ibuprofen for little babies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reason that the AAP recommends avoiding ibuprofen for infants under 6 months is because it's long-lasting compared to acetaminophen, and could mask a dangerous fever or illness in a young infant for a very long time. There is, however, a greater risk of overdose with acetaminophen. The school of thought on ibuprofen varies even among pediatricians. My ped never recommended it for this age, whereas my brother's ped did (for my 4 month old niece). So I don't think your GP is completely out of line recommending it for teething pain for an almost 6 month old, although I'd personally probably stick to the AAP's recommendation on this one (even though there are some AAP positions we've ignored). However, we probably would not have used Tylenol for suspected teething pain either. With this age group, it's so hard to really know why they are fussy, not sleeping, etc., and this is in fact the age when all of our good sleep came completely unhinged. I think we're very quick to diagnose/attribute to teething, typical baby behavior, and medicate it accordingly. We try our best to save medicines for when they're really truly needed (I.e. a fever that is causing a lot of discomfort). It's the approach we take ourselves and seems like a wise approach for our children, too. The Tylenol/asthma correlation came out after our DS was born, which made us glad we didn't reach for the Tylenol at every rough night. FWIW, we have also noticed that Advil has worked better than Tylenol for pain and fever when we've weighed the pros and cons and decided that medication was a good idea.

I totally agree. I think many parents medicate way too quickly, be it for perceived teething pain, reflux, or more serious matters like ADHD.

[Anonymous]

I ONLY give my Tylenol. He hasn't died yet.

[Anonymous]

Teethinghelp.ca

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:6 months. I'd follow the pediatrician's recommendation, not the GP. And IMO, ibuprofen does work much better for teething and fevers than Tylenol, and it lasts longer.

Also, ibuprofen isn't linked to asthma, like acetaminophen. But don't use it before 6 months.

Exactly. Tylenol for over 6 mos is way more troubling, given that it increases risk for asthma!!!

There is a study that correlates it with asthma, not that it causes it.

So? That's how it usually goes. Causation is hard to prove. Why would I use acetaminophen if there is a more effective alternative that's not correlated with asthma? It's also something to keep in mind when dispensing medication to your baby. Don't give meds immediately for every little thing, like a little fussiness after vaccinations.

Because the alternatives also have risks. It is good to use evidence not over-blown hype that gets picked up by The View.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:6 months. I'd follow the pediatrician's recommendation, not the GP. And IMO, ibuprofen does work much better for teething and fevers than Tylenol, and it lasts longer.

Also, ibuprofen isn't linked to asthma, like acetaminophen. But don't use it before 6 months.

Exactly. Tylenol for over 6 mos is way more troubling, given that it increases risk for asthma!!!

There is a study that correlates it with asthma, not that it causes it.

So? That's how it usually goes. Causation is hard to prove. Why would I use acetaminophen if there is a more effective alternative that's not correlated with asthma? It's also something to keep in mind when dispensing medication to your baby. Don't give meds immediately for every little thing, like a little fussiness after vaccinations.

Because the alternatives also have risks. It is good to use evidence not over-blown hype that gets picked up by The View.

Obviously. But show me comparable studies regarding comparable risks of ibuprofen. For now, I don't think this is a matter of overblown tabloid hype, and
it is not just one study. Here is an article from the NY Times on the mounting evidence:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/health/evidence-mounts-linking-acetaminophen-and-asthma.html?_r=1&

[Anonymous]

Listen to or read this and see if you ever give your baby tylenol again.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/505/use-only-as-directed

This isn't quackery. This is a lot of exhaustive research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen to or read this and see if you ever give your baby tylenol again.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/505/use-only-as-directed

This isn't quackery. This is a lot of exhaustive research.

I read the Propublica article. As I am the only one to give my baby meds, respect dosing amounts, don't medicate quickly, and don't use multiple kind a of meds, I feel comfortable using acetaminophen until ibuprofen is age-appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Ibuprofen allowed at 6-7 months. Was told to use infant ibuprofen when ds had slight allergic reaction around that age.