I have been posting about dcb (10 mos) and the parents feeding him junk food, like oreos and cheetos, and how they let him play at 2 am when he won't go to sleep, ect. She came today with a new one and this time it is not good at all. She said she gave him tylenol last night so he would sleep ( he has been up the last two nights) and he slept all night. He is not sick, teething, or anything so he does not need tylenol for anything, so she basically told me she drugged her baby to get him to sleep. I am going to speak with her at drop off, but I need advice on how to warn her of the dangers of doing that without coming off wrong. Any help would be great and please tell me I am not wrong for being concerned with this.

Reply

I will be following this one. I have a dcm that believes her child is always teething and gives tylenol or motrin daily.

Reply

I am so glad I am not alone on this. So far, this is the first time that I know of that she did it, but I was surprised she told me she did it purposefully so he would sleep and not blame it on teething or something.

Reply

Does she think he's in pain? As far as I know, Tylenol has no properties that would make a child drowsy.

Reply

Pretty sure that's a form of abuse??

Reply

That is what I was thinking too, but he slept all night, came here and I had to wake him up at 9am and he seemed "stoned" for a good while. I just tried giving him his bottle and he drank an ounce and didn't want anymore, just cuddled on me and seemed like he would fall asleep again. She didn't say he was feeling ill or anything, but maybe he really is not feeling so well and the tylenol just masked it through the night? He seems a little perkier now, but has not eaten anything other than the ounce so far.

Reply

Would that be something you would have to report? What if it wasn't Tylenol? What if it was Nyquil or something?

Reply

It was probably benadryl. That's the only thing that makes sense.... I guess? I think she's desperate and doesn't know what to do? Maybe if there was some advice you could give her without her getting offended- that she would actually use! :/ idk. Good luck! I really liked the book 'no cry sleep solution' which handles breast feeding at night and everything too- she might go for that one. It really helped me.

Reply

I don't think Tylenol puts kids to sleep either. Maybe he slept so well because he hadn't slept well for the couple of days prior.

If you talk to her maybe express how routines and schedules are good, a bedtime and a bedtime routine will help.

Reply

I called mom and told her to come pick up. I think the tylenol masked symptoms of illness, so he was able to sleep more comfortably, because he was not acting like his usual self. Temp was about 99, so I think he has some sort of bug and that the tylenol actually may have helped him sleep, so even though she didn't give it to him with those intentions, it may have been a good thing. I hope he feels better soon. I hate seeing my little dude feeling crappy.

Reply

IIRC, isn't this lil guy 10 months old? Could he be teething? The Tylenol took the edge off his teething pain maybe?

Reply

I have a dcm who gives Tylenol for everything. A runny nose, a cough, a sore toe lol

Reply

I would be very concerned having this child in my care. The parents seem clueless and dropping a child off with meds b/c they wanted him to sleep? How much did they give him?

I don't allow dcks here with any over the counter meds, either. So he would not have even made it in today.

I agree with others: is this reportable?

Reply

When she does pick up you can talk to her about using OTC meds only when truly needed because this is exactly what happens. If a child is in so much pain that they need OTC meds than they should be seen by a doctor and the doctor should make that call. If it is to reduce a fever than mom can make the call but the child should not be at daycare. OTC meds to sleep is just wrong!

Reply

Tylenol makes me drowsy, but I'm a lightweight Not the way Benadryl or cold meds would, but it does make me sleepy

My kids too, I think. Could be coincidence though

Reply

you are like my mom....I tell her she can't even take an aspirin....literally

Reply

I seem to be the odd one out but I would never give my opinion about what a parent chooses to do with THEIR child while they're at home. So what if she got so incredibly desperate that she gave him a dose of Tylenol for some sleep? If he hasn't been sleeping then maybe she thought he was in pain for some reason. Lol it's not rum, just some baby Tylenol.

Reply

That's how I am too. Tylenol makes me tired, ibuprofen makes me incredibly sleepy. My kids are the same. I think it's because the medicine helps guy relax by taking the pain away & you are able to sleep.

Reply

That's what I was thinking. It was a one time thing (I hope) and she sas trying to figure out why he isn't sleeping. The tylenol may have helped with teething pain or whatever was aching the poor little guy.

The only thing that I would find off is that he was still groggy in the morning. Most medicines last 4-6 hours, he shouldn't still be groggy 12 hours later.

Reply

I think he is actually sick and the meds must have covered that up, because she specifically told me she did it so he would sleep and never mentioned anything about him not feeling well. And I don't mean to sound like I am judging, but if what they are doing at home effects how he behaves at daycare, then I do think I have the right to question it. And it is NOT okay to drug a baby to get them to sleep, imo. Tylenol is actually very dangerous if not used correctly and I am pretty sure it doesn't say to give it to a ten month old to get them to pass out

Reply

Also, baby cosleeps at home and sleeps in a crib in a room alone here. The only place he is having sleeping issues is at home (this has been going on for weeks now), so I don't think she should start doping him up to get him to sleep. She should probably try putting him in his own room in his crib and letting him work it out himself.

Reply

I would be more concerned at the fact that the child acted out of it this morning. It sounds to me mom gave him medicine to mask symptoms so you wouldn't exclude, if she really gave him Tylenol or Benadryl the night before it should have worn off by this morning.
Him acting out if it would also make me worry that she gave him meds to mask illness and gave him too much at that. If you would have had to call the hospital because of overdose and mom didn't admit she was the one that dosed him your life would be turned up and down and the whole world would think you're the provider that doses kids so they sleep.
Of course the child could have been out of it because of illness and not to do with medicine.
Fun fact: did you know that teeth don't grow through the gums the gums actually reform around the emerging teeth? Most babies don't feel any discomfort with teething and the ones that do generally only have discomfort the day before the tooth emerges.

Reply

There's a warning on the Tylenol bottle about too much being bad for the kidneys, I believe. You should check when you get a chance.

We've all been there, with a sleepless child. I wouldn't be alarmed if it was once in a while, and maybe the baby is having teething issues and this is helping.

But, as far as not sleeping without any sickness/pain/discomfort, this isn't a good solution long term for a number of reasons. I would have her speak to her pediatrian.

Reply