Chris Woolston
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVEBelow:
• How can I get my child to take his medicine?
How can I get my child to take his medicine? At one time or another, almost every child will refuse to take a pill or swig of medicinal syrup. Here are some tips to help the medicine go down: • Be honest. Do not tell your child that the medicine is candy (he might suddenly crave a handful). Instead, explain that the medicine is very important and that you will find some way to help him to take it. |
| •If liquids are the only option, a dropper or a plastic syringe might work better than a spoon. Most of your child's taste buds are on the tip and center of his tongue, so aim for the back of the mouth. |
| •Proceed with confidence. If you act like you're expecting trouble, your child just might oblige. |
| •Many children loath medicinal syrups, even those that come in sweet flavors. See if the same medication is available in a pill. |
| •If your child doesn't object to the concept of pills but can't stand the taste, give him capsules or sugarcoated pills when they're available. |
| •You can also try mixing liquid medication with a tablespoon of ice cream or applesauce. (If you add it to a larger amount of food, you'll have trouble making sure all of the medicine gets where it belongs.) Don't be sneaky about it. Just explain that the extra goody helps the medicine taste better. |
| •Tablets can be crushed into a fine powder and mixed with small amounts of food (again, ice cream and applesauce are good choices). |
Finally, don't forget the value of a good bargain. Offer to play a game or read a story after he takes his medicine. -- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was a staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
References
US FDA, How to Give Medicine to Children, FDA Consumer, Jan-Feb 1996
National Institute of Mental Health, "Your Child and Medication"
American Academy of Pediatrics, "What You Should Know About Prescription Medications"
Reviewed by Karen Buchi, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
First published July 20, 1999
Last updated June 28, 2007
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive
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