Tylenol® (
acetaminophen) is a non-prescription pain reliever and fever reducer. Tylenol comes in many different strengths and forms. For infants under the age of three, it is available as Concentrated Tylenol Infants' Drops (
infant acetaminophen).
The official name of this product is "Concentrated Tylenol Infants' Drops." However, this article uses the name interchangeably with "infant Tylenol," since this is how the drug is commonly referred to.
Infant Tylenol is made by McNeil Consumer Healthcare. There are numerous generic versions of infant Tylenol, made by several different generic manufacturers.
How Does Infant Tylenol Work?
Even though Tylenol has been around for quite a while, it is not fully understood exactly how it works. It is known that Tylenol 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 Tylenol block the body's production of prostaglandins (naturally occurring chemicals that cause inflammation and fever).
However, while NSAIDS block prostaglandin production throughout the body, Tylenol appears to do so just in the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Tylenol may also work by blocking pain signals from nerves (or preventing such signals from forming).
Because Tylenol 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 Tylenol.
