Q: It’s always a struggle whenever I need to give medication to my 5-year-old daughter. Do you have any tips for getting a child to take their medication?
Getting a child to take medication can be challenging. When children are not feeling well, they may act irritable or stubborn which makes them less cooperative when taking medications.
Try to avoid power struggles by showing your child you are on the same team. Saying “we” instead of “I” and “you” when it comes to discussing anything about the medication helps to show your child you are in this together. Offer them lots of comfort, such as a hug or their favourite cuddle toy and give plenty of praise if they take the medication easily.
It's important to help your child gain a sense of control over taking the medication. Establish set dosing times for the medication that fit into their regular routine such supper, bathtime, medication, brush your teeth, read a book and bedtime. When it’s worked into their regular routine, they will know when to expect to take the medicine and it will be less of a surprise. Allow your child to have input while creating the schedule such as choosing the dosing time to be before or after their bath. Providing choices about how to take the medication will help to make them feel more in control. They can choose if they would like to sit or stand when they take their medicine and if they want to be in the kitchen or the living room. If it’s a liquid medication they can choose if they want it in a medicine cup or an oral syringe. It it’s a pill they can choose if they want to wash it down with water or juice.
Remember when giving a liquid medication to always give the bottle a good shake first as some of the medication may have settled to the bottom since the last use. It is also important to use a reliable measuring device such as a medicine cup or an oral syringe. The teaspoons and tablespoons that we use for eating can range in size and therefore are not accurate to use for measurement. Most pharmacies will provide you with proper measuring devices free of charge.
Some liquid medications have bitter tastes, bad smells and gritty textures that can be very unappealing to a child. Offering something cold like a popsicle or a cold drink before giving the medication can help to dull your child’s sense of taste. Having them pinch their nose closed when taking the medication can also help make the liquid taste less strong. Always have a cup of water or juice nearby to help wash away the taste of the medicine.
If you child is still refusing to swallow the medication, check with your pharmacist to see if the medicine can be mixed with a small amount of food, such as apple sauce or pudding. It’s always important to check first because some medications don’t work as well when taken with food.
By the age of 10, your child may be able to swallow a pill. It’s a good idea to set aside some practice time to teach them how to swallow pills properly. Many children struggle with pills mainly because they do not attempt a strong enough swallow to get the pill down. Have them place the pill far back on their tongue and take a big drink from a straw. The action of sucking on the straw creates a distraction away from the thought of swallowing the pill and creates a force strong enough to flush the pill into the throat. Have them tilt their head back as they swallow to help open the throat and make the swallowing more comfortable. You can begin practicing this technique with a small candy like Nerds then gradually increase in size to a mini M&M, then a Skittle and finally all the way up to Mike and Ikes which are about the size of a standard capsule.
Although it’s okay to practice with candy never refer to a medication as candy to try to get your child to take it. This could backfire and lead to an accidental overdose if they gain access to the medication and take too much thinking they were just having a treat.
Erin Thompson (BSc, BScPharm) is a graduate of Dalhousie University and a community pharmacist practicing at Shoppers Drug Mart in Quispamsis N.B. Her opinions expressed in this column are published for educational and informational purposes only, and are not intended as a diagnosis, treatment or as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.