What Is Infant Acetaminophen?
Acetaminophen (
Tylenol®) is a non-prescription pain reliever and fever reducer. It comes in many different strengths and forms. For children under the age of three, it is available as infant acetaminophen.
Who Makes Infant Acetaminophen?
Infant Acetaminophen is made by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. There are numerous generic versions of infant acetaminophen, made by several different generic manufacturers.
How Does Infant Acetaminophen Work?
Even though acetaminophen has been around for quite a while, it is not fully understood exactly how it works. It is known that acetaminophen works differently from any other non-prescription medication. Most other non-prescription pain relievers or fever reducers are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Both NSAIDS and acetaminophen block the body's production of prostaglandins (naturally occurring chemicals that cause inflammation and fever). However, while NSAIDS block prostaglandin production throughout the body, acetaminophen appears to do so just in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Acetaminophen may also work by blocking pain signals from nerves (or preventing such signals from forming).
Because acetaminophen is not related to aspirin, it can be safely used by infants with
chickenpox. Also, many infants who are sensitive or allergic to aspirin can safely take acetaminophen.
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