As a parent, no sight is more heartbreaking than seeing your little bundle of joy in pain. You want to do everything within your power to make it go away. Like many parents, one of your tools against minor ailments is probably Tylenol - that over-the-counter lifesaver commonly used in households across the world.
However, as with most things regarding infants and children, dosage can be tricky. To make matters even more confusing - Infants' Tylenol and Children's Tylenol seem like they are the same medication based on their branding! What exactly sets them apart? Is it wrong to assume that infant and children's medication are interchangeable?
We're diving deep into this dilemma by examining every aspect of these drugs so you can confidently decide what works best for your child.
The Basics
Before we begin unraveling this mystery let’s start from scratch by looking at what each medicine offers concerning its ingredients:
Infant Tylenol
- Acetaminophen 160 mg/5mL
- Glycerin
- Purified water
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Sorbitol solution
Children’s Tylenol
Liquid:
- Acetaminophen 160 mg per 5 mL
Chewable tablets:
- Acetaminophen 80mg/tablet or 160mg/tablet depending on the package.
Both iterations contain:
-Inactive Ingredients: Carboxymethylcellulose sodium, citric acid monohydrate, natural & artificial flavors, povidone, purified water, saccharin sodiumsimethicone emulsion, sodium benzoate, sorbitan monooleate
Understanding The Two Products
At first glance, one may think these two products only vary from packaging design; after all, they both have the same active ingredient- acetaminophen. As a disclaimer - Acetaminophen is safe when taken in the right dosage.
When looking beyond appearance though there are key differences between infant and children’s Tylenol.
Dosage
The primary difference between Children's Tylenol (2 years old and up) and Infant or Baby Tylenol lies within recommended dosages. The portion sizes change for each product based on age groups; thus, affecting concentration levels.
As per guidelines from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), only babies below 24 months can take Infant Tylenol:
-The manufacturer recommends "If your baby weighs less than 6 pounds, please check with your healthcare professional before using."
According to Kid's Health, Use of over-the-counter medicines containing acetaminophen can be used safely if you follow instructions carefully:. With that said...This is advice we should all abide by!
Another noteworthy remark from Kid’s health would be never giving an infant under three months anything other than breastmilk or formula unless instructed otherwise by their doctor.
Should We Be Concerned?
Now that we have identified what separates these products let us address two significant concerns about consuming any medication:
1) Dosage 2) Overdose
No wise person will ever endorse taking medicine lightly especially without consulting proper medical professionals beforehand. Infants specifically require more attention towards how much they consume so it is imperative not to deviate from outlined weight catered measures provided on bottles sold at stores..
Parents who administer too much medication pose risks such as potential liver damage occurrs which could lead to severe liver issues like failure ,or worse..death! It doesn't help the situation that infants can not voice out adverse reactions to parents hence why consultations surrounding administering doses happen often so informed decisions arise . What this means on a practical level would be abstaining even after rounding off measurements.
The Final Verdict
After assessing both Infant and Children's Tylenol, it is safe to conclude that they are not the same medication catering to different age groups. As such even the slightest variance in dosage can have incredibly disastrous results!
In conclusion - Do your research as a parent or Guardian because information surrounding your child’s consumption of medicine should never be thrown casually into the air.
Whether using infant tylenol for a newborn or children's tylenol you must always adhere strictly within boundaries when handling medication with infants or toddlers alike!