A doctor has issued a warning to parents reaching for the medicine cabinet when their children are sick.
Dr Shireen opened up about a common issue she sees with parents trying to alleviate their child’s fever. It is common for mums and dads to be confused about the best course of action when nursing their children back to health.
The medical professional was quick to outline a few common misconceptions about several popular medicines, and shared some warnings about their dosage. Taking to TikTok, Dr Shireen said: “The first is Calpol. So this is essentially paracetamol – the brand name is Calpol. It is four to six hourly, but no more than four doses in 24 hours.
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“So, if you want to really spread it out, it’s every six hours. But, if you think your child can probably sleep through the night, you can do it every four hours.”
She added: “The amount of mls you should give is on the packet. I always tell my patients do not give Ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time.
“Why? Because when the Calpol starts to wear off and that fever starts to come back, if you’ve given Ibuprofen at the same time as the Calpol, the Calpol would have already brought the fever down. You’ve lost your other option, which is Ibuprofen.”
When it comes to Ibuprofen, she advised a typical dosage of three times daily, but noted that age can affect the recommended dosage. To manage fever, Doctor Shireen suggested administering Calpol followed by Ibuprofen a few hours later, and then maintaining a consistent schedule.
She also clarified that having a fever is not always detrimental. In cases where a child has a fever, but otherwise appears fine, the fever could be beneficial in eliminating the virus.
The GP emphasized that she only treats fever if it visibly affects the child – causing discomfort, irritability or excessive heat. To avoid confusion when both parents are medicating, she recommends keeping a record of when each dose is given.
The video has garnered over 4,000 views and hundreds of comments sice it was shared. One viewer said: “Treat the symptoms, not the fever.”
Another shared: “So many people don’t understand that fever is actually a good thing.” A third also added: “I super appreciate this but, more often than not with my little girl, Calpol doesn’t touch the sides alone.