to prepare for children during Tet.
