Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

DizzyIzzy1 — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:57:28 GMT

Aren't all overdoses in children unintentional? I'd hope so anyway...

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

LoriSmi — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:06:49 GMT

I have raised 8 of my own kids, have 11 grandkids, have watched numerous children over the last 39 years, and I have NEVER over-dosed a kid on ANY medication! Most medications, including OTC tell you how much to give a child based on weight. How hard is it to calculate this? One does not need to be a Rhodes scholar to give a child a safe amount of medicine. I just do not know why most parents can't figure this out.

I always gave my kids aspirin if they needed it. The only time it isn't safe to give a child aspirin is if child has chicken pox (or been exposed to them) or the flu. And when I was a kid we got aspirin for chicken pox! I rarely give children medications of any kind, but there are extenuating circumstances when an aspirin is necessary. I have always used medications with caution for myself and my kids. The ignorance of most people never fails to amaze me.

I use herbs with the same caution. Simples can often be used freely (such as dandelion or chamomile), but some herbs are much stronger and need to be used with caution. No one should be using anything they are unfamiliar with or that they haven't done some research on. Many herbs also cannot be used long-term, such as echinacea.

We do a lot of home remedies. Kids get an ear infection? I treat the initial pain with aspirin, put olive oil mixed with essential oils in ear, and heat onions (poultice) to draw out infection. Works like a charm! The last kid to have an ear infection was 9 years ago! And yes, the onions pulled out the infection over night. Knowledge is empowerment. The old ways often work best.

Start talking to the older people around you, go on-line (home remedies) and look in magazines like Reminisce (many home remedies are listed but only for amusement, though many are good!). You can also find some in books at library.

We used pumpkin seeds for pinworms, chamomile for a baby who got pinworms, and tea bags for pink eye. There are so many things one can do to treat simple ailments.

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

Veslemor — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:42:37 GMT

Anyone know a good website that'll tell me the safety of various natural methods for treating children and infants? Or even for treating me while I'm still breast feeding? I've had a really hard time finding good reliable info, and I can't exactly afford to go to the naturopath for every little thing.

Example: My midwife had me on evening primrose oil at the end of my pregnancy, and an unexpected result was the clearest skin of my life. So I kept taking in until I was looking at a chart in the health food store that said that nursing women shouldn't take it because it can bring on temporal lobe seisures in the baby. ! In trying to research this myself, I've read mostly all great things about primrose oil. What happened to the seisures?

Many treatments say to consult a practitioner before using if breast feeding. Who can afford this? The last time I went in to ask the naturopath a question, it cost me $125.

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

New to Natural — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:16:19 GMT

Why don't people have a healthy respect for medications? They may have their place, but it sure isn't "everyday casual use."

Society itself aside, I think one real issue is the media: the news often reports a child dying from an illness - but how many of the deaths can TRULY be related to the illness itself as opposed to the over-the-counter meds?

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

Magnolia — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 01:20:58 GMT

At the end of the article it was posted that the Journal of Pediatrics with that specific issue was the article's source. I went to the webpage of the Journal of Pediatrics, March 2008 issue and there was nothing on the subject of this article. I wonder, what then, is the true source of this article, by Joene Hendry for Reuters Health? I am quite puzzled.

re: Unintentional Overdoses are Common in Children

mmc88121 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:33:25 GMT

I noticed how they attempted to put complementary and alternative therapies on the same level as OTC and prescription medication, but the article did not show that any adverse reactions were from alternative therapies.

Mary