My 16 month old has croup (we’re on day 3) and we are giving him a daily liquid steroid. He is fighting hard and really doesn’t want to swallow it. I might add that he is super strong (36 lbs). Any tips for getting a strong toddler to take meds?
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Have you tried mixing it into something like yogurt or pudding or applesauce? That's the only way we could get LO to take meds at that age and even that only worked most of the time.
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The only way that we were able to get antibiotics into my son at that age was to administer the medicine via a syringe.
It took two people, but basically you shoot the medicine into their mouth towards the side of their cheek over the tongue, and then you blow in their face. The action of blowing in their face startles them and they swallow the medicine.
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Did the pharmacy add flavor to it? If not, might be a good idea next time.
We put liquid medicine in yogurt (flavored or not) or on Cheerios (flavored). DD gladly takes medicine this way.
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When DS1 was little, we had an awful time getting him to take his meds. And if we forced him, he would make himself throw up. He wouldn't consistently eat applesauce or yogurt so I turned to the one thing I knew he would eat. Donuts. Yup, I squirted his meds into Dunkin Donuts Munchkins and he happily ate them. I'm not in the habit of giving my kids donuts for 10 days straight but you do what you have to!
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@Alba4: DD fought taking medication at that age. It usually took two people to give it to her - one to hold her down, one to squeeze the syringe into her mouth. She'd still spit out as much as she could, but at least a little medicine went down...
Flavored medicine definitely makes a difference... but it still took her a while to catch on that it tastes pretty good and makes her feel better.
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mix with powdered crystal light so you don't add any volume
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http://www.parents.com/baby/health/antibiotics/how-to-get-babies-to-take-medicine/
This article has great advice. In particular I like this suggestion:Fill a bottle nipple with medicine and have your baby suck it like a pacifier, suggests Kathy Barnes of Des Moines, who found that this worked for her 9-month-old, Aileen. "By the time she realizes what it is, it's down the hatch," says Barnes. "We then add a bit of water to flush it all down." You can also buy a pacifier medicine dispenser in stores.
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Ours fought medicine too at that age. The only thing that worked for me was cradling her and giving her a syringe in the same position that I used to feed her a bottle when she was younger. For some reason, she didn't fight that posture like she did when we would try to give it to her laying flat or sitting up.
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ugh that was the WORST period of time to try to give meds, and we had several ear infections so we really had to. We literally had to force it, and it took either 2 people or one person with a towel. if it was two of us, i'd almost lay over her body while she was laying down so she couldn't thrash/kick my husband, and he would stick the oral syringe towards the back of her cheek and just do it. if you get it far enough back, they can't spit it out. Also he'd do it in like 1-2ml increments because the more he squirted in at once the more likely she could spit some out.
If he was all alone with her, he'd lay her on a bath towel and basically swaddle her to pin her arms down and do the same thing.
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@looch: Ah ha! Blowing in their face. Brilliant. I can get the liquid in LO2's mouth most of the time, but unless I forcefully close his mouth, he spits half of it out. I'm going to try the blowing in his face method next time!
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@2PeasinaPod: I can't take credit for it, I learned it from my mom, after many a failed attempt on my part.
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@looch: i second the face blowing. Our son was around 9 months when we had to do that. An ER nurse taught us that trick. Worked like a charm.
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Face blowing or distraction Either way definitely use a syringe. For distraction at that age i set my kid on the kitchen counter with her feet in the sink. I turned the water on and let her splash her feet or use her hands. She was distracted enough to not realize i was giving medicine until she was done. Then it became a fun routine. I’d get the medicine out and she’d expect to sit on the counter again.
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@MamaG: this idea gives me hope!!! He is always trying to get at the kitchen sink! I’ll try it!
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Mix with chocolate syrup!
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