activated dimeticone: clinical use

Prescribing considerations

• Confirm that persistent crying or abdominal symptoms do not indicate feeding difficulty, reflux, constipation, allergy, infection or another illness.
• Explain that the product is licensed for wind-related griping, but research has not shown convincing benefit for infant colic.
• Review thyroid treatment and formulation excipients before use.

Contraindications and cautions

• Hypersensitivity to activated dimeticone or any excipient.
• Because the selected product contains sucrose: hereditary fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency.

Monitoring

• No routine laboratory monitoring is specified.
• Reassess persistent or worsening symptoms, feeding, hydration and growth, and consider an alternative diagnosis.

Clinical pharmacology

A chemically inert, non-systemically absorbed surface-active silicone that reduces gas-bubble surface tension within intestinal contents and is excreted unchanged.

Formulation and product differences

• The selected product is a translucent white oral suspension supplied with an oral syringe.
• It contains sucrose, dill oil, carbomer and methyl, ethyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoates; excipients may determine suitability.
• The oral syringe should be rinsed with warm water and dried, not steam-sterilised.