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New thinking on the way parents use medication suggests that there are many cases in which the methods of dosage count as child abuse. It’s not so much about intentional damage to a child, parents say, but about a lack of information. Read on to find out what you need to know about a healthy attitude to kids and medicine.

In the numbers

A study at the University of Colorado has recently shown disturbing figures regarding the way parents are medicating children. Using reports of pharmaceutical abuse, the study found that 14 per cent of cases resulted in moderate to major consequences – in some cases even the death of the child. The problems that come with medicating children excessively might not show right away, though, but instead affect a child’s development over the years.

Over the counter and over the limit

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One problem seems to be that parents think that over-the-counter drugs can’t be harmful to their kids. This just isn’t the case – using any kind of medication incorrectly, for example, giving adult doses to children, can have serious consequences. Parents should be especially careful with often-abused painkillers and sedatives. Using cough mixture as a sedative is an action which has been particularly criticised by authors of the study.

Keep it safe

Apart from never giving children medication with the intention of sedating them, what else can parents do to keep medication use as safe as possible for their kids? Firstly, don’t be afraid to ask pharmacists for advice on which drugs are safe for children. If you’re having problems with a child who never seems to want to go to sleep, establish a good bedtime routine and try to make sure kids are tired out by physical play during the day – don’t turn to medication.

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