LilSugar

Is It Okay to Drug Kids for Airplane Rides?

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:40:17 -0800

Holiday travel entails a lot of lugging when you've got kids and suitcases. Add long lines and late flights to the list, and the last thing you need is your child having a mid-air meltdown. To prevent this, some parents give their lil darling a dose of medication like Benadryl or Dimetapp. What's your opinion?

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Interview With Chandra Wilson: Star Talks Child Safety

LilSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:00:13 -0700

We know and love her as the no nonsense Dr. Miranda Bailey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, but in real life Chandra Wilson is a working mother of three -Serena, 15, Joy, 10, and Michael, 3, - just trying to get it right. The acclaimed actress signed on as the spokesperson for OTCsafety.org's campaign to educate herself and fellow parents on the safe use of over-the-counter cough and cold medications. We recently had the opportunity to chat with the celebmama via phone. To see what she had to say about keeping cold syrup away from her young son and how she balances work and motherhood, read more.

Q. The recommendation is to keep medications out of reach and sight of children. Does that mean mothers should not open the container in front of their children when pouring the dose?
Chandra Wilson: I know I certainly have done that. My son will be in his room and I'll bring the medicine in and then take it away. Now he's a smart kid so I'm sure he knows where it is, but it's not worth the effort to try and go for it. The sight recommendation is really about storing things away from their level. We want to think out of sight, out of mind. Don't store medicine in the place where they get their toothbrush in the morning.

Q. Is there any recommendation against pouring medicine into your kid's beverage? Many moms disguise their children's meds in orange juice or milk.:
Chandra Wilson: My instinct is to say that since it's not recommended that way on the label, then that's not what we should do.
OTCsafety.com: Parents need to make sure the child gets the exact dose recommended on the label or intended. And, there are some interactions that medicines have with certain foods.

Q. Spring break and Summer vacation are coming up and lots of mothers openly admit to giving their children Benadryl on airplanes. Are their fatalities or statistics associated with this practice or is misuse the general area of concern?
OTCsafety.org: What we call serious from being injured or rushed to the hospital to a fatality and though it is extremely rare, they do occur. In the most upfront research, those circumstances are generally because of misuse or kids getting a hold of medicine when their parent isn't around. Parents should not be using medicines to sedate their children. Make sure you also get that message to your babysitter and daycare center.
Chandra Wilson: Here's my non medical contribution to that. Even if your next door neighbor says it works for them, that is their child and they may react different than your child does. The recommendation to read the labels and treat symptoms rather than behavior makes absolute sense. We have to be careful where we get our advice from. Kids who haven't had adverse reactions from misuse of medication have lucked out.

Q. How do you balance work and motherhood?:
Chandra Wilson: Unfortunately, there's no magic to it. It's just the same dilemma that all working mothers and all where you assemble a support team so things are taken care of as far as who is getting to school and picked up. Fortunately, if one of the kids is on Spring break then they are able to come to work with me and that's not always the case. I put a plan in place at the beginning of the day and then make room for the human factor and at the end of the day I say, "Woohoo, I made it!" Some days it's going to work perfectly and other days we have to make some adjustments and it's the thing that we all do and we can't give up. We just get up and do it over again the next day.

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Bee Prepared for Bee Stings

LilSugar — Sun, 25 May 2008 05:00:42 -0700

The warm weather months mean picnics, pool parties, barbecues and unfortunately for some, more exposure to bees. I'll never forget being at the beach with my aunt and baby cousin years ago when a bee flew in his mouth and stung him. So as Summer approaches, prep yourself on what to do if a yellow jacket stings you or your youngster.

According to WebMD, most bee stings only require self-care. They offer the following advice*:

Avoid further stings by wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, and avoiding infested areas.
Remove any stingers remaining in the skin (most likely from bees) immediately. Some experts recommend scraping out the stinger with a credit card. However, it is probably more important to get the stinger out as quickly as possible than to be overly concerned about how it is removed.
Application of ice to the sting site may provide some mild relief. Ice may be applied for 20 minutes once every hour as needed. Cloth should be placed between the ice and skin to avoid freezing the skin.
Consider taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) for itching.
Consider taking ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief as needed.
Wash the sting site with soap and water. Place an antibiotic ointment on the sting site.
If it has been more than 10 years since your last tetanus booster immunization, get a booster within the next few days.
Most insect stings require no additional medical care. More serious reactions may need immediate medical care.
If you have been stung by a bee or wasp and have previously had a serious allergic reaction, seek medical attention. Consider taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) as soon as possible. If any allergic symptoms develop, consider using the epinephrine part of an emergency allergy kit (EpiPen) if previously prescribed by a doctor.

*Consult your pediatrician before giving your child medication.
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