A Bad Tasting Medicine

Giving medicine to a baby is no easy task, especially if it tastes bad. Here are a few tips that will help you treat your child effectively.

Know all the tricks…

But first, taste the medicine yourself (if you’re not allergic, of course), to see if taste is acceptable or if you should hide it. It could be useful and tempting to cover the taste of medicine with food.

However…

Never mix medicine to a child’s meal or to essential food. The child will think the meal tastes bad and will refuse to eat it. There is also a risk that your child will associate bad taste with healthy foods. You’re better off mixing the medicine to liquids or to non essential food, like a little jam, chocolate syrup, apple sauce or pudding. Never mix medicine with honey or corn syrup for children under one year of age. Honey, pasteurised of not, may contain botulism spores and make your baby sick, as his or her digestive system is not mature enough to digest them.

Never add medicine directly to the baby’s bottle. The baby will not receive the proper dose if he or she doesn’t drink the whole content of the bottle. Make sure the baby drinks or eats the full amount of food or drink the medicine is mixed to… It is important that the child receive the full dose.

Another tip

Give a frozen teething ring to you baby before medication: the baby’s mouth and taste buds will be frozen and will taste less. Blowing softly on baby’s face can also incite baby to swallow more easily.