Child Pain Relief. Paracetamol vs. Ibuprofen

Child Pain Relief.

Paracetamol vs. Ibuprofen.

 

As a parent you will agree children get ailments very often, especially during the winter months. However, it can be confusing to know what you can give your child and what works best. Under 2 months there isn't much they can have, then at 2 months they can have paracetamol, and at 3 months can have Ibuprofen; but only ones designed for paediatrics. Most parents are unsure which works best and which is longer pain relief as no one likes to see their child in pain.

As a parent I use both paracetamol and ibuprofen for Jack, depending on what is causing the pain and how he seems to be coping with the pain. As Jack is only young I haven’t had much experience with using forms of pain relief, however I know I will in the future. I’ve recently been using Ibuprofen for Jack as he has been suffering with his teeth and the Paracetamol hasn’t been hitting his pain to well. Luckily I researched information on both Paracetamol and Ibuprofen and also sought advice from my father who is a trained ambulance technician.

My main reason for this post is to explain the differences in Ibuprofen and Paracetamol and share with you an educational video from Nurofen for Children which is fronted by Dr Hilary Jones explaining common misconceptions.

Some people believe that paracetamol is most effective at reducing a fever for children. However this is incorrect, both paracetamol and ibuprofen are equally effective. Another misconception regarding paracetamol and ibuprofen is that ibuprofen is harsh for infants. This is again incorrect, Ibuprofen is gentle enough to use when your child weighs over 5kg (roughly 3 months). Ibuprofen is clinically proven to last for upto 8 hours, which is 2 hours longer than paracetamol. Another benefit of Ibuprofen is it has anti-inflammatory properties; working to relieve inflammation caused by teething and earache.

Below I have embedded the video in which Dr Hilary Jones explains the common misconceptions for you all to see.

Please remember if in doubt always seek medical advice.
This post was written for Nurofen for Children however all wording is my own.