Contents:
- Medical Video: 7 Parenting Tips to Deal With a Naughty Child
- Is it safe to use balm for children?
- Danger of using balm for children
- 1. Reye's syndrome
- 2. Poisoning
- 3. Irritation
- How to relieve muscle aches and pains in children
Medical Video: 7 Parenting Tips to Deal With a Naughty Child
When a child complains of body aches and muscle aches, you may immediately think of applying balm to the body part of a sick child. Eits, wait a minute. Does the use of balm for children really safe and effective? Before applying balm to your baby's skin, you should first consider various considerations from the following experts.
Is it safe to use balm for children?
According to an internal medicine specialist from Boston Children's Hospital in the United States (US), Dr. Anthony L. Komaroff, balm is not safe for children. Furthermore, Dr. Anthony Komaroff explained that the use of balm was intended to relieve mild muscle pain in adults, not children.
Clinical pharmacist from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the US, Thomas Kearney also reminded that the use of balm for children is not recommended. According to him, balm can even harm children.
If you buy a balm, usually on the packaging label or product brochure, it is also stated that the balm should not be given to children under 12 years of age. Especially if your child is under 2 years old. So, don't use balm if your child has muscle aches or pains.
Danger of using balm for children
Be careful, you should not underestimate the side effects of using balm for children. In one case that had not previously been recorded, a 17-year-old teenager in the US died of an overdose of muscle pain reliever balm. Although it is the first time this has happened, experts are calling on parents to make the case a warning that balm is not a safe and free side effect for all ages.
Here are the various dangers of using balm for children.
1. Reye's syndrome
As explained by Dr. Anthony Komaroff, balm is made from an active ingredient called methyl salicylate. This ingredient contains aspirin, a pain reliever that is not safe for children. Because, aspirin is known to trigger Reye's syndrome. This syndrome arises due to brain damage and liver function of children after exposure to high doses of aspirin. In some cases, Reye's syndrome can be life threatening.
2. Poisoning
Whether intentionally or not, children can have methyl salicylate poisoning. For example, if the child licks the balm on his skin, swallows the balm (due to trial and error), or applies most balm.
According to Thomas Kearney, applying balm to 40 percent of a child's body can cause severe poisoning. Here are some characteristics of balm poisoning in children.
- Breathless
- Fussy
- Dizzy
- Headache
- Seizures
- Fever
- Nausea
- Gag
- Ears ringing
- Hyperthermia (body temperature rises)
3. Irritation
Children can also experience irritation after using balm. Irritations usually occur on the skin with red, itchy, swollen, or painful skin symptoms. However, children can also experience eye irritation. For example, if a child rubs his eyes with a hand that has hit the balm.
How to relieve muscle aches and pains in children
Instead of using balm to relieve muscle aches and pains, you should choose some of the following safer methods.
- Cold compresses in areas of muscle aches or pains.
- Let the child rest.
- Take paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen). Consult with a doctor before giving paracetamol for children.
- Lightly massage the sore or painful part.
- Stretch muscles.
- Check with your doctor if muscle aches and pains don't go away after doing the various treatments above.
