How to feed your baby medicine? What is the best way

When a child is sick, he needs injections and medicine, but babies are inevitably afraid. When feeding medicine, parents can treat it as letting children try new foods, and don't be too nervous or panic. So how to feed medicine to babies after they are sick? What is the best way to feed medicine to babies?

Make good use of medicine feeding equipment

There are many kinds of medicine feeding equipment on the market, such as empty syringes, medicine feeders, feeding cups, spoons, etc. Parents can change tools from time to time, or put stickers on the medicine feeding tools and decorate them slightly to reduce the fear of children. When using, you need to pay attention to whether the size of the tool is suitable. When feeding medicine, do not push it more than halfway into the child's mouth to avoid causing laryngeal reflex. In addition, Dr. Zhou Yihong reminded that pacifiers are not suitable for feeding medicine, because babies may confuse it with normal feeding. After taking medicine, they find that the pacifier has a strange smell and then refuse to drink milk.

Taking medication before feeding

It is best to give children pre-meal medicine half an hour to one hour before meals. Do not feed milk or boiled water before taking medicine. Let the child feel a little hungry, so that he will swallow the medicine more actively. Do not lie flat when feeding medicine. Babies under 1 year old should be held by adults when taking medicine, in a semi-sitting position with a tilt angle higher than 45 degrees.

Parents can use a medicine feeding device to put the medicine into the baby's mouth and then slowly inject the medicine along the side of the baby's mouth. Giving a small amount of medicine at a time will prevent the baby from choking. Never pinch the baby's nose to pour the medicine in, so as to avoid choking or even suffocation. If the child chokes and coughs, stop feeding the medicine immediately and pat the back gently. After feeding the medicine, remember to check whether the baby has swallowed all the medicine.

Don't force medication

If parents always treat their children as if they are facing a great enemy when feeding them medicine, or even press their heads down and force their children to open their mouths to swallow the medicine, they will certainly feel scared. Therefore, please relax a little to avoid giving your children a bad impression of taking medicine. If your child can already communicate verbally, you can tell him: Everyone gets sick, and taking medicine when you are sick can make your body get better quickly! When parents are sick, you can also give them an opportunity to educate them, letting them observe themselves taking medicine, so that they know that parents also need to take medicine when they are sick.

Improve the taste of medicine

Many parents will mix medicine with food to cover the bitter taste of the medicine. However, Dr. Zhou Yihong reminds parents that adding medicine to juice and other beverages may change the properties of the medicine. A safer approach is to add sugar, fructose, sugar, and rock sugar. As long as the amount is not too much, it will not affect the properties of the medicine. In addition, the cold taste will reduce the sensitivity of the child's taste. Parents can store the medicine in the refrigerator, or mix the powder with cold water to make the child more accepting of the taste of the medicine.

Parents demonstrate swallowing pills first

Before taking the medicine, Dr. Zhou suggested that parents can demonstrate by dipping a little bit of the medicine in their own mouth and telling their children the taste honestly: I think it tastes a bit bitter, add some sugar. Try it again after adding sugar, and encourage the child to dip some in the medicine and lick it: I think it tastes sweeter, you can try it.

If parents tell their children honestly and let them be mentally prepared for taking medicine, they will be more willing to try it.

When practicing swallowing pills, you can ask your children to help put the pills (vitamins can be used instead) into your mouth, watch you drink some water, tilt your head back slightly, and swallow the pills into your throat; after swallowing the pills, open your mouth and ask your children to check whether the pills have been swallowed.

Through observation, imitation, and encouragement from parents, children can successfully learn to swallow medicine. When children successfully take the medicine, parents should not forget to praise them!