Children and teens with fever or other viral infection (especially flu or chickenpox) should not take aspirin, as it may cause a rare but serious illness known as Reye’s syndrome. In addition, children may be more vulnerable to the side effects of aspirin than adults.

Children who use opioids may experience breathing problems, or unusual excitability or restlessness.

However, these potential complications do not prohibit physicians from prescribing analgesics to children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has stated that too often, analgesics are not prescribed when they could be of great benefit in relieving the pain of pediatric patients.

The organization is also concerned that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not considered or approved many potent analgesics for use in children. The AAP has stated that analgesics can be of great benefit to children when prescribed at dosage levels appropriate for the child’s body weight and physiologic development, and the medical situation.

According to the FDA, common pediatric uses of opioids include acute trauma or illness, burns, surgery and procedures, mechanical ventilation, cancer pain and sickle cell anemia crises.