Children's Tylenol Vs. Children's Motrin: How to Choose Which to Use

As parents we have many decisions to make regarding our children. Which diapers or formula to use, when to give them table food, but which medicine to give them many be one of the most important decisions we make. Time has changed our decision on this subject. Parent's use to choose between Tylenol and baby aspirin, but it was discovered that giving children aspirin could increase the chances of Rye Syndrome, a deadly disease.

With the elimination of aspirin, the decision of which medicine was clearly Tylenol. It wasn't until October 1995 that Motrin introduced the first children's OTC form of Ibuprofen. In 1989 there were 11 million prescriptions written for children's Motrin as a fever reducer. The McNeil Consumer Products Company markets Children's Motrin and Children's Tylenol. The have been in the business of children fever reducers for more than four decades. Tylenol is still the number one seller in children fever reducer's. Let's review the benefit each medicine can provide.

Children's Tylenol is the number one trusted fever reducer among doctors and parents. Tylenol's active ingredient is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the most gentle on the lining of the stomach since it does not block the substance that carries pain messages to the brain. This substance also protects the lining of the stomach. NSAID do block this substance and therefore can cause more stomach irritation. Tylenol can reduce fever for about 4 hours. Dosing can be repeated every 4 hours up to 5 times in a 24-hour period. This only gives you 20 hours of fever reducing in a 24-hour period.

Tylenol is also recommended to relieve pain from minor aches and pain due to the common cold, flu, headaches, toothaches, sore throat and immunizations. My pediatrician personally recommends giving a dose of Tylenol before each immunization to help reduce pain and the occasion on set of fever due to the shots. I have also used Tylenol to reduce pain from teething, as well.