Would you give your child cough syrup to get them to sleep on a plane?

[Ozzieshunni]

Apparently, it's common practice for some

https://www.salon.com/2012/03/21/the_benadryl_solution/

 

[Neko]

Benadryl is an anti-histimine not cough syrup, so that makes it fine right?


No I wouldn't. It's also possible for Benadryl to have an opposite effect and make the child go bonkers.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Yeah, I remember a mom giving her kids dimatap (sp) a cough medicine, to get them to sleep so she could go tan. I went to school with her kids, lol.

 

[LittleBoo]

No, for longhaul flights we use vodka.

 

[Celesse]

No. When we took DD on a plane I just offered her the breast. Got her to sleep with no side effects!!

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I was actually trying to get an honest response, lol! It's ok. I'll move this to news and debates.

 

[Belle25]

No, I wouldn't. I would just give her a boob. Does the job!
xx

 

[Kristin52]

I just spike bottles with alcohol. Seems to do the trick.

 

[Neko]

I was actually trying to get an honest response, lol! It's ok. I'll move this to news and debates.

Honestly, plenty of people do it and it probably won't hurt to do it once or twice. I would ask a doctor first.

I'm not kidding about benadryl possibly having the opposite effect. It makes me wired instead of tired, I had a really bad experience with NyQuil once.

 

[Mommy2B08]

No. Oh my! I never knew people actually do that.

 

[LittleBoo]

Seriously speaking, when my sister was 2 (she's 28/29 now, looong time ago) my Mum flew with her to Lebanon. This was back in the day smoking was allowed on planes, or I assume so as there's a lovely picture of my mum puffing away. Anyway, my Mum ordered a vodka and orange, poured the whole minature vodka in the cup then got distracted, and ended up going to the bathroom. She came back to find an empty glass and a very happy toddler. Toddlers can speak all languages, and spent the remainded of the flight happily gabbing with a Japanese couple behind her.

Similar happened with my cousin Louise, my Uncle Adonis always has a very, very strong rum and coke (think 4/5s rum, splash of coke) of an evening and had set it down to let everyone in, she legged it over, downed it and spend 20 minute springing from one couch to another, til she went head first into the coffee table and split her head open. Que family rushing in to A&E with drunk child, who later became very aggressive (I hear she still does after a few) and tried to corner a nurse with a wheelchair.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

LittleBoo, I couldn't help laugh at the image of your cousin cornering the nurse

 

[sequeena]

No, I don't give Thomas medicine unless he needed it. I'm giving him lactulose now because he's constpiated and bleeds when he poo's

 

[twinkle1975]

I have a doctor friend who always gives her children anti-histamines when she takes them on flights. I know I don;t know what it's like to try & deal with a child on a plane but I think I'd probably try & avoid giving a child medicine unless they needed it.

 

[alaskagrown]

Too bad that mom whose kid threw such a screaming, raging tantrum that they got thrown off Jet Blue didn't know about this ;P

 

[Natasha2605]

No I'd never do it, I think it's wrong. I don't see why anybody would seriosuly put liquids used for medicinal reasons into their childs body just to get them to sleep on a plane. Just be prepared and keep them occupied like the majority of other people do!

 

[Nibblenic]

Isnt there a theory that you should give them painkillers/anti-inflammatory because thier ears dont deal with the change in pressure like we do and its more painful for them?

Ive never taken Lo on a flight, but i wouldnt rule it out. I know plenty of medical people and many parents who do this. Its not like doing it every time you go out the house, itll be a once a year or less thing

 

[emyandpotato]

Never heard of that medicine but if all else failed I'd be tempted to give him Calpol.

 

[Siyren]

i'd never give her any medicine that wasnt require-
however lyss has had antihystimine before (for an allergic reaction) and it sends her absolutely loopy- so it wouldnt help anyway!

but no in all seriousness, i wouldnt, aside from the fact its just bad practice (imo) allergies can develop at any age, even if the individual has been fine with a substance before- so what happens if you dose your child up as you take off and they have a severe reaction?

just my opinion

 

[robinator]

Airlines set their cabin pressure to 8000'. Everyone on board is breathing the same level of oxygen that they would if they were standing on top of an 8000' mountain. The density of oxygen at that altitude is much less than it is at sea level. Sooo....when you breathe that air it has the same effect as drinking alcohol, or cough syrup/antihistamines for that matter. Whereas those things block oxygen from grabbing onto your red blood cells, reduced density of oxygen means, well, less O2. That's a reason why so many people seem to sleep on planes. Giving kids medicine ups the ante, certainly, but it really isn't necessary.