Acetaminophen: What Parents Should Know

To reduce a child's pain or fever, more parents turn to acetaminophen than to any other drug. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), acetaminophen is generally considered safe and effective when used according to the label directions. But using too much can cause liver damage.

In late June 2009, medical experts advising the FDA suggested that the agency reduce the maximum adult daily dose of acetaminophen, and require just one standard formula for the nonprescription liquid acetaminophen for young children. Right now, the infant drop formula is three times as strong as the children's liquid formula. This means that giving a child a child-sized dose of the infant formula could result in an overdose.

Another thing to consider is that there are currently about 600 different products on the market containing acetaminophen, including cough and cold medicines. Thus it's possible to give your child an overdose if you happen to give him or her two medications at once that both contain acetaminophen.

Using Acetaminophen Safely

Here are some of the FDA's recommendations regarding how to safely give acetaminophen to infants, children, and teenagers:

• Check the active ingredients in all the medicines that your child is taking or may take. Your child should never be taking more than one medicine containing acetaminophen at a time. You might see acetaminophen abbreviated as "APAP" on prescription medicines.
• Read all the information given by your child's doctor and follow directions.
• Read the information on the "Drug Facts" label on over-the-counter (OTC) medications or on the prescription label and follow directions.
• Choose the right formula and the right dose based on your child's weight and age. On OTC medicines, the "Directions" section of the "Drug Facts" label gives you this information. If it's not clear what is right for your child, ask your pharmacist or doctor what to do.
• Use the measuring tool that comes with the medicine. It will give the exact dose. If you don't have the right measuring tool, ask a pharmacist. Don't use a spoon that's meant for cooking or eating.
• Give your child the medicine only as directed. Don't give more. If the medicine isn't helping your child feel better, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

More Medication Tips

You can also prevent medication accidents by taking these two steps:

• Record all the medicines your child gets, including acetaminophen. Note the time you gave the medicine and the dose. That way, everyone who takes care of your child will know how much medicine he or she has had and be less likely to offer an extra dose.
• Store all medicines where kids can't reach them: in a cabinet, a locked box, or a closet.
  

The symptoms of liver damage -- yellow skin and eyes, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss -- may develop only after irreversible damage occurs. They can be similar to flu symptoms and may thus go unnoticed for several days. So, if you think your child may have had too much acetaminophen, call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.

Always consult your physician for more information.