5 Clever Ways to Get Children to Take Their Medication

Getting a child to take medicine when he or she is sick is one major task we don’t talk about enough. If only they understand, it would make them feel better faster, maybe they wouldn’t start a world war when it’s time for the meds. Now we know, not all liquid medicines have a great taste, and pills can be very difficult for them to swallow so

Here’s a few tricks you can use:

Avoid the taste buds: You would be needing a syringe, to squirt the medicine slowly toward the inside of the child’s cheek. The syringe pump would help you measure the dosage, while squirting medicine toward the inside of the cheek makes it more difficult for the child to spit it out.

Change the look: You can do this by crushing & mixing in foods like applesauce or yoghurt. Please check with your pharmacist before changing anything about the child’s medicine to make sure the medicine is effective.

Do not choke: Please be mindful of how much a child can swallow at once to avoid choking. You can divide a dose into smaller parts, if need be. Let the baby swallow, before giving a second dose. Medication should always be given in an upright or seated position to prevent choking.

Choose liquid, capsule or chewable options: Talk to the child’s physician about the formations available for a particular medication. Sometimes medications come in chewable tablets, capsules that can be opened and sprinkled over food or pills that can be cut into small pieces & easily swallowed.

A positive approach is the best one: Praise children when they take their medication without a struggle. Make them understand that taking medication is not a punishment. Do not threaten to give children injections if they refuse to take their medication.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY SPIT OUT THEIR MEDICINE?

If a child immediately spits out medication or vomits a few minutes later, call the child’s physician before giving any more or repeating a dose. Some medications can be repeated without any issue, while others can be harmful if your child gets a little extra.