Your child has been treated in hospital and they may be in pain when you get home. Below is some advice on what pain relief you can give them at home.
Pain relief at home
Two different pain medicines are commonly given to children at home. They are called paracetamol and ibuprofen. They can help to relieve pain or discomfort in your child – for example from a tummy ache, bruised leg.
- Brands can be confusing, for example ‘Calpol’ or ‘Brufen’, this can make it difficult to know exactly what you are buying.
- It is important to ensure you are not giving different medicines containing the same medication at the same time. Packets state clearly what they contain.
- Ask your pharmacist, your doctor or nurse if you are not sure.
- Do not give children aspirin containing medicines to treat pain.
- Do not share a child’s hospital prescription with another child in the family
Doses of pain relief in children
The amount (or dose) of medicine that you can give to your child depends on their age. It will tell you on the packet how much you can give them.
If you child has a longterm illness that makes them very under weight for their age, or is on other regular medications, talk with your GP or paediatrician about safe doses for your child.
Paracetamol
- Brands include Calpol, Panadol and Parapaed
- Can be given every 4 to 6 hours (maximum 4 times in 24 hours)
Ibuprofen
- Brands include Nurofen, Calprofen and Brufen
- Can be given every 8 hours (maximum 3 times in 24 hours)
You can give paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time or different times as long as you don’t go over the maximum dose your child is allowed to have in 24 hours. It can be helpful to keep a diary of the times and medicine names you have given. Share the diary with all carers.
Pain relief can be given regularly if the pain is bad, otherwise just give a dose when needed.
How can I tell if my child is in pain?
The faces pain scale can be used for children aged four years or older to talk about pain. It works by your child picking a face that best describes his or her pain. It is important that your child understands that you want to know about their pain, not how upset they are.
Older children may prefer to pick a number in the scale.
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