Taking medicine of course with doctor prescription is common and necessary to get over sickness. However, it’s especially difficult for toddlers. In most cases, their common reactions are turning their head, running away, closing their mouth or throwing up pills. So it’s very stressful for a parent not only because of illness but also negative reactions of children to medicine.
Baby Care
Rumor: Nursingpillow.com review and Other breastfeeding pillows
Where does the fear of taking medicine come?
Actually, there are two main reasons making toddler spitting out medicine. Firstly, it’s awful taste. We all know most medicines are bitter and not delicious at all, so obviously, children don’t like medicine. Secondly, a toddler is fear of swallowing pill because feelings of some things may be stuck in the throat is very uncomfortable.
Product: Top 5 Sunscreen For Babies With Eczema
How to prevent a toddler from spitting out medicine?
Although that’s a difficult task, you may find several tricks below useful to get your child to take medicine by handling the origin of his fear.
Toddler education: Top 5 Must-Have Noisy Sound Books for Toddlers
Use liquid medicine instead of pill
To children especially small ones, liquid is much easier to take and more familiar than pill or capsule form. In addition, liquid medicine is often added with children’s favorite flavor such as orange, honey, etc. That would help your child to overcome the fear of swallowing pills. So you may try first to choose some liquid medicine instead of pills or capsules, of course with advice from the doctor.
You should know as well: how to take care of your infant in fever?
Hide medicine in foods and drinks
Consult the doctor if the medicine can be used with some foods or drinks. If it is acceptable, you may get your toddler take medicine with a spoonful of yogurt, applesauce, peanut butter, etc.
Baby skin protection: When can you put lotion on a newborn dry skin
Divide medicine into small amount (how to crush pills in the best way)
Sometimes it’s hard to get your child take the whole big pill or capsule. So it may be not bad to break it up and let the child take small amount once. But of course, you must check with your pharmacist first and let baby taking the whole dosage for just a few minutes.
To do it easier, you can crush the pills or to open capsules and mix small, dot-sized pieces of foods. But you should make sure that child takes all the amount of food so he consumes the full dose of medicine.
Young parent: How to stop breastfeeding and why?
The best way to crush pills:
- First thing: make sure if the pills is available in liquid, spay, injection or other alternatives that’s easier than swallowing.
- Use Pill crusher
- Use Pill splitter
/!\ Warning: it’s recommended to have your doctor’s confirmation of the fact that it’s totally safe to crush the pills.
Parenting: Forced Vaccinations: Should they be allowed?
Use some supportive tools
Baby medicine syringes and droppers are also effective ways in case your toddler cannot swallow pills. You may bleach medicine into a little water and squirt the liquid into the back of toddler’s mouth slowly while putting him in reclining position to prevent choke.
One of best baby medicine syringes we recommend is “Baby Medicine Dispenser Kit”: it’s a combination of a baby syringe and baby pacifier. This top rated product can be found out easily on Amazon:
Training: Top 5 Sippy Cup For Breastfed Babies On Amazon
Encourage him
For long terms, to disguise the medicine is not a good idea. While your toddler grows up and develops desire of self-confirmation, you may explain him the necessity of taking medicine and encourage him to do it. Praise him and give him a prize. For example, tell him that he could play with his dog as soon as he finishes it.
Drones For Beginner
Fitness Trackers