Is children's aspirin safe for a 19 month old baby with a high fever?

Question

My son has a fever and his whole body is hot, but he's shivering like he's really cold. I can't get ahold of a doctor to ask them about children's aspirin. We are hours from a store that's open (in the mountains on vacation). The only thing we have in that. He's about 34lbs. A while back I thought my doctor said never give babies under a certain age aspirin, but I'm not sure what age he said.

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

NO. In some circumstances giving a child who has a virus can lead to a potentially fatal illness called Reye's Syndrome.While it usually affects kids older than your child until you are sure of what is causing the fever I wouldn't do it. Sponge him down with cool water, not alcohol, and call a doctor ASAP.

Answer 2

I would NOT give him aspirin because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome which can be very serious. Give him as much fluid as he is willing to take and put him in a bath with water that is cool (or perhaps not so cool if he is already shivering). Try to keep his body cool but if he is feeling too cool then do what you need to do to make him comfortable. He may get alternately hot or cold which is normal with a fever.

Answer 3

DO NOT give aspirin...very dangerous and has been known to be linked to Reye's Syndrome http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reyes-s... .  Put your child in a lukecool bath and drip water on him with a washcloth.  Keep him there as long as he can tolerate it...Then dress him lightly in a diaper and loose t-shirt, and give him lots of water as to not dehydrate.  The shivering is normal (along with cold hands and feet), it's his body's way of trying to cool himself down...How is his behavior?  Is he lethargic?  If he is, you should call a hospital...Also, since you are hours from a store, are there any residents near by that you can knock on their door and explain the situation?...They may have children's Tylenol or Motrin.

...I wonder if he may have an ear infection...if you're able, try to put little pieces of cotton in both his ears...because if is an infection, the cold mountain air can feel like a sharp knife stabbing the eardrum.

I really feel for you and your little guy...I wish I could be of more help.  But, do try to get a hold of the nearest hospital, the E.R. staff will be able to give more medical advice.

Answer 4

Do not EVER give your baby/child aspirin.  I have never given my children aspirin (oldest is 19, youngest is 5).  There is a risk of Reyes sydrome, which is deadly when taking aspirin, especially if you don't know what is causing the fever.  Go get children's tylenol or ibuprofen(advil/motrin) for your child's fevers.  Aspirin is just way to risky.

In addition, to help bring down the child's fever, you can place him in the sink or tub and pour tepid water from head to toe over him.  He's not going to like this though.  The Dr. did this to my daughter at her office when her fever would not subside quickly enough.

Answer 5

No asprin as it can cause Reye's syndrom. Use something without asprin in it at all. I'd go by the weight categories, actually. There should be a graph on the bottle, or you might find one for that particular medicine online.

Here's a suggestion from my mom (EMT and long-time emergency room worker) Don't wrap him up and make him warmer...the fever will only get worse. I know he's shaking and has the chills, but fevers go down a lot easier when he's not covered and has a cool washcloth on his forehead. Mom has seen a *lot* of kids made worse because people insisted on keeping them wrapped in blankets in the middle of the summer.

And of course, if it keeps getting worse try the ER. ERs may be kinda sucky, but you don't have a bill right away or anything and they usually get little kids in before everyone else.

Hope he feels better soon!

Answer 6

You aren't supposed to give aspirin to children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.  

My child's dr says not to give aspirin to anyone under the age of 18.

Answer 7

NO! Never give a CHILD aspirin until they are at least 12 years old because of Reye Syndrome. With him being that liltle childrens motrin and tylenol are recommended. These go on the weight, not the age. Give him motrin every 8 hours and tylenol every 4 but you can give each to him about 30 mins early so that way it will continue to work and not wear off.

Answer 8

It's not age, it's weight. Check the chart on the back. If he's in one of the weight categories go for it.  If not, don't.

Answer 9

no. only tylenol or ibuprofen the liquid kinds that you can measure with a tube.

Answer 10

It is absolutely not safe for him, DO NOT give it to him.

Also, a fever in itself is not dangerous.  The fever is good, because it is his body's way of fighting an infection.  The infection is what needs to be treated, and aspirin is not going to help that.

Fever is only dangerous if it is extremely high (over 101 I think it is) for an extended period of time.  Just keep him hydrated and comfortable.

Answer 11

How long has he had a fever (and how high of a fever?)? Many parents jump to conclusions the instant they see a spike in temps, but the reality is that a fever is usually the body's natural way of fighting something off. Getting rid of the fever could compromise your child's immune system. I generally don't give my son aspirin unless he's had a fever for more then 3 days, or if it's high enough to be dangerous (102 is what I consider the cut off point).

19 months old is old enough to safely take a small amount of baby Tylenol if you feel it's necessary. Do you have a nearby hospital with a 24 hour nurse hot line? If so, try calling and asking for advice. Ultimately each parent has to make what they feel is the best decision for their child. Good luck and I hope it all works out.

Answer 12

you should not give a child aspirin until they are 18 years old.

Answer 13

You can't give a child under 12 years old aspiring because of Reye's syndrome.

They don't even make aspirin for kids anymore, are you sure what you have is aspirin?

FEVER

http://askdrsears.com/html/8/t082100.asp

FEVER

http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&a...

http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&a...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reyes-s...

Prevention

Don't give aspirin to anyone age 18 or younger, especially to treat a viral illness. This includes aspirin and medications that contain aspirin.

Always check the label before you give your child medication, including over-the-counter products and alternative or herbal remedies. Aspirin can show up in some unexpected places, such as Alka-Seltzer and Pepto-Bismol. Keep in mind that sometimes aspirin goes by other names, too, such as:

    * Acetylsalicylic acid

    * Acetylsalicylate

    * Salicylic acid

    * Salicylate

If your child has the flu, chickenpox or another viral illness, use other medications — such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) — to reduce fever or relieve pain.

There's one caveat to the aspirin rule, however. Children and teenagers who have certain chronic diseases, such as Kawasaki disease and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, may need long-term treatment with drugs that contain aspirin. If your child needs aspirin therapy, make sure his or her vaccines are current — including two doses of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine and a yearly flu vaccine. Avoiding these two viral illnesses can help prevent Reye's syndrome.

Answer 14

Everyone is right - no aspirin, even though that is all you have. Too risky. (I am a Mom to a 23 mth old, so I know about that too.)

The shivering is just "chills", just like you get when you have a fever. Even though he feels cold though, to get his fever down you must actually cool his body down. He will probably cry, but it is unfortunately the best thing for him.

Hopefully by now you have wiped him down with a cool cloth or bath. If it was my daughter, I would either immediately send my husband out for that long drive to get some Baby Motrin, or I would pack up and head home, NOW. If your son is sick enough to have a fever, he is too sick for you to risk keeping him in such an isolated part of the mountains, too far from a doctor if he gets worse, in my own opinion. I would at least get him to the nearest town to see a doctor right away, if going home is too far. (Personally, I could not enjoy any vacation time while my baby is sick and miserable anyways!) This is what I would do in your place, were it my own sweetie.

However, I sure hope his fever has come down by now, and you are feeling a little reassured from everyone's advice. (I believe a fever of 100 or more is where you should be quite worried. My own daughter is normally at about 96, but "normal" varies from child to child.) GOod luck!

Answer 15

Asprin should not be used for children under the age of 12. Cool him with a washcloth, or room temperature bath.

Answer 16

under this circumstance, I would give him some children's asprin and have who ever is with you to drive to the store. I know that it hours away but what's best for your son is children's tylenol or motrin. I hope your son gets better soon:(

Answer 17

I agree with the doctor. You need to get the poor baby home, or at least drive the few hours to get the right kind of medicine.

Answer 18

Read the label.

It should say the ages of when you can give your child aspirin and it should also say what ages you shouldn't.

Answer 19

Childrens motrin and/or Childrens tylenol are the two things approved to bring down the fever.

Answer 20

Like others have said, do NOT give him aspirin. There is no safe age for children to have aspirin. They don't even sell that baby aspirin that we used to take anymore, except for adults who take it for heart/stoke issues.  

It would be great if you had some Tylenol as it would make him more comfortable, but he will likely be okay if you just give him some water and stick him in a cool (not cold) bath. Also, keep a washcloth on him and dress him in just a diaper when he gets out.

Get that Tylenol ASAP, but for now, you can just keep an eye on him.