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Pepto-Bismol for Kids: The Dangerous and Safe Pepto Products

Pepto-Bismol is a product used to treat minor disorders of the digestive system, which is currently produced by the Procter & Gamble company. It is known to effectively treat symptoms like nausea, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, indigestion, and other bothersome stomach aches. Most importantly, it is also known that children recovering from influenza or chickenpox should not take it, as well as during cold and flu season.

So is it safe to give your kids Pepto-Bismol? Well that’s actually a very general question. In general, it is safe with the exception of a few situations. To know for sure if it is safe to give Pepto-Bismol to your children, during any time of the year, consult your doctor.

Pepto-Bismol strength may be harmful to your child, but there is a safe alternative. Personally, I’m not sure why people give their children Pepto-Bismol when they know that giving children aspirin or medication containing salicylate increases the risk of Reye’s syndrome, just for the purpose of solving minor bothersome stomach problems. Pepto-Bismol has the so-called Bismuth Subsalicylate as its main active ingredient, which is responsible for its distinctive pink color. Again, this ingredient should be prevented from ingesting your child while recovering from chickenpox or the flu.

Two other factors that determine whether it is safe to give Pepto-Bismol to your children are your child’s age and the type you are considering giving. Although the regular concentration of Pepto-Bismol seems to work as a miracle drug for stomach disorders such as indigestion, heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, the benefit of solving these minor disorders does not outweigh the risk of taking Bismuth Subsalicylate, the main ingredient of Pepto-Bismol strength, which is linked to Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening disorder.

Fortunately, the FDA recognizes this fact and only allows the Pepto-Bismol strength to be available only with label directions stating that it can only be taken by children 12 years of age and older. Some doctors go further and recommend that even teenagers not ingest it.

So what is the safe alternative to the Pepto-Bismol strength that I talked about earlier? There is another alternative to the Peptro-Bismol concentration which is Pepto chewable tablets, especially suitable for children. These help relieve stomach pain, acid indigestion, heartburn, etc. thanks to the main active ingredient Calcium Carbonate. These tablets are fine for younger children, even at the age of two, and are not associated with Reye’s syndrome. Since it is basically a decent calcium supplement, it is perfect for those who rarely drink milk or other milk-fortified beverages.

You can even say that Pepto chewable tablets are healthy for kids. However, no matter where you buy these tablets, read the directions on the label to make sure the tablets you buy contain calcium. You are the only one who can really verify that and make sure.

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