Paediatricians have strongly advised parents to stop administering adult medicines to children, especially those under five years old, warning that the practice can cause severe organ damage and other serious health complications.
Citing children’s immature livers and kidneys, as well as their smaller body sizes, experts emphasised that children are not simply “small adults” and often react differently and more sensitively to medications.
They particularly cautioned against th common habit of giving children half an adult dose when they fall ill, describing it as unsafe and unreliable.
Key Warnings from Experts
In an exclusive interview with HealthWise, Professor Olugbenga Mokuolu, a Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, condemned the practice of splitting adult doses.
“It is not good practice to give children half of an adult dose of any medication,” he said. “The way we calculate the dose for a child is different. It is not simply a matter of reducing the adult dose.”
Prof. Mokuolu explained that drug dosages for children are calculated based on body weight, age, and developmental stage. He noted that in some cases, a child’s appropriate dose could be as high as an adult’s, depending on the medication and the child’s condition.
He urged parents to always seek professional medical advice rather than engage in self-medication or share drugs that worked for one child with another.
Another paediatrician, Dr. Rasheedat Ibraheem, also of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, warned specifically against giving cough and cold medicines to children under five.
She explained that such medications can be harmful, may mask underlying infections like pneumonia, and can give parents a false sense of improvement while the real problem remains untreated.
Dr. Claire McCarthy, a paediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital, highlighted that medication errors by parents — particularly overdosing — are worryingly common. She noted that many errors occur due to incorrect measurement or misunderstanding of instructions.
Advice to Parents
The experts recommend the following:
- Always consult a qualified doctor or healthcare professional before giving any medication to children.
- Avoid self-medication and sharing prescriptions between children.
- Take sick children to the hospital or seek guidance from community health workers instead of buying over-the-counter drugs.
- Ensure you fully understand dosage instructions before administering any medicine
The paediatricians stressed that inappropriate medication use in young children can lead to dangerous side effects, organ damage, and in some cases, life-threatening complications. Proper medical guidance remains the safest approach to protecting children’s health.