Ten tips to prevent children from taking bitter medicine

When babies are sick, many parents usually feed them some medicine, but the medicine is bitter, so many babies will resist this, which makes parents very headache. In fact, if you want your child to take medicine, you must also pay attention to certain methods and techniques. Many parents habitually use a spoon when feeding medicine, but you can actually change it and use a bottle dropper or measuring cup.

1. Time to take medicine: usually take after meals

Many drugs have gastrointestinal effects, so most are recommended to be taken 1 hour after a meal. But after all, each medicine has different effects and side effects, so you should follow the doctor's instructions or the recommendations in the instructions. For example, some drugs that are highly irritating to the stomach, such as iron supplements, can be taken one hour after a meal to prevent the drug from damaging the gastric mucosa; metoclopramide is generally taken 15-30 minutes before meals, and before bedtime if necessary. If it is a young baby, the medicine can be taken before feeding or between feedings.

2. Prepare the equipment: bottle, dropper, syringe, measuring cup, spoon

In the past, parents were used to feeding medicine to their children with a spoon, but this not only made it easy for the medicine to spill, but also made the dosage inaccurate.

Nowadays, many medicine boxes come with a graduated dropper or measuring cup. When using a dropper, place the tip of the tube between the baby's buccal mucosa and gums, and slowly drip in according to his swallowing speed. If you don't have a dropper, you can also prepare a syringe without the needle. The usage method is similar to that of a dropper. Sometimes, empty bottles can also be used to feed medicine to children. Put the medicine in the bottle and let the baby suck it by himself.

3. Understand the types of medicines: liquid, powder, tablet, capsule

Most baby medicines are liquids, but they also come in powders, tablets, and capsules. Non-liquid medicines can be ground and dissolved in a small amount of warm water before feeding. After feeding, give your child a small amount of warm water to dilute the taste of the medicine in the mouth and help the medicine dissolve in the stomach.

4. Learn 2 postures: half lying and sideways

Children will show some resistance when taking medicine. It is easy for children to choke when taking medicine while lying down, so try to let them tilt their head to one side. If the condition permits, it is best to hold the child in your arms or in a semi-recumbent position, with the upper body slightly raised, the hands and feet properly fixed, and then feed the medicine close to the corners of the mouth. If your child is reluctant to swallow the medicine, pinch his cheeks with your thumb and index finger to encourage him to swallow.