Accurate Acetaminophen Dosage

Acetaminophen is one of the most common drugs administered to children. The drug is commonly given as a cure for fever and pain. Yet, for dads, it can be one of the most challenging drugs to give a dosage correctly. This is because Acetaminophen is easily available in many forms. It has become a staple resident of home medicine cabinets in one form or the other since the 1970’s. Due to its easy availability, Acetaminophen is considered to be the drug that causes most deaths by overdose. Overdoses occur because parents are unaware of Acetaminophen’s toxicity. Symptoms of acetaminophen intoxication include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and liver failure.


There are few things that every dad should remember before administering Acetaminophen to their children.

• Never give Acetaminophen to a baby under the age of 3 months without consulting with your doctor first.


• The amount of Acetaminophen given to a baby depends on his weight and not on his age.


• Read the medications label carefully as it is easy to be confused by the different forms and concentration of acetaminophen that is available at the medical store


• Remember to use the measuring device that came with the medication to ensure correct amount of dosage.


• Check whether you are giving an adult dosage or a child’s dosage before administering the drug. Even within the children’s version there are many variations depending on age group. For example, an infant drop formulation is three times as concentrated as the syrup given to toddlers.


• Overdose of acetaminophen can cause liver damage.

Age:	0 to 3 months	4 to 11 months	12 to 23 months	2 to 3 years
Weight:	6 to 11 lbs./ (2.7 to 5 kg)	12 to 17 lbs./ (5.5 to 7.7 kg)	18 to 23 lbs./ (8.2 - 10.5 kg)	24 to 35 lbs./ (10.9 to 15.9 kg)
Drops:	0.4 ml (1/2 dropper)	0.8 ml (1 dropper)	1.2 ml (1 1/2 dropper)	1.6 ml (2 droppers)
Syrup:	--	1/2 tsp.	3/4 tsp. (3.75 ml)	1 tsp. (5 ml)
Chewable Tablets 80mg tablets:	--	--	--	2 tablets

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Giving CPR to Toddlers

Choking can be fatal and a doctor is your first recourse in such a situation. Call 911 or your local emergency number before you do anything else. Obviously in a life-threatening emergency, you don’t want to be reading information off the web. That’s why every parent should get choking and CPR training at their local hospital. However, if you were to find yourself in this situation without a doctor or emergency facilities, here is how you can give CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to the choking toddler.

• Place the toddler on a flat surface, face upwards.


• Cover the toddler’s mouth with your mouth and blow in air two times. Each breath should take only one second.


• Support the head and neck with one hand and thrust the chest thirty times-be firm yet gentle as children's bones can snap easily.


• Continuously repeat the cycle of two breaths and thirty presses.


• The toddler should start breathing after four or five of such attempts.


• Whether or not the child starts breathing, get medical help as soon as possible. 

Here is how to give correct chest thrusts:

• Press two or three fingers of your free hand to push on the breastbone.


• Apply pressure to the chest thirty times at the speed of hundred thrusts per minute.


• The thrust should take the chest at least to half or one third of the depth of the toddlers chest.

CPR can be given by one or by two persons. In there are two persons giving CPR, one person will press the chest and the other person will blow air into the mouth. Both actions should not be done at the same time. When one person blows air the other person should stop thrusting the chest and vice versa.
 
Obviously, in a life-threatening emergency, you don’t want to be reading information off the web. That’s why every parent should get choking and CPR training at their local hospital.

Protecting your Child Against Poisoning

With toddlers in your home, poisoning is another potential danger you have to come to grips with. Their curiosity might induce them to ingest, or come in contact with, toxic substances that could be harmful to them.

You will be surprised to know that just about anything can be poisonous to your toddlers. Here is a simple checklist:

• Aspirin
  


• Lye
  


• Drain cleaning solvents
  


• Cosmetics
  


• Alcoholic beverages
  


• Moth balls
  


• Bleach
  


• Washing and cleaning liquids, soap bars, powders, etc.
  

To make your children aware of the dangers of ingesting unknown things, there are some simple thumb rules:

• Never call medicines or any bright-colored, small pellet, lozenge, etc. candy.


• Keep dangerous things out of your toddlers' reach; take into account the fact that they are adventurous explorers and terrific climbers.


• Make use of child-resistant locks, packages, etc. to stock the most dangerous things.
  

If any untoward incident were to happen, here are some signs that you need help:

• Your toddlers have difficulty breathing.


• They complain of severe throat pain or burning sensations


• You spot burns on their lips or mouth.


• Your children are experiencing convulsions, falling unconscious or are extremely sleepy.
  

In such a case, instant and immediate action could save your child. Always remember:

• Never try to induce vomiting. If a strong acidic substance has been ingested, throwing it up could further injure children by burning their throat and mouth


• In an emergency, call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at (800) 222-1222. You will be redirected to your local poison control center.

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Child Behavior Suggestions - Cleaning up their Mess

Are you tired of your kids acting like royalty around the house? Making a mess of their rooms as they throw away their clothes and food, expecting you to go picking after them?


Enough is enough - pull yourself out of the mess by teaching your toddlers to help. Its time for Operation Clean Up! As a parent, the following steps will certainly help with the clean up:

• STEP 1: Make an announcement. Let your toddlers know that it's time to clean up. Give them a specific place to put the toys - a plastic tub or a toy box will do fine. Place the container in the middle of the room.


• STEP 2: Using a loud voice, say "Look at this huge mess. Is there anyone who can help me?" as you are setting the container down. A toddler’s attention tends to pick up this tone. You can also make up and sing a cleanup song to get them into the swing. Remember to be happy and positive about the task.


• STEP 3: By means of demonstration, pick up some toys on the floor and place them in the container. All the while you can continue with the singing and coaxing.


• STEP 4: Now is the time to ask your children to (please) pick up a specific toy. Thank them when they start placing toys in your hand or in the container.


• STEP 5: Always keep a back-up plan, as a consequence for not helping. Give them a timeout or better still, you can threaten to take away one of their treasured items till they start cleaning up.


• STEP 6: Warn the toddlers only once and then follow through with the consequence they don’t help.


• STEP 7: Continue cleaning up the toys until all of the toys are picked up.

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