Correct dosage and added flavor are just a few ways to make the medicine go down
Giving infants and toddlers medications come with challenges – from measuring a correct dose to watching your little one spit everything back at you. Brooke Shuster,MD, Associate Medical Director of Inova’s Pediatric Hospitalist Group, shares doctor-approved tips to help the medicine go down.
1.Add flavor. Before picking up your child’s prescription, call yourpharmacist and ask if a flavor can be safely added to the medicine. If you forgetthis step, ask if mixing the medication into something tasty will affect thedrug’s efficacy. A few mixable ideas include yogurt, apple sauce, juice, sugarwater or chocolate syrup.
Do carefully measure medication dosage beforemixing with any other food or juice.
Do not mix the medication into a full serving of soft food or liquid, in case your child can’t finish every last bit.
2. Measure carefully. For infants andtoddlers, the dosage is carefully prescribed according to weight, and even alittle too much or too little can be dangerous. Use a pediatric measuringdevice, such as a measuring dropper or oral syringe. A proper measuring tooloften comes with a liquid prescription and if not, a selection is available at mostpharmacies.
Do call your pediatrician if your child spitsout the medication. Dosage measurement is critical for little ones and only thedoctor can say if a second try is safe.
Do not use kitchen spoons. This method does not give an accurately measured dose. If the child squirms, the entire dose could end up on the floor.
3.Positioning matters. If flavoring is not an option and the medication tastesbad, try pointing the pediatric measuring device toward the child’s insidecheek rather than directly on the tongue. This may provide just enough time fora solid swallow before taste buds kick in.
Do squirt small bits of the medicine to avoidover-filling your baby’s mouth, which can increase a natural reaction to spitout a distasteful medication.
Do not automatically give a second dose if this, or any other trick, fails and your baby spits out the medication. Always call your pediatrician first. It is likely that at least a little bit was swallowed and that may make a second dose harmful.
4. Follow instructions. If there is any leftover medication, and you are sure your baby completed the full course, properly toss out the container.
Do be meticulous about completing the medicationcourse as your doctor prescribed. If you missed a dose, call your baby’s doctorfor advice.
Do not give any leftover medication to another child, even if the second child has the exact same symptoms. There should not be any remaining after the full course, and if there is, be sure to check in with the prescribing doctor.
5. Understand dosing for children. Your baby’s dosageamount for over-the-counter (OTC) pain and fever medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, is determined by weightand not age.
Do check with your baby’s doctor every few months concerningproper OTC medication dosages. A baby’s weight changes quickly.
Do not turn to OTC cough and cold medication, unlessyour baby’s doctor makes a specific recommendation. Stick with ibuprofen and acetaminophen to relieve at leastsome cold symptoms. Coughing is how the body naturally clears out the lungs. Stiflingthat cough can make your baby’s head cold last even longer.
The nationally recognized, 226-bed Inova Children’s Hospital houses comprehensive medical services and specialists who focus on the unique treatment of younger patients.
Wehave experts from more than 40 pediatric subspecialties and some of the area’slargest programs for children, including one of the area’s largest heartprograms with pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery.
Plan your visit to Inova Children’s Hospital by visiting inovachildrens.org or calling 703-776-4002. View a list of Inova’s pediatric services and find a doctor today.
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