Your health: Lower dosage for infants

New infant dosages

The ultimate goal of manufacturers that are offering new, less-concentrated infant versions of the painkiller acetaminophen is to provide sick babies with sufficient relief without risking overdose. But in the short term, the changes may perplex parents, says The Washington Post.

In response to incidents in which infants have been severely sickened or died after receiving overdoses of the painkiller and fever reducer, many manufacturers have voluntarily offered less-concentrated versions of their products. The higher-dose versions were considered beneficial because they required babies to swallow less liquid. But in some cases babies consuming too much suffered liver failure, which can be fatal.

The current problem, according to the Food and Drug Administration's recently released consumer update, is that the new lower-concentration medications have appeared on store shelves even as the higher-concentration versions remain there, and in people's homes. Not every manufacturer has offered guidance for delivering appropriate amounts of the painkiller to children of various ages. And it can be hard to tell from product packages which concentration of medication they contain.

The FDA notes that there are no standard dosing guidelines for children younger than 2 and that parents should consult carefully with physicians about how much of which version of acetaminophen to administer. Parents should also read package labels carefully and always use the dropper or syringe that comes with the product.

Seasonal changes

You'd think that during these long nights of midwinter, we'd find it easier to get a lot of sleep, but it turns out the opposite is true: Lack of daytime sunlight can make it harder to sleep at night.

As author Sarah Korones explains to The Washington Post, blue light rays in the spectrum of natural sunlight curb the body's release of melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy. As sunlight fades, melatonin increases.

“If you don't have a change in melatonin levels during the 24 hours of the day, your body doesn't know when to rest and when to stay awake,” she quotes ophthalmologist Line Kessel as saying.

Artificial light doesn't have the same spectrum. So it is crucial in the winter months to get outside and soak in some natural light. This is particularly important for the elderly, she adds, as the natural yellowing of aging eyes can make it even more difficult for blue rays to reach the retina.