Caring for sick children has become extra stressful recently for many U.S. parents due to shortages of Children鈥檚 Tylenol and other medicines.
Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula or prescription drugs.
They also say parents have alternatives if they encounter empty store shelves.
Here鈥檚 a closer look:
WHAT鈥橲 HAPPENING
An unusually fast start to the , plus a spike in , created a surge in demand for fever relievers and other products people can buy without a prescription.
鈥淭here are more sick kids at this time of year than we have seen in the past couple years,鈥 said Dr. Shannon Dillon, a pediatrician at Riley Children鈥檚 Health in Indianapolis.
Experts say that鈥檚 the main factor behind the shortages, which vary around the country and even within communities.
鈥淎t this point, it鈥檚 more like toilet paper at the beginning of the (COVID-19) pandemic,鈥 Dillon said 鈥淵ou just have to look in the right place at the right time.鈥
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson says it is not experiencing widespread shortages of Children鈥檚 Tylenol, but the product may be 鈥渓ess readily available鈥 at some stores. The company said it is running its production lines around the clock.
In the meantime, CVS Health has placed a two-product limit on all children鈥檚 pain relief products bought through its pharmacies or online.
Walgreens is limiting customers online to six purchases of children鈥檚 over-the-counter fever reducing products. That limit doesn鈥檛 apply in stores.
Aside from over-the-counter products, the prescription antibiotic amoxicillin also is in short supply due to increased demand, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The drug is often used to treat nose and throat infections in children.
WHAT TO DO
Check first for alternatives in the store if some products aren鈥檛 available. Generic versions of brand-name products are 鈥減erfectly safe and often a much more affordable option,鈥 Dillon said.
Other stores nearby also may have better options. Manufacturers say there are no widespread national shortages of these medications, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.
A family doctor may know which stores have decent supplies.
A doctor also may be able to tell parents whether they can try alternatives like crushing the proper dose of a pill version and mixing it with food or chocolate syrup. Doctors say parents or caregivers should not try this on their own, because determining proper doses for children can be tricky.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 need to experiment at home,鈥 said Dr. Sarah Nosal, a South Bronx family physician. 鈥淵our family doctor wants to talk to you and see you.鈥
GOING WITHOUT
Doctors also caution that fevers don鈥檛 always have to be treated. They are a body鈥檚 natural defense against infection, and they make it hard for a virus to replicate.
Dillon noted, for instance, that a fever may not be intrinsically harmful to older children. However, parents should take a newborn under 2 months old to the doctor if the child has a fever of 100.4 degrees or more. And doctors say any child with a fever should be monitored for behavior changes.
Instead of medicine, consider giving the child a bath in lukewarm water. Cold water makes the body shiver, which can actually raise the temperature.
Put fans in the child鈥檚 room or set up a cool mist humidifier to help their lungs.
Nosal also said two teaspoons of honey can help control coughs in children older than a year. Avoid using honey for young children because it carries a risk of infant botulism.
WHEN WILL SUPPLIES GET BETTER?
Shortages might last in some communities until early next year.
Resolving them can depend on whether there are enough workers at warehouses and stores to deliver the product and stock the shelves, noted Erin Fox. She researches drug shortages and is the senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health, which runs five hospitals.
Fox said there are no problems at factories or a lack of ingredients contributing to current shortages. Those obstacles can lead to long supply disruptions.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 expect this to last a year or more like some of our other shortages do,鈥 she said.
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AP Health Writer Matthew Perrone in Washington contributed to this story. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.
