Changes and improvements for Infant’s and Children’s Tylenol Products

The makers of Infant’s and Children’s Tylenol products are making some changes and I applaud this.  They’ve made a conscious change to streamline their products so there are 2 formulas- one for infants and one for children.  I get why there were so many different formulas before- or rather, I can see why there were (I’m not saying I agree with them) but quite frankly, a parent who’s had sleepless nights due to a sick child could very easily misread a label and grab the wrong product- an innocent mistake that could ultimately harm their child.  I think going to the single concentration for both the infant and children formulas is a smart move and I’m giving a thumbs up to Tylenol for doing so.   Infants’ TYLENOL® will be available with a new bottle that has a protective opening and a new push‐in‐syringe, and Children’s TYLENOL® products will continue to include specially designed dosing devices appropriate to the age of the child.

Enhanced Bottle

Infants’ TYLENOL® will include SIMPLEMEASURE®, a new, enhanced bottle with a protective opening and push-in syringe designed to:

• Provide even more accurate dosing and easier administration to infants
• Allow for better control when dispensing with fewer spills
• Further reduce the risk of children getting to the medicine in the bottle

The new, enhanced bottle with protective opening will be coming to Children’s TYLENOL® products soon.

Dosage Change

Look for new dosing directions on Infants’ TYLENOL®.

• To help minimize medication errors, Infants’ TYLENOL® will now have the same concentration of the active ingredient, acetaminophen, as Children’s TYLENOL®, which will standardize dosing across the products and age groups.
  • When Infants’ TYLENOL® returns to store shelves as early as this upcoming cold and flu season, the products will continue to include specially designed dosing devices appropriate to the age of the child.

As announced by the OTC trade organization, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, other manufacturers also intend to transition to the same single concentration (160 mg / 5 mL) for all single-ingredient OTC pediatric liquid acetaminophen products. This transition of other manufacturers’ infants’ products to the children’s concentration may begin as early as this summer and is anticipated to continue into 2012.

• There may be a time period when more than one concentration of infants’ acetaminophen products will be available in stores, and parents and caregivers might have both in their medicine cabinets. Caregivers should always read and follow the dosing directions on the package they are using.
• Parents and caregivers should contact their child’s healthcare provider if they have questions about dosing instructions.

For more information, please visit www.chpa-info.org

Look for these changes to pediatric TYLENOL® products as early as this upcoming cold and flu season. 

 I’m sure you guys all know I prefer to go with natural or homeopathic remedies first when my children are in discomfort- but honestly, there will likely always be a need for acetaminophin, and I think having an industry wide single concentration wouldn’t impact sales of the products- I think it would just help parents to feel more secure and take a lot of guesswork- and RISK- out of the equation when it comes to helping our children feel more comfortable.  I think our infants and children will hopefully be less at risk for mis-dosing of acetaminophin with the new packaging and industry-wide concentration standards than they are currently, and that is very, very important.  I don’t know a parent who hasn’t been greatly concerned by the recalls of medications (for children and adults alike) in the last several years and I think that there should be industry wide standards for medications on all levels.  Too many different dosages and packages are confusing and overwhelming and dangerous!!

Helpful Tips for Giving Medicines to Infants and Children

Simply remember to NURSE

Never give adult medicines to children.

Use the measuring device (syringe, dropper, dosage cup) that comes with the medicine every time you use it. Don’t use kitchen spoons (teaspoons ortablespoons).

Read and follow instructions on the label. Never give more than the recommended dose and do  not give the medication more frequently than recommended.

Store all medicines out of the reach of children. Immediately following use, always restore the child resistant cap and put the medicine back into a high and out of sight location.

Every child grows. Know the infant’s or child’s weight and/or age to help determine the appropriatedosage.

Check out more at the official Tylenol products update page

 “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Tylenol and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
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