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Home › Articles › Toddler Health › Down The Hatch

Down The Hatch

Helping Baby Take Medicine

By Dr. William Sears

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As Mary Poppins knew, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down." Sometimes it takes a lot of ingenuity to get children to take their medicine. Here are some pointers I use at home and in my medical practice:

Follow Instructions.
Be sure you understand you doctor's instructions about giving medicine. Ask questions when your doctor prescribes a medication: How much? How often? At what time of day? Before or after meals? Should I wake my child to give her medicine? What should I do if we inadvertently miss a dose? If the instructions on the bottle differ from what your doctor or pharmacist told you, or if you're confused about the dosage or instructions, call your doctor for clarification.

Never use a medicine past the expiration date listed on the package without first consulting your doctor. The medicine may be harmful or ineffective.

baby Measure Carefully. Be as precise as possible in measuring the medicine. Most medicines for children are prescribed by the teaspoon. It is best to use a measuring spoon or a calibrated medicine dropper rather than a household teaspoon when measuring medicine for children. One teaspoon is equal to 5 cc or 5 ml. There are a variety of teaspoons and dropper-like devices available for giving liquid medicine to children. Your pharmacist can help you select one.

Even if your baby takes a bottle, do not put medication in a bottle of juice or formula unless your doctor OKs it. Some medications are rendered less effective by the acid content of juice. Or the child may not consume the whole bottle and will not get the whole dose of medicine.


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