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Most parents know the battle of getting a child to swallow medicine when necessary. It’s strange how children can savour the most disgusting sweets but refuse medicine that tastes far more pleasant. It’s all part of the art of being two: recognising when your parents are really worried about something and then refusing to play the game.
But it’s important for children to get the doses of medicine they’ve been prescribed and that they finish any course of antibiotics they’re given, so you need to be patient and keep trying.
Some of the following might help:
*Make sure younger children get liquid rather than tablet forms of medicine where possible.
*Ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medicine can be prescribed in a flavour your child likes. This isn’t always possible, but there are lots of different makes of antibiotics, so it’s worth a try.
*Try mixing the medicine with something very sweet, such as honey or fruit syrup. This is particularly useful if the medicine is in tablet form. These can often be crushed into the syrup (but check with your pharmacist first, as some come in a gel form that doesn’t dissolve easily) or mixed with other more solid foods.
*Use a syringe (from the pharmacy) to give medicine, especially to younger children. This is much easier to hold than a spoon and far less likely to spill, especially when you’re holding the child tight and they’re trying to push you and the medicine away. When you put the syringe in your child’s mouth, point it towards their cheek as you press the plunger to avoid squirting it straight down their throat and choking them.
*Toddlers may be more willing when they’re given medicine in an animal-shaped medicine tube and allowed to sip it at their own pace.
*Try reverse psychology – tell your child it’s special medicine and she’s not allowed to have it. It’s amazing how often this one works.
*Bribery and corruption involving large amounts of sweets is often a good bet, too (but don’t tell your dentist).
*Stay calm and never force your child to take medicine. If they persistently refuse, try again after about half an hour.
*Say you’ll take them back to the doctor to be given the medicine (this showdown is too much for most toddlers, who’ll back down at this point).
Many children find it hard to swallow pills and capsules. Most have never had to, since almost all medications for children are available in liquid form. However, pills have their advantages: parents know the child gets the entire dose, pills hide the flavor of medicines that taste bad, pills are easier to take when traveling, and pills do not have to be refrigerated like many liquids.
What is the best way to teach a child to take a pill? There are many techniques parents can try, but everyone agrees that it is a good idea for parents to teach their kids the technique of pill swallowing before they really need it. A sick or cranky child is not a cooperative student!
Here are some suggestions that might help:
*Keep a calm and positive attitude
*Be patient. Some normal children can’t accomplish pill-swallowing until their late teens!
*Show the child how to swallow pills calmly and quickly. Demonstrate by placing a tablet or capsule back in the center of their tongue. Have them quickly drink water, Kool-Aid, or their favorite drink through a straw. When the child concentrates on using the straw and swallowing the liquid, the pill usually follows quickly along.
*Train in small steps with success at every stage. For example, have your child practice with a piece of small cake decoration. When the smallest size is swallowed without a problem, a slightly larger size may be tried. Then work up to the size of an M & M. Use substances that will melt if they get stuck or coat them first with butter. It is best to work in short sessions (5-10 minutes) several times a day over a couple of days.
*Eliminate distractions during medicine taking time. Close the door, turn the TV off, etc. allowing the child can concentrate on the job at hand
If the child gags or vomits, be calm and clean up the mess in a matter-of-fact way. Let the child settle down and try again in 10 or 15 minutes.
*Some kids like to play “Beat the Clock.” Use a one or two minute time limit!
*Give plenty of praise, such as “Oh good! You swallowed it right down.” Avoid negative comments like “Only babies take liquid medicine.” These comments rarely motivate children to try harder.
*Some pills are easier to swallow if they are broken into halves. Check with the pharmacist first, however, to make sure a divided pill does not lose its potency.
*Have the child drink a little water before taking the pill. Tables and capsules are harder to swallow when the youngster’s mouth is dry (which often happens when they are sick).
*As long as the pill does not have to be taken on “an empty stomach,” have your child place a little piece of food on their tongue, next to the pill. Next have them drink some water to swallow the food and the pill usually goes down at the same time. Don’t have your child tilt their head back too far when swallowing as this can sometimes make it more difficult for the pill to go down.
*Another way to get a child to swallow a pill is to stick it in a cube of Jell-O TM. The pill will usually slide down easily with Jell-O.
One pharmacist recommended the “Tic Tac” strategy: Put a “Tic Tac” on the tip of the child’s tongue. Place a glass of water filled to the brim on the table. Have the child suck in water from the brim without picking up the class. About one half mouthful will do. Remove the lips from the glass and quickly tip head back. The “tic tac pill” will be washed to the throat and swallowed with the gulp of water without the tongue being involved. The pharmacist claims this method works with kids as young as three years old.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose
Resources:
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=428
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/medicinechildrenswallow.shtml
http://www.ehow.com/how_6607984_child-swallow-pill.html
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