Moms naturally handle diaper changes and formula preparation with ease. Each mother also has her own methods for managing eczema, heat rash, diarrhea, and coughs. But when you enthusiastically share your hard-earned experiences with other new moms, have you ever wondered if these methods are truly correct?
Nothing breaks a parent's heart more than seeing their little one sick. Watching a baby suffer from illness turns even the toughest mom into a nervous wreck. Parents often feel compelled to become self-taught medication experts, desperate to cure their child instantly. But sometimes, babies don't need medicine to get better—they can recover naturally. Illness is part of a baby's process of building immunity, and overusing drugs can cause unintended harm.Take a look at these common medication mistakes—how many have you made?
Mistake 1: Medicating Immediately for Colds
Over 90% of colds in infants and young children are caused by viral infections. Viral colds can resolve on their own, with the body typically clearing the virus within 5-7 days.However, many mothers find it impossible to stay calm during this 5-7 day period. They inevitably become anxious, taking their babies to the hospital for medication and injections or giving them cold medicine without consulting a doctor. This is a common misconception.
In reality, no effective antiviral drugs currently exist to instantly cure a baby's cold. Recovery involves a natural process, with symptoms like runny nose and cough potentially lasting 2-3 weeks. The recommended approach is to ensure plenty of fluids, adequate rest, and maintain comfortable indoor temperature and humidity levels—no additional cold medication is necessary.
Currently, countries like the US and Europe do not recommend cold medication for babies under 2 years old.This is because: Research on cold medications in infants is limited, making it impossible to guarantee their safety. Children are not miniature adults; extrapolating adult dosages for children is unscientific. Some countries have even raised the age limit for not recommending compound cold medications to 4 or even 6 years old.If a fever exceeds 38.5°C (101.3°F) under the armpit, fever-reducing medication is recommended. This primarily alleviates discomfort caused by fever and helps prevent febrile seizures that may occur with high temperatures. If the cold is complicated by bacterial or other pathogen infections, antibiotics or other medications should be used appropriately under a doctor's guidance.
Mistake 2: Absolute Rejection of Antibiotics
Many mothers today view antibiotics with fear, avoiding them whenever possible and minimizing their use. Some mothers even reject antibiotics entirely, falling into another misconception: believing antibiotics are dangerous and should be used sparingly. They stop the medication as soon as symptoms improve after just a couple of days.
Generally, antibiotics should not be overused—the emphasis is on "overuse" because it can lead to bacterial resistance. If a baby doesn't have a bacterial infection but is given antibiotics anyway, that's considered "overuse."
However, if a baby does have a bacterial infection, antibiotics should be used when necessary, and the full course should be completed.
Antibiotics typically take one to two days to start working against an infection. Once effective, they must continue suppressing the bacteria for about 3-5 days. If you stop after just one or two days because symptoms improve, some bacteria may only be suppressed, not killed. During this pause, bacteria can mutate into stronger, drug-resistant strains.The next time antibiotics are needed, they may no longer be effective against these bacteria. Consequently, not only is the original illness left untreated, but it may also worsen. From this perspective, once antibiotics are prescribed, it is crucial to follow the doctor's instructions precisely—taking the full dosage and completing the entire course of treatment.
Mistake Three: Overusing Vitamins
Vitamins indeed play a vital role in a baby's growth and development, but it is unwise to assume that more is always better.Many medicinal vitamins carry potential adverse effects or even toxic reactions, particularly fat-soluble vitamins. Excessive or prolonged use can lead to accumulation in the body and poisoning. For instance, overconsumption of cod liver oil (containing Vitamins A and D) may cause fever, loss of appetite, irritability, and damage to liver and kidney function. While water-soluble vitamins are generally safer, they still require caution—excessive Vitamin C intake can induce urinary tract stones or osteomalacia.
Mistake 4: Multiple Medications for One Illness
When babies fall ill, many mothers become anxious and lose their composure. Some mothers, after administering one medication without seeing results, immediately switch to another. They fail to realize that using multiple drugs simultaneously can lead to adverse interactions. A complex mix of medications may cancel out their effects while amplifying toxic reactions, resulting in poor therapeutic outcomes and increased adverse effects.For example, combining sulfa drugs with Vitamin C can increase kidney toxicity. Using penicillin alongside aspirin reduces penicillin's antibacterial efficacy. Similarly, administering penicillin, chloramphenicol, and sulfa drugs together, or pairing penicillin/cephalosporins with gentamicin, carries the same risks.
Mistake 5: Administering Medication with Sugar Water
Many mothers notice their babies resisting bitter-tasting medications and resort to sugar water to administer them. However, sugar contains significant amounts of minerals like calcium and iron, which can chemically react with proteins in traditional Chinese medicines. This reaction causes the mixture to coagulate and denature in gastric juices, leading to turbid precipitation and significantly reduced therapeutic efficacy.Some medications rely precisely on their bitter taste to stimulate digestive fluid secretion for therapeutic effect. Adding sugar diminishes this efficacy.
Mistake 6: Blindly Believing Traditional Chinese Medicine Is Safer
Western medicine typically lists contraindications and adverse reactions in its package inserts, which may lead some parents to perceive it as unsafe. Consequently, they opt for traditional Chinese medicine, whose inserts often state: "Adverse reactions are not yet clearly defined."
However, "undetermined" does not mean no side effects exist. It simply indicates insufficient clinical trials and data collection. Therefore, from this perspective, medications with detailed contraindications and adverse reactions listed in their instructions remain safer.
Mistake 7: Stockpiling Medications at Home
Professional pharmacists do not advocate keeping large quantities of medications at home. Often, these stockpiled medicines go unused and expire, resulting in waste. For those living in urban areas, pharmacies are typically just a few hundred meters away, making it very convenient to purchase medications. Furthermore, having too many medicines at home increases the risk of accidentally taking the wrong medication when grabbing one offhand.