Do children's liquid medicines need to be refrigerated to keep them fresh? Do you know these common misunderstandings about children's medications?

Children's medication has always been a concern for parents

Topics of great concern

However

Due to lack of professional knowledge

Many parents give their children medication

There are many misunderstandings

These incorrect medications

May affect drug efficacy

Even for children’s health

Potential harm

This PhD will combine

Related research and professional advice

Discuss with you

Is liquid medicine for children

Need to put it in the refrigerator to “keep fresh”?

Common misunderstandings about medication for children

Let’s go see it together

01

Children's liquid medicine should not be refrigerated

In daily life, some parents believe that putting children's liquid medicine in the refrigerator can extend the shelf life of the medicine , just like preserving food. However, this practice is not scientific .

Commonly used liquid medicines for children mainly include syrups and suspensions . The solubility of these medicines will decrease in low temperature environments, and sugar or solid medicine precipitation is easy to occur. This will lead to uneven distribution of drug concentration, and insufficient or excessive dosage may occur when taking the medicine, thereby affecting the efficacy of the medicine or increasing the risk of adverse reactions . Therefore, unless there are special instructions in the drug instructions, it is not recommended to refrigerate children's liquid medicines.

02

Common misunderstandings about medication for children

Reduce the dose of adult medicine for children

Children's body organ functions are not yet fully developed , and their tolerance and response to drugs are significantly different from those of adults. Therefore, adult drugs cannot be simply reduced in dosage for children.

Take medicine with milk or juice

In order to make it easier for their children to take medicine, some parents choose to use milk or juice instead of warm water to take the medicine. However, this practice is not advisable. The protein and fat in milk will form a film on the surface of the medicine, hindering the release of the active ingredients of the medicine. At the same time, trace elements such as calcium and iron in milk may react with the medicine and affect its absorption. The acidic substances in the juice may react chemically with the medicine, reducing the efficacy of the medicine, or even aggravating the irritation of the medicine to the stomach, causing gastric mucosal bleeding. Therefore, children should use warm water to take medicine. If they need to be fed juice or milk, the interval between taking the medicine and the medicine should be more than two hours .

Superstitious belief that "drugs purchased overseas" have little side effects

In recent years, some foreign children's medicines have been popular among parents in China, but this blind practice has many risks. The instructions for overseas medicines are usually marked in the local language, and parents may find it difficult to understand the specific information and usage of the medicines , and lack professional guidance. In addition, medicines have strict requirements on environmental conditions during transportation and storage, and overseas medicines may have quality problems due to insufficient transportation conditions.

In fact, both domestic and imported medicines may have side effects . Parents should not be superstitious about the propaganda that "overseas medicines" have few side effects or that natural medicines have no side effects.

03

How to ensure the safety of children’s medication?

In order to avoid the above-mentioned medication misunderstandings and ensure the safety of children's medication, parents should follow the following principles:

Follow doctor's advice

Give your child medication strictly according to the doctor's advice and dosage, and do not adjust the dosage or change the medication on your own.

Read the instructions carefully

Carefully read the [Usage and Dosage], [Precautions] and other contents in the drug instructions to understand the correct use of the drug.

Store medicines properly

Most medicines should be stored according to the requirements of the drug instructions. They should be placed in a cool, dry, dark place to avoid high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight.

Medication safety for children

It is an important issue for every family

Parents should establish scientific concepts of medication

Strengthen the learning of children's medication knowledge

Avoid taking medication incorrectly

Causing unnecessary harm to children

Guidance through professional knowledge

Safeguard your child's health

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Source: Science Popularization China, Guangxi CDC.

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