Before choosing an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine for your child, make sure you understand which are appropriate for his or her symptoms. It is important to match a child’s symptoms to the medicine to avoid giving your child “active ingredients” your child does not need.
Below you will find some examples of common symptoms and some of the active ingredients that treat them. Also included in the list are some helpful tips to keep in mind when using certain products. The list is not comprehensive and should not replace the instructions on medicine labels or of a healthcare professional, and is provided for informational purposes only.
Use the links below to see information about safe and effective OTC dosing in children regarding the following topics:
General Tips
- Only give the medicine that treats your child’s specific symptoms.
- Always read and follow medicine labels carefully: Read the name of the active ingredient(s), read and follow the information in the “Uses”, “Warnings”, and “Directions” sections.
- Never give two medicines that contain the same active ingredients. (See "Multi-Symptom Products" below.)
- Always use the correct measuring device.
- Do not give a medicine only intended for adults to a child.
- Never use an OTC medicine to sedate or make a child sleepy.
- Never give aspirin-containing products to children and adolescents for cold or flu symptoms unless told to do so by a doctor.
- Never use longer than the label instructs or at higher doses, unless your doctor specifically tells you to do so.
- If your child develops any side effects or reactions that concern you, stop giving the OTC medicine and contact a doctor immediately.
- Keep all medicines out of your child’s reach and sight.
- Consult a doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional if you have any questions.
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Allergies
Allergy medicines are known as antihistamines.
Oral active ingredients include brompheniramine, cetirizine, chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, doxylamine, and loratadine.
Special Tips:
- Never give oral active ingredients to children under 2 years of age.
- Never use an OTC medicine to sedate or make a child sleepy.
- Consult your doctor before using in children between the ages of 2 and 6.
- Children generally can be more sensitive to antihistamines than others, and may become tired, very excited, or nervous.
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Common Cold/Flu
Special Tips:
- Understand that each of the OTC active ingredients treats a specific common cold symptom, such as fever, runny nose, or cough.
- Only use the medicine that treats your child’s specific symptoms, such as fever, runny nose, or cough.
- Many cold and flu products treat a range of symptoms and contain more than one active ingredient. Be especially mindful of active ingredients when giving multi-symptom or combination products to be sure you do not take more than one medicine with the same active ingredient.
- Never give oral cough and/or cold medicines to children under 2 years of age.
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Congestion, Runny Nose and Sinus Pressure
OTCs used for congestion are called nasal decongestants
Oral nasal decongestants include phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine.
Topical nasal decongestants include phenylephrine, oxymetazoline, and xylometazoline.
Special Tips:
- Never give oral nasal decongestants to children under 2 years of age.
- Do not use topical nasal decongestants (nasal sprays or gels) for more than 3 days, because frequent or prolonged use may cause nasal congestion to recur or worsen.
- If your child has heart disease or high blood pressure, you should never administer these medicines unless told to do so by a doctor.
- You should talk to a doctor before using an oral nasal decongestant if your child is taking a prescription drug for treating depression, or psychiatric or emotional conditions. Taking an oral nasal decongestant can lead to a dangerous drug interaction if your child is taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any prescription drug for one of these conditions.
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Cough
There are different types of coughs and different types of cough medicines. These can be called antitussives, cough suppressants, or expectorants.
Oral active ingredients include dextromethorphan, diphenydramine, and guaifenesin.
Topical active ingredients include menthol and camphor.
Special Tips:
- Cough medicines may contain additional active ingredients to treat more than just cough; be sure to read the label carefully.
- Never give oral active ingredients to children under 2 years of age.
- Your child should drink plenty of fluids – unless a doctor tells you not to – while taking products containing the active ingredient guaifenesin.
- Be aware of the possibility for abuse if you have a teenager in the house. Dextromethorphan, the active ingredient found in cough medicines, sometimes is abused by young people. More information is available at www.StopMedicineAbuse.org.
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Fever
These medicines are called fever reducers or antipyretics.
Active ingredients include: acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen. (Acetylsalicylic acid is another name for aspirin.)
Special Tips:
- Never give aspirin-containing products to children and adolescents for cold or flu symptoms unless told to do so by a doctor.
- Never use longer than the label instructs or at higher doses, unless your doctor specifically tells you to do so.
- If you are giving a child more than one medicine, check to make sure you are not "double dosing" or administering two medicines with any of the same active ingredients.
- Stop use and call your doctor if your child shows any side effects or reactions that concern you.
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Headaches and Minor Aches and Pains
These medicines are sometimes broadly called pain relievers but fall into two categories: internal analgesics and external analgesics. Internal analgesics are taken orally for headaches and minor aches and pains. External analgesics are applied topically, and include creams, ointments, and rubs for itching, muscle or joint pain, minor skin irritations, or minor skin rashes.
Internal analgesic active ingredients include: acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (also known as NSAIDs) refer to aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen.
External analgesic active ingredients include: bensocaine, dibucaine, lidocaine, pramoxine, tetracaine, benzyl alcohol, camphor, menthol, phenol, resorcinol, diphenhydramine, hydrocortisone, methyl salicylate, capsaicin, capsicum, and bentoquatum.
Special Tips for Internal Analgesics:
- Never give aspirin-containing products to children and adolescents for cold or flu symptoms unless told to do so by a doctor.
- Never use longer than the label instructs or at higher doses, unless your doctor specifically tells you to do so.
- If you are giving a child more than one medicine, check to make sure you are not “double dosing” or administering two medicines with any of the same active ingredients.
- Stop use and call your doctor if your child shows with any side effects or reactions that concern you.
Special Tips for External Analgesics:
- Because the ingredients in this category treat a wide range of conditions, there is no substitute for reading the label carefully. Choose and use the right product for a specific condition. Never guess, and do not mix and match various products on your own.
- These medicines are for external use only, and you should avoid contact with the eyes.
- If the condition worsens, or if symptoms last for more than 7 days, ask a doctor.
- While some of these ingredients are used to relieve pain or itching from minor scrapes or cuts, some should not be applied to wounds or damaged skin, so read the label closely and choose the right product for your condition.
- Be sure to pay special attention and follow any warnings against using many of these medicines over large areas of the body. This includes warnings against bandaging the affected areas.
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Multi-Symptom Products
Multi-symptom products are medicines which contain two or more different active ingredients to treat two or more symptoms experienced simultaneously.
EXAMPLE: If your child has a common cold with fever and a stuffy nose as the predominant symptoms, you can choose a medicine which contains both a fever-reducing and a nasal-decongestant active ingredient.
Special Tips:
- Only use multi-symptom products that treat your child’s specific and simultaneously occurring symptoms.
- Read and follow the label with particular attention because it contains information in the “Uses”, “Warnings”, and “Directions” sections applying to all of the product’s active ingredients.
- Never give your child a multi-symptom product in addition to another medicine which contains one or more active ingredients that are the same as the ones of the multi-symptom product.
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Teething Pain
Active ingredients for teething pain are called local anesthetics.
Oral active ingredients include benzocaine
Special Tips:
- Fever and nasal decongestion are not symptoms of teething and may mean your baby has an infection.
- Do not use if your baby has a history of allergy to benzocaine or local prescription anesthetics such as procaine, butacaine, or other anesthetics that end in "caine."
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Upset Stomach
Depending on the specific ingredient, these medicines also can be referred to by different names, including acid reducers (also called H2s), antacids, or proton pump inhibitors (or PPIs).
Acid reducers or blockers include: famotidine, cimetidine, nizatidine, ranitidine, and omeprazole.
Antacids include: sodium or potassium bicarbonate; aluminum phosphate or hydroxide; magnesium carbonate, trisilicate, hydroxide, or oxide; and calcium carbonate.
Special Tips:
- Do not give acid reducers to children under 12 years of age unless under a doctor’s advice.
- Do not give antacids containing aluminum phosphate or hydroxide to children under 12 years of age unless under a doctor’s advice.
- Check the “Warnings” section carefully for symptoms to watch for, as some can be signs of a problem more serious than heartburn.
- Make lifestyle changes since certain foods or medicines and overeating can make heartburn worse.
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