Have you, seriously, given Benadryl or cough syrup to “relax” your child?

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How many times have you in jest suggested or said give that child some cough medicine for a long flight or to get him to sleep? Well it isn’t a joke some parents have.

If the kids become too much to handle, slip 'em a little cold medicine. It's an often-repeated joke.
One mom, Jill Smokler, said she doesn't vilify parents who medicate their kids: "It's not the end of the world."
Smokler gave her daughter, who was 1 1/2 years old, some Benadryl, expecting her to sleep through a two-hour flight. Her plan backfired– it had an energizing effect on her daughter. The toddler ran through the aisles, talked as loudly as she could, and jumped up and down on her chair. "It was worst-case scenario," said Smokler, of Baltimore, Maryland. "This is what I get for trying to dope up my kid."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/22/drugged.children.parenting/index.html?iref=allsearch

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@Linkat,

In Canada, we are no longer able to give cough medice to children under 6 years of age as they have determined that it may not be safe. They have taken the baby stuff off the shelves in the drug stores.

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@Linkat,

I know that some kids have died from being given too much Benadryl.

There was a recent case of a day care doping up the kids so that they'd take longer naps, and one of the kids died.

But to answer your question, no I've never given Benadryl or cough syrup just to sedate my children.

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@DrewDad,

I just found that really odd - I mean I've joked about it, but seriously a parent thought it was a good idea?

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@Linkat,

Look at the number of parents who dope their kids up on Ritalin.

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@DrewDad,

You're right. No difference at all. Except a doctor's perscription.

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A parenting book that I read in the 1980's recommended occasionally treating a hyperactive child with over-the-counter cold medicine containing mild stimulants. This was in a bestselling book written by a pediatrician. At the time I remember thinking it would be a risky thing to do. Apparently, there is parenting literature out there that tell parents to try this.

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@eoe,

eoe wrote:

You're right. No difference at all. Except a doctor's perscription.

You don't think that Ritalin is over-prescribed?

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@Linkat,

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@DrewDad,

DrewDad wrote:

eoe wrote:

You're right. No difference at all. Except a doctor's perscription.

You don't think that Ritalin is over-prescribed?

I absolutely do. We are in accord. The only difference between the two treatments is a prescription but that damn sure doesn't make it better.

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I never gave SonofEva Benadryl to make him sleep, but I admit I've taken it myself for that reason. The fact that it helps my allergies was a second thought.

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No, I've never even had it in the house. In our house we used Buckley's and Contact C (which never seemed to do a thing for me) and that's about it. Maybe Vick's vaporub, from time to time.

I think Ritalin, Prozac, etc are way over-prescribed, too. When I worked in medicine, I became friendly with a drug rep and boy, what we don't know (but many of suspect) about the safety and testing of drugs! I'd much rather try a homeopathic way anyway.

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From the article provided by Linkat:

Quote:

If the kids become too much to handle, slip 'em a little cold medicine. It's an often-repeated joke.

It's more than just a joke passed on by parents to each other. I believe there have been parenting books written by pediatricians that give out such advice. Maybe these are books from decades ago.

Here is an actual study reported in a 1950 Pediatrics journal:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/5/1/24

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@wandeljw,

Scary stuff. I wonder if my parents did that - maybe that is why I am so odd.

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@Linkat,

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/13500/Whiskey-baby--13900.jpg

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

Scary stuff. I wonder if my parents did that - maybe that is why I am so odd.

Naw... that's not why you're odd.

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We never gave that kind of stuff to the kids. They received medication only when ill.

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@Mame,

OK - then why - maybe I am just naturally odd.

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Have you, seriously, given Benadryl or cough syrup to “relax” your child?

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