Mind Over Medicine

As far as children are concerned, to medicate or not to medicate is the big question. When it comes to the health of their offspring, the worry for parents is sometimes overwhelming. With so many in-your-face ad campaigns promoting health insurance for children, parents who have signed up for such plans often think they should "maximise" the benefits by taking their child to hospital every time they so much as suspect an illness. Many doctors in this country are inclined to prescribe remedies for the mildest symptoms and if this happens often enough the excessive medication can have negative effects on a youngster's health.

While taking an incorrect dose or other improper use of over-the-counter medicine can be harmful for adults, it can be potentially fatal for very young children, warned Dr Terapong Boonyaleephun, a Bangkok-based paediatrician. He pointed out five common mistakes that parents make regarding the treatment of their kids' illnesses with drugs.

MEDICINE IS THE BEST ANSWER

Although first-time parents tend to get alarmed at the slightest sign of illness in their child, every single sneeze and cough doesn't have to be treated with drugs. Dr Terapong pointed out that some symptoms go away naturally without the need for medication.

One example he gave was using a cool, damp cloth to bring down a child's high temperature; he said this can sometimes be more effective than a pill.

"While medicine needs time to get absorbed and start its job, a cool washcloth works instantly. What's more, it can be used as frequently as you want, whereas fever-reducing medicine can only be re-administered at intervals no shorter than four hours."

Sometimes it is better to let nature run its course, he said, because medicine does not always cure an illness. Some illnesses need to be seen off by the body's immune system and taking medicine only serves to alleviate the symptoms.

Mild cases of sickness, like the common cold, can be treated with plenty of fluids, rest and lots of TLC, he said, while more severe conditions like dengue fever may need immediate attention.

"You shouldn't use medicine to fight every symptom. It doesn't solve the real problem. Some illnesses have many symptoms and if you are going to give your child one type of medicine for each symptom, the child's body certainly cannot take that amount of medication."

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Mind Over Medicine