Babies may choke if given medicine while lying down.
No parent wants to see his child suffering -- even if it is only with a cough, sore throat or low fever. However, if parents accidentally provide too much medication when treating their children, it can cause serious side effects, including death. According to a 2010 study in the "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine," 50 percent or more of parents make errors when measuring liquid medication in a cup. When dispensing medication through a syringe, though, over 90 percent of parents correctly measured the medication. This suggests that using an oral syringe may reduce the risk of your child being harmed by an accidental overdose.
Instructions
1. Purchase an oral syringe from a drugstore or pharmacy if your child's medication didn't include one. Wash the syringe in hot, soapy before using it.
2. Place the syringe's tip into the medicine bottle. If the bottle opening is too narrow for the syringe to fit through, pour the medicine into a small measuring cup, and insert the syringe's tip into the cup. Gently pull back on the plunger, and stop when the plunger reaches the correct measuring mark on the side of the syringe. Pour any extra medicine in the cup back into the bottle.
3. Insert the syringe into your child's mouth and slowly squirt the medication into his cheek, allowing him to swallow it. Don't squirt the medicine straight into his throat as this can make him choke. To prevent a baby from gagging, hold him at a 45-degree angle, and support his head while dispensing the medication.
4. Squeeze your baby's cheeks gently until she has swallowed the medication to keep him from spitting it out. For babies and older children, if the medication can be taken with food, follow it with a drink of milk or juice to get rid of the taste.
5. Remove the plunger from the syringe, and clean both pieces with hot, soapy water. Put the plunger back in the syringe to air dry, since the plunger will expand while drying.
Tags: , your child, dispensing medication, oral syringe