More suggestions for teaching a child to swallow a pill:
1. Put the pill under the tongue and take big gulps of water. This will usually wash the pill out from under the tongue and down the throat.
2. Place the pill on the middle of the tongue and fill the mouth with water until the cheeks are full, then swallow the water. The pill should slip down too .
3. Put the pill right at the back of the tongue rather than in the middle.
4. Have a few sips of water before trying to swallow the pill, this should help the pill to slip down more easily.
5. Put the pill on the tongue then ask your child to take 3 gulps of water using a straw. When he swallows the water he will probably swallow the pill too.
6. Have your child try swallowing pills standing up rather than sitting down.
7. Try the pop-bottle method (This method reduces the tendency to gag on the pill.)
- Place the tablet anywhere in the mouth.
- Take a drink from a soda-pop bottle, keeping contact between the bottle and the lips by pursing the lips and using a sucking motion.
- Swallow the water and the pill.
8. Try the two-gulp method (This method helps to fold down the epiglottis (the flap of cartilage at the back of the throat that folds down and protects the airway during swallowing.)
- Place the pill on the tongue.
- Take one gulp of water and swallow it, but not the pill.
- Immediately take a second gulp of water and swallow the pill and the water together.
9. If your child’s medication is in capsule form, try the lean- forward technique. Capsules are lighter than tablets and have the tendency to float forwards in the mouth during swallowing. Leaning the head slightly forward while swallowing causes the capsule to move towards the back of the mouth where it more easily swallowed.
10. You could give your child different liquids such as milkshake or yogurt drinks to take the pills with. Thicker drinks slow down swallowing and make the pill less likely to separate from the liquid. Some children can swallow pills in spoonfuls of peanut butter, applesauce, pudding or jello. Pills can also be tucked inside mandarin orange segments, and the segments can then be swallowed whole. Chewing a cookie or some crackers and popping the pill in the mouth just before swallowing can also be effective. Always check with your physician or pharmacist before your child takes his medication with anything other than water in order to avoid a medication interaction with food.
10. You could give your child different liquids such as milkshake or yogurt drinks to take the pills with. Thicker drinks slow down swallowing and make the pill less likely to separate from the liquid. Some children can swallow pills in spoonfuls of peanut butter, applesauce, pudding or jello. Pills can also be tucked inside mandarin orange segments, and the segments can then be swallowed whole. Chewing a cookie or some crackers and popping the pill in the mouth just before swallowing can also be effective. Always check with your physician or pharmacist before your child takes his medication with anything other than water in order to avoid a medication interaction with food.
11. If your child isn’t ready to learn how to swallow pills explore alternative forms of the medication. Many medications come in liquid, sprinkle or chewable forms and some can be crushed or dissolved. Never crush, break or dissolve tablets or capsules unless your doctor or pharmacist has advised you to. Some specialized pharmacies can make up an elixir that contains a palatable tasting liquid containing the required medication if your child cannot swallow pills or capsules.
12. If swallowing pills becomes essential, e.g. a condition for entering a research study or if the pill only comes in pill form and cannot be cut or crushed, ask for a referral to a therapist who has experience teaching children how to swallow medication. Your child may learn this new skill more easily from a neutral figure than from a parent.
Be sure to reward your child’s efforts with praise even if he is not successful at each try. The goal is to help your child succeed with a variety of techniques that will make taking daily routine medication less of a challenge for you both.
12. If swallowing pills becomes essential, e.g. a condition for entering a research study or if the pill only comes in pill form and cannot be cut or crushed, ask for a referral to a therapist who has experience teaching children how to swallow medication. Your child may learn this new skill more easily from a neutral figure than from a parent.
Be sure to reward your child’s efforts with praise even if he is not successful at each try. The goal is to help your child succeed with a variety of techniques that will make taking daily routine medication less of a challenge for you both.
This material was originally found at: Newsletter of the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation www.bpkids.org
http://www.imakenews.com/cabf/e_article000203313.cfm
http://www.imakenews.com/cabf/e_article000203313.cfm
This is no longer a working link.
No comments:
Post a Comment