Pepto-Bismol is a product used to treat minor disorders of the digestive system, which is currently produced by a company Procter & Gamble. It is known to effectively treat symptoms like nausea, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhea, indigestion, and other upset stomach pains. More importantly, children recovering from the flu or chickenpox have also been known to skip it, as well as during cold and flu season.

So is it safe to give Pepto-Bismol to your children? Well, that’s actually a very general question. It is generally safe with the exception of a few situations. To find out for sure if giving Pepto-Bismol to your children is safe, during any time of the year, consult your doctor.

Pepto-Bismol strength can be harmful to your child, but there is a safe alternative. Personally, I’m not sure why people give their children Pepto-Bismol when they know that giving them aspirin or salicylate increases the risk of Reye’s Drug Syndrome, just for the purpose of solving minor stomach problems. Pepto-Bismol has bismuth subsalicylate as its main active ingredient, which is responsible for its distinctive pink color. Again, allowing your child to take this ingredient while recovering from chicken pox or the flu should be avoided.

Two other factors that determine whether it is safe to give Pepto-Bismol to your children are your child’s age and the type you are considering giving. Even though full-strength Pepto-Bismol seems to work like a miracle drug for stomach upsets like indigestion, heartburn, nausea, and diarrhea, the benefit of resolving these minor ailments does not outweigh the risk of taking bismuth subsalicylate , the main ingredient in Pepto-Bismol strength, which is linked to the life-threatening disorder Reye’s Syndrome.

Fortunately, the FDA recognizes this fact and only allows Pepto-Bismol strength to be available only with label instructions that it can only be taken by children over the age of 12. Some doctors go further and recommend that even teenagers do not take it.

So what is the safe alternative to strong Pepto-Bismol that I talked about earlier? There is another alternative to the strength of Peptro-Bismol which are Pepto chewable tablets, especially indicated for children. These help relieve stomach pain, acid indigestion, heartburn, etc. thanks to the main active ingredient Calcium Carbonate. These tablets are fine for younger children, even as young as two years old, and are not associated with Reye’s syndrome. Since it’s basically a decent calcium supplement, it’s perfect for those who rarely drink milk or other milk-fortified beverages.

You can even say that Pepto chewable tablets are healthy for children. However, no matter where you buy these tablets, read the label directions to make sure the tablets you buy contain calcium. You are the only one who can really double check and make sure.