The Stiftung Warentest examined non-prescription medicine for its suitability for children.
Ibuprofen, Paracetamol and Nasivin were tested.
Stiftung Warentest * examined non-prescription medicine for suitability for children
Without a prescription does not mean harmless
After testing: some drugs could be dangerous for children
Kassel - When their own child first falls ill and does not improve more quickly, many parents like to take medication.
A lot of
medicine
is
even
available in
pharmacies
without a prescription.
But prescription-free does not mean harmless:
Stiftung Warentest
has tested drugs for children and reveals what to look out for.
Stiftung Warentest: Prescription-free medicine for children can have serious consequences
Many medicines for
children
that are available in pharmacies without a prescription are not at the same time safe.
Often there is no
test
at all to
check whether the remedies are suitable not only for adults but also for children.
Anyone who takes
medicine
carelessly and thus incorrectly can expect serious consequences.
+
Which medication is right for my child?
Stiftung Warentest has examined over-the-counter medicine for suitability for children.
© dpa / Markus Scholz
For example, the well-known pain reliever
paracetamol is
one of the most common causes of drug
poisoning
in
Germany,
according to Stiftung Warentest
.
The recommended dose, which in children mainly depends on the stage of development, should therefore be strictly adhered to.
If you can't make up your mind on the package insert or are unsure, you should ask at the pharmacy, according to
Stiftung Warentest
.
Stiftung Warentest: Medicine for children is often not approved
Doctors often rely on empirical values in order to avoid both over and underdosing when prescribing.
Many drugs have been developed for adults, but have
not been tested or approved
for
children
.
A
test
is hardly lucrative - the effort involved kept pharmaceutical companies from doing such
medical studies
for a long time
.
For outpatient treatment, this affects more than half of all drugs, and for inpatient care in
hospitals
even up to 90 percent.
What helps with head lice, earache or sore throat?
We are presenting the largest comparative drug study ever made for children in Germany.
Our independent team of experts has rated 1,000 products for children.
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- Stiftung Warentest (@warentest) April 7, 2020
Stiftung Warentest: Stay away from anti-inflammatory drugs and antihistamines
Paracetamol
is a popular and suitable remedy for pain and
fever
, but if the doses are too high, it could lead to life-threatening liver poisoning, according to the
test
.
In addition, children under the age of twelve should
not take
the
anti-inflammatory drug ASA
.
According to
Stiftung Warentest, the
risk of Reye's syndrome, which is characterized by severe liver and
brain damage
, is particularly high during viral infections such as chickenpox
.
So-called
antihistamines
, such as diphenhydramine and dimenhydrinate, often relieve nausea and vomiting, but can also trigger seizures in children under three years of age.
In
children
, therefore, always a doctor should decide about taking the medicine.
Stiftung Warentest tests medicine for children: Ibuprofen and Paracetamol
According to
Stiftung Warentest
, juices are best for treating
fever
and pain, as children take them more easily than tablets and are also easy to dose.
The success of suppositories, however, is not always guaranteed because the active ingredient is absorbed into the blood differently.
This
medicine
did the
best
in the
test
:
Surname | Ibuflam children's juice 20mg / ml from Winthrop | Paracetamol juice 1A Pharma |
Active ingredient | Ibuprofen | Paracetamol |
From when? | Five kilos of body weight | Seven kilos of body weight |
price | 3.26 € (100 ml) | 3.12 € (100 ml) |
Stiftung Warentest tests medicine for children: Nasivin nasal spray and Olynth salin
Cold
medicine
cannot cure a cold, but it can at least relieve symptoms.
It is used to moisten the nasal mucosa or to allow it to swell, although the agents should only be used for a short time.
After the extensive
test
, Stiftung Warentest came up with the following recommendation for children:
Surname | Olynth salin nasal spray | Nasivin nasal spray |
Active ingredient | Isotonic saline solution | Oxymetazoline |
From when? | For babies and toddlers | From 1 year |
price | 5.59 € (15 ml) | 6.47 € (10 ml) |
Stiftung Warentest tests medicine for children: cough suppressants are only recommended to a limited extent
Both herbal and synthetic
medicines
are available for coughing, but these can only be recommended to a limited extent, according to the opinion of the
test
.
This is due to the fact that their effectiveness must first be better proven.
At this point, we therefore recommend that
children
under two years of age are only given a cough suppressant in consultation with a doctor, and of course drugs with
alcohol
should be avoided.
Stiftung Warentest tests medicine for children: Bepanthen and Kamillin
Smaller abrasions or
injuries
can be cared for at home.
Ointments, sprays or solutions with
chamomile
, zinc oxide or dexpanthenol can support the healing process.
This was the result of the
test
.
You should always make sure
to supply
the wounds with
medicine
free of germs
and only dab or moisten them.
The
Stiftung Warentest
recommends the following products for children:
Surname | Bepanthen wound and healing ointment | Kamillin Extern Robugen Solution Bath |
Active ingredient | Dexpanthenol | chamomile |
From when? | From infancy | From infancy |
price | € 5.97 (20 g) | € 12.85 (6 x 40 ml) |
Stiftung Warentest tests medicine for children: be careful with drugs against nausea
Medicines
for nausea and vomiting should never be given to children without medical advice, as they also work in the brain.
Incorrect dosage can cause dangerous side effects and even respiratory failure.
Therefore, despite the test, we cannot give a reliable recommendation here either.
From Nail Akkoyun
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* hna.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
