Is it common for parents to drug their own children?

I've never heard of such a thing. To keep them quiet, presumably. What a horrible thought.Is it common for parents to drug their own children?
I certainly hope not. When I think of my boys and my sweet girl at the same age as the McCann child I can remember wishing I could ';bottle that energy!';. But drug them in order to go out with friends? That is the saddest thing I've ever heard. I can also remember the sheer exhaustion of having 3 boys so close in age not to mention a big sister who thinks she is the boss and must be obeyed. I can most certainly remember being so sleep deprived that I felt as though I were the one who had been drugged! LOL! However, this is not really a laughing matter is it? Now my children are almost grown and I find myself longing for those days. Those tiny hands, those bright eyes and of course those amazingly huge loving hearts. If there are mothers or fathers out there (and I'm sure they are out there) please, PLEASE, PLEASE - let them run, play, laugh, sing, fuss, whine, argue, fight - all those things children do - soon enough you will be free to go to dinner with friends or get as much sleep as you can stand. When it's too late you will look back and wonder where the time went and wish so hard you could hold those tiny hands in yours just one more time. Just imagine the sheer guilt and self loathing any good parent would feel if their child died from a sedative given by them. Then again, would a ';good'; parent ever do such a thing? I would say that depends on circumstances and how desperate the parent was for a little ';me'; time. Parents need to also know that there are many otc drugs that have a sedating effect on small children and even on adults (Benedryl for instance) Given to a very small and young infant even Tylenol or Motrin can have that effect. However, being a doctor, Kate should have known this so I find myself thinking - She should KNOW better. I suppose this is more of a plea than an answer but I just want parents to enjoy their children NOW! Don't wait until they have grown up. NOW is the time to hold them, read them stories, hug them, get smoochies from them, cherish them and perhaps the most important thing - LOVE them with ALL your heart... I all honesty, my heart aches for Kate, but my heart BREAKS for a little girl who will never grow up now.





I thank you for the chance to write these things. Your question was thought provoking. God bless!Is it common for parents to drug their own children?
no, its not common, its also uncommon to drug other people children too!





i knew all along it was them!!!
NEVER
fenergans is still commonly used, as is piriton! fishergirl i have just hugged my babies and i am enjoying the noise thanks very thought provoking xx
About 28 years ago when my child was a toddler, I can remember saying to a group of mums at a toddler's club that my child never seemed to sleep for more than a few hours at a time. I was then advised that a dose of Calpol would do the trick!!! It seemed that everyone in on this conversation knew about this. I was amazed at the time that anyone would give medication to a child for this reason. After this revelation I never purchased this product and would never have given it to my child if it had the effect of sedating her
I just gave my 1 year old a shot of whiskey in her bottle to calm her down. If i hadnt the little booger would have been bouncing off the walls all night long.


Just kidding...i think its a disgusting thought as well.
thats cruel and neglect and it is not common at all
no
When the Eastern European 'asylum seekers' first coming to England on the begging lark, they would drug their babies to make their task easier.
I`ve heard about people using drugs on hyperactive kids given by doctors,it helps them concerntrate but to put them to sleep while the parents go out drinking it`s discusting.
a friend of mine works in health-care here in the UK.


hospital administration noticed figures were increasing with the number of children


'; accidentally '; ingesting methadone.


in one particular case the parents admitted giving their 2 young children methadone, to keep them quiet!





no i'm not saying the mccanns gave them methadone, but there are plenty of other drugs out there that cause drowsiness.


%26amp; the mccanns would be in a perfect position to know which drug to use, both being doctors.





i agree it is a horrible thought.


i hope in time the truth will all come out about their neglect %26amp; their selfishness, if drugs were involved we hope someone will be prosecuted.


drugging children so parents can go out to wine %26amp; dine is NOT RIGHT!
In a word, NO.
No. It is not common.
I have heard of people doing it years and years ago, even putting alcohol in a baby bottle to quiet a colicky baby.





It is a horrible thought.
ever heard of ritalin?
i would say yes i know two people who used calpol to get their children to sleep


one for a party in the 1970,s so that she wouldent wake up ,and another because the parents had little time for him and wanted him asleep and out of their hair





my mother in law suggested that i use brandy to knock my daughter out as she wouldent sleep , i was horrified , but it was common years back to use alcahol





fishergirl , that was a lovely post
it pains me to say its horribly common. i knew someone who used to give their child travel sickness syrup to 'knock em out' as they put it


its sick
Inspiring, fishergirl.
Everyone is saying that it is not common but I suspect that it is more common than people realise...I would NEVER do it, but when I had a long haul flight with my toddler loads of people suggested that I get her ';something'; to make her sleep.


I just told them that drugging children is NOT acceptable unless they are unwell and it is prescribed...even then I avoid chemical medicines when I can.
I hope it is not common. I heard about that being the possible cause of death for the McCann girl today, and that shocked me. That her parents may have drugged all their children to keep them from waking up so they could go have a nice quiet dinner with friends, and that their stupidity killed their little girl.
oooh the fast paced society where we want what we want and we know how to get it (one way or another). As if putting your children on ritalin to stay in school because teachers can't be arsed (or don't want to get sued) disciplining them is not enough... then consider the case that faces flight passengers today - aka don't teach your baby to say ';bye bye plane';





http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,2891鈥?/a>





oh dear oh dear... is it common? Apparently some people want it to be!
No I am sure it isn't common at all!


Let's hope not anyway and let us hope that this doesn't set a trend for it amongst uneducated people!


We have to remember that Kate is a doctor so would know what to sedate children with I guess!


But it is an awful thought if that is what happened!


Most people have used calpol to soothe a teething child though and it is probably something along those lines but stronger maybe?!


I feel eventually the truth will out one way or the other - and if that is what they did then they don't deserve children!


It is a shame that the au pair was ill and at home - and why not take the kids with you or get a babysitter?! I am still not sure what to believe really - if they did sedate her or not and if there was an abductor or not?!


I think they may have sedated her which is why the other two didn't wake up but I think there may have been an abductor as well!


If this is all a pack of lies then I think that Kate deserves an Oscar!


I don't believe they killed her either deliberately or accidentally in my heart of hearts - I don't think Kate could live with herself if she had!


I think that it is more likely the Portuguese police trying to frame somebody for it as they haven't managed to find the real culprit because they are so useless!


Don't forget there are some very corrupt people out there - even in the police force!


Eventually the truth will out hopefully!


I think it is high time they came home now and gave the twins some normal routine and life!
You either have children and accept that they are a pain in the a..e and will alter your life style. Or you remain child free and enjoy a better quality of life. It appears the McCanns wanted it both ways. Children of that age do not need to be taken abroad on holiday, they are just as happy on any beach in the UK. It also means the rest of us don't have to put up with squawking little sods on the plane.


No it is not normal to drug your children but these two are doctors.
At one time it used to be very common. Particularly with small children and babies suffering from infant stomach pains (colic) which would mean they would cry for hours on end.





However this was in the days when Gripe Juice (an over the counter medication) used to contain alcohol or similar derivatives. You can still get Gripe Juice today (but without the alcohol content) and I guess that given the intention is to settle the child's stomach particularly to help them to sleep one could argue that many parents today still give ';drugs'; to their own children.





It would not surprise me if some parents continue to put small amounts of alcohol in juice to get some rest from a fractious child. Alcohol is a drug.





If however by ';drugs'; you mean non-alcoholic prescribed medicines I think it most unlikely that many parents give these to their children except under guidance from medical professionals.





For illegal drugs it's difficult to say, but it is not unheard of for Drug Addicts to have children. Although very small in number I would imagine some pass on quantities of the drugs they take to their children.





Neil
When I was a child the doctor prescribed sleeping medicine which my mum was supposed to give me 2/3 times a week but she gave me it every night as I was hyperactive and not sleeping much.I got the idea that I was just an annoying brat who they would rather not have to deal with.My niece was treated the same and given ritalin which did help her with school work but she was still made to feel like an annoyance.If you are planning to have children and expect it to be easy then you could be in for a shock.Sometimes parents have a child who has no allergies to foods or any other kind of problems that requires alot of time and patience and if people are not willing to take the risk and put in a bit extra if need be they should not have children.
No its not common and its illegal. Gerry and Kate should be struck off the medical register for abusing their position and children.





GAME OVER MCCANN.
In the 1970s there was a medicine called Fenagen and It made children sleep. I knew a few parents who would give their children a dose if they could or would not settle to sleep. My then nextdoor nabour got it ,I think on perscription for her son Couple of years ago I heard a mother say half joking about giving her over active child a dose to get him to sleep and give her a nights sleep. I said ';oh I didn't think you could still get that ';and she said ';yes if you say your 12 plus child is travel sick and you are going away on holiday and need it for the car trip';


These parents motives were not to harm the child but now it does seem unacceptable behaviour .
I would say that is extremely rare and completely out of order, drugs are for sick people.
I bloody hope it's not common for parents to drug their children to ';keep them quiet'; so they can do things like leave them alone while they go out to dinner - regardless of how far away they were or how often they checked them!





BUT I do know that some people DO ';drug'; their children with over the counter medicine such as cough and cold mixtures as a way of either calming them down, or getting them to sleep - particularly when they are travelling. Sad, but true.





And what about those people who give their children illegal medication for whatever twisted reason? Tragic, isn't it?





(Fishergirl - beautiful, true words. I'm off for a hug with my gorgeous girls right now!!).