During the May Day holiday, many families have arrangements for travel and travel, and it is currently the transition between spring and summer. Especially for families traveling with children, various "emergencies" will inevitably occur along the way.
What are the necessary medicines to prepare in the small medicine box for traveling? What precautions should be taken? What preparations should be made on the way? In response to the questions that parents are concerned about, Liu Maochang, head of the Department of Pharmacy of Wuhan Children's Hospital, answered them one by one.
The number of online consultations on children's medication during the holidays has increased
On the eve of May Day this year, Ms. Huang and her husband discussed taking the family on a trip to relax. Two days ago, while preparing luggage and household items, the family was arguing over a few boxes of essential medicines.
It turned out that 7-year-old Lele (pseudonym) had motion sickness and seasickness since he was a child, especially during long-distance travel, he kept shouting uncomfortable on the way, and even vomited violently and cried.
Thinking that this trip would have to take a car and a boat, Ms. Huang was very worried that Lele's body would not be able to bear it. In order to make him feel as little as possible, Ms. Huang suggested that she prepare a box of motion sickness medicine, so that Lele could take one before the car or boat, so that the family could save snacks. But when the old man heard about it, he strongly objected, thinking that "the baby's age is young, and taking medicine will have an impact on the body."
That night, Ms. Huang consulted with a pharmacist from the Department of Pharmacy of Wuhan Children's Hospital through an online consultation. Depending on Lele's age, the pharmacist recommends 25 to 50 mg each time, with a minimum interval of 6 hours between doses, and a total of no more than 150 mg a day. After listening to the pharmacist's advice, the family was relieved.
"On the eve of the May Day holiday, there has been a significant increase in medication inquiries about children's travel. Liu Maochang, head of the Department of Pharmacy of Wuhan Children's Hospital, said that many parents are worried that if their children are sick and inconvenient to go to the hospital, they will not only affect the travel experience, but also may delay the condition. In this regard, he prescribed a "medication list" and precautions for parents.
Necessary for travel, please keep this "medication list".
Liu Maochang explained that dimenhydrinate is a commonly used over-the-counter motion sickness/seasickness drug, and according to the American pediatric drug dosage manual and combined with the domestic drug instructions, the drug has different recommended dosages for different ages of children. For example, children aged 2 to 5 years should take 12.5 to 25 mg each time, with a minimum interval of 6 hours between the two doses, and the total amount should not exceed 75 mg a day, children aged 6 to 12 years should take 25 to 50 mg each time, with a minimum interval of 6 hours between the two doses, and the total amount should not exceed 150 mg a day, and adults over 12 years old should take 50 mg each time, with a minimum interval of 4 hours between the two doses, and the total amount should not exceed 200 mg a day.
The child's gastrointestinal system is relatively delicate, and the journey is tiring and unadaptable, so it is inevitable that diarrhea will occur. "Diarrhoea can cause children to lose a large amount of water and electrolytes in a short period of time, and it is recommended to have a small amount of oral rehydration salts III. to correct and prevent mild dehydration, while moderate to severe dehydration requires prompt medical attention and consideration of intravenous fluids. Liu Maochang reminded.
In addition, zinc supplementation can reduce the severity and duration of diarrhoea, which is also recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Liu Maochang reminded that children under the age of 6 months should be supplemented with 10 mg of zinc per day, and children over 6 months old should be supplemented with 20 mg of zinc per day for a course of 10 to 14 days, zinc sulfate, zinc acetate, and zinc gluconate. In addition, for acute watery diarrhea, the use of specific probiotic adjuvant therapy can be considered, and Saccharomyces boulardii, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, etc., are recommended.
When traveling and the weather is changeable, children often have symptoms of cold and fever, Liu Maochang suggested that parents should also prepare antipyretics, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen drops/suspensions. If the child is over 3 months old, the rectal temperature is ≥ 39 °C (oral temperature is 38.5 °C, axillary temperature is 38.2 °C), or the child is uncomfortable and mentally poor due to fever, it is recommended to take acetaminophen orally at a dose of 10 to 15 mg/kg/time, with a minimum interval of 4 hours between two doses, and no more than 4 times of feeding within 24 hours (no more than 5 times according to foreign standards).
If the child is over 6 months old, the rectal temperature ≥ 39 °C (oral temperature 38.5 °C, axillary temperature 38.2 °C), ibuprofen or acetaminophen is recommended, the dose of ibuprofen is 5 to 10 mg/kg/time, the shortest interval between two doses is 6 hours, and the number of feeding times within 24 hours can not exceed 4 times.
"It should be noted that babies under the age of 3 months have fever, it is recommended to seek medical attention in time for evaluation, and it is not recommended that parents feed antipyretics by themselves. Liu Maochang reminded that under normal circumstances, it is not recommended to alternate the use of two antipyretics, and if the high fever does not go away, it is recommended to do it under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist.
On the way, various skin problems such as bruises, bruises, allergies and other skin problems are very common, band-aids, alcohol cotton pads, sterile gauze, cotton swabs, iodophor, antibiotic ointment (such as mupirocin ointment) can be prepared; zinc oxide ointment has an astringent and moisturizing effect on the skin, and can be used for external use in baby diaper rash; calamine lotion is suitable for acute itching of the skin of children of any age. If you have a baby suffering from eczema at home, in addition to doing a good job of daily moisturizing and moisturizing, you can also prepare some hormone ointments (such as hydrocortisone butyrate cream, mometasone furoate ointment). Liu Maochang reminded that thermometers and children's medicine feeders also need to be carried with them.
In addition, in order to cope with the child's constipation on the way, you can bring Kaiserol and lactulose, the former is mainly glycerin, which is a stimulating laxative. Liu Maochang reminded that babies under 1 year old with constipation can use Kaiserol for a short time to help empty, but it should not be used frequently to avoid becoming dependent. Lactulose is a safer osmotic drug for the treatment of constipation, and the dosage is selected according to the age of the child to avoid diarrhea caused by overdose, and the dose is gradually reduced and discontinued after the effect is effective.
Parents should also pay more attention to these details
Cotton clothes of the appropriate thickness. Liu Maochang reminded that the current temperature difference between morning and evening is large, parents should not be in a hurry to reduce the baby's clothes suddenly, you can bring a light cotton windbreaker or a cloak, which is convenient to increase or decrease at any time according to the hot and cold conditions;
Being outdoors increases your child's physical exertion and makes them feel dry, so it's important to hydrate in time. It's also helpful to bring your child's favorite fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, apples, citrus, grapefruit, cucumbers, etc. If you are going out with a small baby, milk powder, rice noodles, etc. are also essential.
In addition, there are skin care products that have a moisturizing effect. The skin is the baby's first barrier to nature, but because the baby's sebum layer is thin, the skin is easy to lose moisture and has poor resistance to the outside world. In addition, the air is dry and pollen is abundant at the turn of spring and summer, and the skin is easy to dry out and even allergies when blowing. To help your child build up their strong defenses, apply a moisturizer so that the skin is fully and continuously nourished and protected.
Source: Jimu News