Best technique for giving an 8 month old medicine?

am073104 · October 2011

Hi! All 3 kids are sick, and the older kids didn't need antibiotics until after 18 months so do you have any tricks to get a baby to take medicine? I've tried giving him infant Tylenol before and that did Not go over well. He won't and never has taken a bottle. Sometimes he will drink from one of those soft spout sippy cups but not enough to use that for meds.

Help!

cracky! · October 2011

Did you ask if you're able to mix it with something (BM/formula)?

When Jack was small, I remember putting the meds in the nipple of a bottle he really liked and that worked well. (I think we made the hole larger, too.) Oh, just saw he doesn't take a bottle...

Other than that, put it in a syringe, stick it as far back in their cheek as possible and go for it. H heard or read somewhere that blowing in their face the second the meds are dispensed makes them suck in & swallow, so we always did that, too.

Good luck!

October30 · October 2011

how much are you giving him? I just put the dropper in Lyra's cheek towards the back of her mouth and give it to her. Also, I do this while she is laying on her changing table. She is more likely to swallow then spit it back at me. Granted some of it occasionally leaks out or she spits it but it has worked for 9 months so far with her vitamin D drops I give her. Good Luck

am073104 · October 2011

Thank you!

I'm nervous that he'll gag on it but I will just have to do it and hope for the best.

rachjim · October 2011

I'm a pediatric nurse, so I give kiddos meds all the time. Generally, I just use a small syringe and squirt it in their mouth. If they like it, perfect. If not, you can go back into the cheek and just do all at once, and I've never heard of a baby choking by doing that. Otherwise, I just squirt a little bit in the side of their mouth here and there until it's gone. They'll cry, and when you squirt, they stop and swallow. I've never had any issues by doing that. Same thing goes with a dropper if that's what you have. Good luck! Hope they feel better soon!

rachjim · October 2011

Also, did you see if the pharmacy can add flavors to the med? I know Walgreens does that.

katie00224 · October 2011

Another nurse's suggestion: sqeeze his cheeks gently so he can't spit it out as easily, syringe in the back of his cheek and squirt

njh514 · October 2011

Just be ready to pick him up because I do the squirt method (after trying everything else) and Amelie pukes every time. I try a slow squirt, and quick squirt, here and there and everywhere. Sitting up, laying down, yadda yadda. I just learned that either 1-she doesn't need the meds that bad (never prescribed - just for teething pain) or 2- do it right before bath to wash the puke off.

That didn't help did it? Sorry.

SB&J · October 2011

Lay them on the changing table, pin 'em down, and squirt it in with a syringe. Thankfully neither of my kids would hurl or spit it out, though, I did not realize how easy I had it.

October30 · October 2011

How did it go tonight? When I was feeding L I thought of another way, how about mixing it with a little cereal and feeding it to him?

am073104 · October 2011

Poor guy

He didn't barf but he gagged on it. Screamed and cried. I had him flat on his back for part then tried elevating a little. Blew in his face. It's Amoxicillin and doesn't smell bad but it will just be no fun for awhile and then hopefully they'll be all better

Thank you all for the suggestions! E, I would try the cereal if he would eat it

Little man is still exclusively breastfed because he hasnt liked any baby food, at all. It has been a crazy few months, and sometimes I wonder how much Z picks up on the stress around here...I hope that isn't why he won't do solids.

All the kids are getting allergy tested tomorrow morning and R has the surgery consult for his back in the afternoon. I'm finally feeling better after a brief hospital stay in Sept, thank goodness, so I can care for everyone

I hope everybody on our board is doing well - I haven't been around here much lately.

October30 · October 2011

Ugh your poor family, sounds likes its been a rough few months.

Will he not do any solids like even applesauce or sweet potatoes? Trying to think of L's favorites that are on the sweet side. We did switch to the baby oatmeal instead of the rice and she enhales that, I tasted it and it is kind of sweet compared to the rice. Hopefully as things settle down he will start with the foods. I do believe babies can sense stress and maybe nursing is his "calm" and "predictable" time.

Well, hopefully it will get better as the days go on. Lyra was bad at first with the vitamins with gagging, shivers, sad faces, etc. (they are nasty) but now she just opens her mouth for them. Granted tonight she had a coughing fit with them. I think it just depends on the day. Good luck. Hopefully things get better.

Best technique for giving an 8 month old medicine?

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