If you've got a baby growing teeth, or you just want to prepare for cold and flu season, you may notice something different in the infant medicine aisle. Instead of Tylenol's concentrated infant drops, a new formula is coming to a drug store near you. In fact, it's possible you haven't even seen any infant Tylenol or Motrin products on the shelves of your local stores in quite some time. There's a reason for that, and there's a reason these new formulas should replace your old ones.
So take a peek in your medicine cabinet, and see what you've got in the way of baby acetaminophen. Ready?
If your bottle of infant Tylenol has the word "concentrated" on it, it's the old school version. It's been pulled due to some parents giving too large of a dosage to babies. Instead, the new versions are not concentrated and will come with a syringe, versus a dropper, for administration.
Still, with this precautionary change, always speak to your pediatrician before giving a baby medication. Even Tylenol, even when you're feeling desperate. There are no recommendations on packages of medication for children under the age of 2 for a reason. You must work closely with your baby's doctor to get the right dosage for those fevers and teething pains. Which are coming, if they haven't already, to a baby near you.
Also, these guys are no longer available, and you should probably toss them:
Be safe this cold and flu season, and make sure you're treating your baby's pain, fever, or crankiness in the safest possible manner.
Are you using the new acetaminophen?
Images (top to bottom): nerissa's ring/Flickr, Tylenol
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Comments 10
I'm sure I will at some point.
Not yet but there is NO need to toss the old ones if you have them. There is nothing wrong with them, you just have to make sure your using the correct dose. When you call your pedi for dosing info, make sure you tell them which one you have.
Oh and they did it because it is more cost effective to make one version vs two.
Could someone please specify what this part of the article means "it doesnt come with a dropper it comes with a syringe" I understand the droppers are the ones that screw onto the cap and have the squeeze bubble on top to pull the meds liquid in. Does "syringe" mean the droppers with the plunger style device to pull the liquid in and dispense or a true syringe with a needle to give to your baby?
Sure, always ask your pediatrician, but always, ALWAYS also ask your pharmacist. Your pharmacist is your specialist in medicines.
I know exactly what Lauren means- it isn't a build up of dirt or anything. Some of the dye-free infant meds are WHITE, and guess what color the numbers on the dropper are written in? Yep- white. I always wondered what moron had the great idea to make the medicine the same color as the lettering on the dropper!!! Lauren, I feel your pain.
hutchfam, the kind of device they are talking about is a syringe- a plunger-style device to be used orally (by mouth)- obviously no parent is going to be using a needle to administer OTC drugs at home. A syringe is a much more accurate way to measure medication than a dropper. A syringe is a syringe, needle or no needle attached.
I do wish people could be trusted to read directions to administer medicine, as the concentrated stuff is easier to give to a baby, since less is required. Oh, well.
Thank you momtolittleg:
This is what I was assuming but my daughter is too old for the concentrated stuff anymore and we are trying for #2 and just trying not to be totally in the dark by the time it gets here! :)