How do I get my baby to take her medicine?

Anne Gillespie - posted on 09/12/2009

I have to give my 16mo old "sprinkle" medicine every night for seizures. My advice is to mix it with as little as possible, just enough to get it to stick together, hopefully about the size of one bite. Then you don't have to worry if she ate enough of whatever you hid it in to get the amount of meds she needs. Usually she is very good about eating it, occasionally I have to squeeze her cheeks together to get her to open her mouth, but if you can get her to swallow one bite and then reward her with a nice treat for a chaser, it might be easier. My dd also has to take a liquid med which is cherry flavored and she likes it so she gets that 2nd. I tried mixing the sprinkles with the liquid, but that didn't work out. Good luck!

Marcela - posted on 09/05/2009

My daughter had an acid reflux and constant ear infections. I had to make her to take a liquid medicine by force because she didn't want to take it willingly. One thing that helped was to make her meds more concentrated, so instead of having to give her two syringes I gave her only one at the time, which made the process less difficult. I wonder if your pediatrician could change her dosage. If she took her meds more often in lesser dosage she may not detect it as easily in her foods as they won't be that concentrated. I am not sure if that is possible, but I wonder if it would help. Best of luck!

Sharon - posted on 09/05/2009

OOHHHH that sucks. You've basically killed off her favorite and healthy foods. Its not your fault though.



Poor you, poor baby.



I had to dose my son when he had pneumonia - he was a yr old and refused to take the medicine, in liquid form. I put it in a syringe - no needle - and shot it down his throat - same as the cat. LOL, yeah I dosed my son, same as the cat. Pediatrician said "whatever works!" It was a fight every single time but what can you do? They have to have their meds.



Good luck!

Esmeralda - posted on 09/05/2009

i think youve been given great advice! i wish i could come up with something brilliant to tell you...sorry :-/

Jennifer - posted on 09/05/2009

I agree with the other commentor, try it yourself...can she detect the taste easier in some foods or faster??
It may help you find a food that is similar in texture or flavour that you can hide it in.
If it is not that bad and she just won't take it because its medicine...I had a friend once who had to give her little girl powder medicine and she mixed it with a little of the tiny sugar tubes of coloured sugar you can buy....not great for kids I know...but she had to take it one way or another.
In the morning or evening she would eat one of the regular little tubes of sugar, (which she hated!!) with her daughter eating the other one mixed with the medication.
Whatever you come up with hope it works for you!!
Good Luck!!

Betty - posted on 09/05/2009

This may sound silly, but taste it. Then go from there to see what you would most likely eat it in. Karo syrup is a great cover, but, can give bottom problems- rash. it is a huge problem many moms have had. Don't despair, your not alone.

Betty Bergman - Grandma....