About Pain Relief in Infants

It can be very difficult for parents to watch their baby suffer from pain, whether it's caused by a fever, cold or simply teething discomfort. The most common over-the-counter pain medications for babies, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, are safe when you follow age and dosing instructions carefully, but you also have some medicine-free options for easing your baby's discomfort.

Ibuprofen

• Ibuprofen helps reduce fever, relieve aches and pains, and decrease the swelling and redness of inflammation. Ibuprofen can irritate the stomach, so it's not the best choice if your child is not eating or keeping food down. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend ibuprofen for children under six months because its strength may mask a baby's discomfort and symptoms.

Acetaminophen

• Acetaminophen, found in Tylenol as well as many other children's medicines, reduces fever and relieves aches and pains but does not reduce inflammation like ibuprofen. It is also milder and doesn't last as long as ibuprofen and won't irritate the stomach. It doesn't carry the same age restrictions as ibuprofen but you should still call the doctor before administering acetaminophen or any other medicine to a child under three months.

Safe Dosing

• To administer pain relief medicine to your baby safely, it's crucial to speak with a doctor and understand dosing instructions clearly. Medication packages contain dosage instructions that you should read thoroughly, but always double check with your doctor to make sure that both the medicine type and the amount are appropriate for your infant. It's all too easy for a small child to suffer an overdose of pain relief medicine due to simple dosage confusion.

Natural Alternatives

• If you can't or don't want to give your infant medicine there are plenty of drug-free pain relief methods you can try. You can comfort your baby by simply holding, rocking, singing to or nursing her. For teething pain, try rubbing her gums or giving her a cold teething toy or washcloth to suck on. A humidifier or vaporizer in her room can relieve some of the nasal congestion associated with a cold.

Warnings

• The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against giving over-the-counter cough or cold medicines to children under six because they have not been proven to work and young children are at risk for dangerous overdoses. You should never give your baby or child products containing aspirin, due to its possible link with Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disorder.