Pain is common in various injuries and illnesses in children and after having an operation. Your child may need an analgesic medication like paracetamol or ibuprofen, to help reduce or control his pain. Paracetamol for children does not treat the reason for your child’s pain; the medication only relieves the sensation of pain.

It is essential to administer the right dose of medication to relieve pain. Provide the dose that is written on the bottle or package consistent with your child’s weight. Any baby or child who is not well or has moderate to severe pain must be seen by a doctor to detect the reason.

Signs That Your Child Has Pain

Several children can usually tell you that they have pain, though several children may not be able to tell you accurately where their pain is, click here for more information. Younger children can show you that they have pain by:

• crying or screaming
• grimacing
• changes in your eating or sleep patterns
• becoming quiet and withdrawn
• Refusing to move or not be comfortable.

Care at Home

When you can’t relieve your child’s pain by comforting him and helping him relax, distracting him or giving a cold compress, providing him pain-relieving medications can help. Paracetamol and ibuprofen can be used for mild to moderate pain in infants older than one month, children, adolescents, and adults. But if too much paracetamol is provided to a child for too long, it can injure the child. Ibuprofen should not be used in children under three months of age or given to children with bleeding disorders.

If they are under 12 years old, never give aspirin for the pain to your child, unless your doctor recommends it. It can cause a rare but serious illness. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can make your child’s pain less intense and help him feel more comfortable, but none of the medications will cause the cause of the pain to go away. Paracetamol can help your child sleep more easily if he has a painful condition, such as a sore throat, an ear infection, a stomach ache or a broken bone.

Giving Paracetamol

How Much to Give

Paracetamol comes in some different strengths: such as for babies, for young children and for older children. Paracetamol is produced and sold by several different companies, and various brands may have different names.

Always give the dose of paracetamol that is written on the package or bottle consistent with your child’s weight. If your baby is taking any other medication, verify that the medication does not contain paracetamol. Do not give paracetamol more if your child has taken another medication. Checkout https://www.eastrivervet.com/does-paracetamol-do-you-more-harm-than-good/ for does paracetamol do you more harm than good?

How Often Can It Be Given?

Paracetamol for children can be given every 4-6 hours, no more than 4 times in a day. You should take him to see a doctor if you need to give your child paracetamol for more than 48 hours.

Give Your Child Both Paracetamol and Ibuprofen

It is okay to alternate the administration of paracetamol and ibuprofen so that your child’s pain is well controlled, or even give both at the same time. If you do this, it may be easy to unintentionally administer too much medication. Keep a diary of when you administer each dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen so as not to give your child too much medication.