Benadryl for Baby

Updated on November 20, 2010
L.O. asks from Hannibal, MO
11 answers

the doctor told me to give my baby 1/2 teaspoon of Benadry but didn't say how many times a days. she is having drainage in the back of her throat and gagging on it which is keepinig her from sleeping at nap and bedtime

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

I would not follow that docs instructions. I would talk to a Pharmacist. However, they are going to tell you that Benadryl is not made for children below a certain age.

Children have died from taking meds that are for older children, they only took a reduced amount but they died because it was not formulated for younger kiddos. Find an alternative. There are many things you can do that will alleviate the symptoms with out the drastic side effects of Benadryl.

I gave my little guy some Claritin one time, only half a dose and it dried him out so bad his nose bled. I shudder to think what would have happened if I gave him a full dose.

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G.S.

answers from New York on

I would call a 24 hour pharmacy - they would be able to tell you how often to give it to her. Good luck!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Call the service. Someone will answer this question from the office. This is not something to guess at! Good luck! Give nothing until you get an answer from your doc.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.I.

answers from San Francisco on

How old is your baby?

The Dr. Sears website has a great resource for benadryl.

Give the doctors office a call and ask them for sure. Do they have an answering service or a nurse that you can ask since they are probably closed.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t088800.asp

1 mom found this helpful

S.B.

answers from Topeka on

call the pharmacy. please don't give her anymore until you find out.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

You've probably found this out by now...but I would only do it 1X/day. You didn't mention how old your baby is, but probably that's it. 1/2 t is actually a pretty big dose (not too big) so if you want to do it 2x/day you might want to split it up, but I'd consult your doc or a pharmacist first. Good luck...stuffy babies are no fun!

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R.J.

answers from St. Louis on

In addition to the benadryl, you may also want to prop up the baby's bed on one side, or let the baby sleep in his/her car seat so that the baby is more upright, which may help with sleeping too. I've had to do that at times with all three of my kiddos. Good luck

A.F.

answers from Chicago on

Not sure how old your baby is, but I learned a tip from the pediatric nurses at our hospital when baby is congested or ears are hurting. Lift up one end of the mattress a bit by putting a pillow (standard pillow) under the mattress then roll a beach towel up length wise until it shapes into a U and put that on the downside of the sloping crib mattress -- so the U is toward the lower point. Put baby down for naps and bedtime with baby's butt at the bottom of the U and legs draped over the bottom of the U. It keeps baby more upright without them rolling around and there isn't anything nutso in there to be a suffocation hazard. If the beach towel is too long, roll the ends in first before rolling into a snake.

About the Benadryl, call the doc, but usually when they give you a dosage like that they still stick with the timing on the bottle or "as necessary" plan (meaning less often than is on the bottle -- spaced further out).

M.R.

answers from Rochester on

Definitely check with the answering service. I think my doctor had me use the frequency listed on the bottle but the small dose on the chance I ever had to use it. In the meantime, elevate the head of the crib a few inches to help with the drainage and run a humidifier.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

call you answering service. My guess is to follow the directions on the box for frequency. If its only at nap and bedtime I would give it 30 minutes before nap (if she only takes one) and 30 minutes before bed if it is far enough after the other dose. I would not give any in between if she is not having problems while awake.

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H.H.

answers from Kansas City on

wow 1/2 tsp is quite a bit. I remember giving my kids 1/4 tsp and it conked them out and they slept a lot on benadryl. I don't remember how many times a day but think the bottle tells that much. It just doesn't have dosage for babies.

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