Why Benadryl is Not the Best Idea when Introducing Allergenic Foods with @raisinggoodparents Phil Boucher, MD
- Why Benadryl is NOT his preferred medication to have on hand in the event your baby has an allergic reaction when trying new foods
- The alternative that Dr. Boucher recommends (it's the over-the-counter medication cetrizine, branded Zyrtec as well as other cetrizine generics formulated for children)
- What the drawbacks of Benadryl are, including mis-dosing, somnolence (“sleepiness” or “drowsiness”)
- Steps you can take to be prepared in the event of an allergic reaction when you're introducing your baby to new foods
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE
Do you need to have Benadryl at the ready when introducing your baby to solid foods? I’ve always recommended parents discuss with their pediatrician and know their baby’s Benadryl dose in the event they need to use it when introducing allergenic foods. But Dr. Phil Boucher has a much different take. He does NOT recommend using Benadryl and has some very good reasons why he prefers an alternative to have on hand when you’re starting solid foods.
In this episode I’m joined by pediatrician Phil Boucher, MD from @raisinggoodparents talking about all things Benadryl. Why do people refer to Baby Benadryl when there’s no such thing? Why is Benadryl so commonly mis-dosed and how can that be dangerous? What’s a better alternative to Benadryl when you’re offering potentially allergenic foods to your baby like eggs, milk and peanut, among others?
If you’ve ever worried about what to do if your baby has an allergic reaction to food, Dr. Boucher has some really practical suggestions that will help ease your mind!
SHOW NOTES
SUMMARY of episode
In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Phil Boucher of @raisinggoodparents and we’re talking about:
Why Benadryl is NOT his preferred medication to have on hand in the event your baby has an allergic reaction when trying new foods
The alternative that Dr. Boucher recommends (it’s the over-the-counter medication cetrizine, branded Zyrtec as well as other cetrizine generics formulated for children)
What the drawbacks of Benadryl are, including mis-dosing, somnolence (“sleepiness” or “drowsiness”)
Steps you can take to be prepared in the event of an allergic reaction when you’re introducing your baby to new foods
LINKS from episode
Join Dr. Boucher’s Raising Good Parents Community FB group.
Listen to Dr. Boucher’s Podcast, Raising Good Parents.
Link to Pediatrician-Developed Parenting Courses including Mighty Sleepers Course, Potty Training for Lazy Parents, & Unpicky Eaters here
YouTube channel Raising Good Parents
TRANSCRIPT of episode
RESEARCH links from episode
Park, J. H., Godbold, J. H., Chung, D., Sampson, H. A., & Wang, J. (2011). Comparison of cetirizine to diphenhydramine in the treatment of acute food allergic reactions. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 128(5), 1127.
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