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Young children get sick often, so they take a lot of medicines, not always tasty. Desperate parents sometimes make real battles or use a ramp fight, as long as the sick child stops squeezing his lips. Unfortunately, the forcing of drugs in a way or force often fails and the blurry mixture ends up on clothes and furniture. How do you give your child medication?

When the doctor prescribesmedications for the child , do not stop the treatment on your own.Giving medications to a childrequires strict adherence to the specialist's or manufacturer's recommendations (this applies to over-the-counter medications).

Also, do not miss any dose. If the preparation is to work effectively, the concentration of the medicinal substance in the child's body should be kept constant. That is why the times of drug administration are so important. If, for example, the package says "every 6 hours", the tablet or syrup must be given 4 times a day, also at night.

How do I give my child medication?

1. Don't "demonize "the act of administering the drug. Be firm, matter-of-fact, and hide your reluctance to take medications. Often, you unknowingly convey information that medicines can be tasteless. Sometimes you even offer a bribe: "If you swallow, I'll buy you something." The child thinks and draws conclusions: since adults are trying to bribe, the syrup must be really disgusting.

2. Liquid drugs should be given with a spoon or a special dosing syringe (you can buy it at a pharmacy). Usually it is equipped with a cap to connect to the bottle (this prevents us from spilling the medicine while scooping). The syringe should be put into the child's mouth from the side and depress the plunger slowly. The child has to sit up, because if the child is lying, the fluid can get into the trachea and choking is ready.

3. Do not mix the drug with drinks, as it is then not certain that the child has drunk the full dose. There may also be chemical reactions between the drug and, for example, a lens. Better serve a tasty drink after the medicine.

4. If, despite your sincere intentions, your daughter or son is still uncooperative, well, force will be required. There must always be two people in this situation, one of which is not too tight, but firmly holds the baby. Do not fool him that it is not about administering the medicine. This will increase the resistance to the next doses. At the closeston occasion, ask your doctor for a better-tasting version or the same third-party drug. Even for slightly older children, try to choose medicines in syrup, because syrups are usually tasty, fragrant and more likely to be swallowed than tablets.

5. Put your baby on his side when putting in the ear drops. Gently press the dispenser so that the drops fall directly into the ear canal. After the procedure, hold the child's head in the "ear up" position for a few minutes. During this time, talk to him lovingly and stroke his head. This is the best calming effect.

6. When you want to use a nasal spray, put the baby on his back. Tilt his head back a bit - you can put a rolled up pillow under his neck. Drop individual drops slowly so as not to choke. Ask your child to lie down quietly for a few more moments after the procedure.

7. Eye drops and ointments also apply lying down. Sometimes a second person has to immobilize the baby's head. Use the thumb of one hand to pull down the lower eyelid and sprinkle the droplets into the resulting gap with the other hand (or apply the ointment there by squeezing it out of the tube like toothpaste on a toothbrush).

8. Buy a special plastic tube with a mask for the administration of the so-called inhaled drugs. When applying such agents (e.g. aerosols for asthma), the child, especially the little one, is usually not cooperative. This requires that the administration of the drug be synchronized with the inhalation. Thanks to the tube, no synchronization of activities is needed. Some drugs are equipped with a special attachment, thanks to which the air flow during inhalation triggers the right dose.

9. Do not add medications to your child on your own .Many preparations contain similar medicinal substances and the permitted dose of an ingredient may be exceeded. It may result in poisoning or an accumulation of side effects.

10. Don't give your child adult medications. Different dosages apply and you may experience unexpected side effects.

11. If your child has difficulty swallowing tablets, do not split them, do not spill the contents of the capsules (they taste bitter and may be less effective), but ask them to prescribe a syrup.

Important

Always read the package leaflet carefully. Pay particular attention to possible side effects and unfavorable combinations with other medications taken by the child constantly or during this time. Such knowledge will allow you to quickly notice disturbing symptoms. Most medications should be kept in the refrigerator. Neither must be given after the expiry date.

Giving your baby antibiotics

Always give the dose strictlydetermined by the doctor, for a minimum of 5-7 days, even if the symptoms of the disease disappear earlier. The point is that shorter intake exposes the disease to recurrence and the bacteria to become resistant to the drug, which will not be effective with the next treatment. Usually the antibiotic is given one hour before or two hours after eating (when mixed with food, it is less absorbed).

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Do not combine the antibiotic with dairy products, iron and calcium preparations; they also impair drug absorption. Consult a doctor if you experience diarrhea, skin rash, vomiting (these are the most common side effects).

Do not use antibiotics on your own initiative. This is especially true of tetracyclines and quinolones, which must not be used in children.

Do not give any medications (especially antibiotics), "because they once helped with similar ailments", and there is still half a bottle from the previous treatment. Similar disease symptoms may be caused by something else this time. Antibiotics do not work with a viral infection. If you give them without consulting your doctor, the effect may be only an additional disease, e.g. mycosis.

Beware of unwanted ingredients in medications and supplements for children

Are you buying drugs or supplements for children? Read their composition carefully. Palm oil can be found in probiotics or vitamin preparations. One of the popular probiotics for children, in addition to beneficial bacteria, also contains palm oil and it is in second place in the composition, right after the sweetener.

Giving antipyretic drugs

Preparations containing paracetamol in syrup are the best for children. Before the age of 12, do not use aspirin (also with chickenpox and real flu) due to the possibility of neurological complications (Reye's syndrome). As an antipyretic drug, you can give drugs containing ibuprofen or naproxen. Do not add paracetamol to your combined cold remedies to avoid overdosing it.

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Administering antiallergic drugs

Otherwise called antihistamines (syrups and drops), use only after consulting your doctor and only for as long as he or she recommends. Almost all drugs of this kind will put you to sleep, but this is a side effect, so don't use them as a sleeping aid; they give unpleasant symptoms of lethargy and irritability later in the day. Also remember that a fairly common side effect of medicationantiallergic drugs are constipation.

Serving cough syrups

Use cough syrups in children with caution and care. Stop them as soon as the cough becomes milder. Their longer administration will make expectoration more difficult with time and may become a source of complications.

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Giving rhinitis medications

Do not use any cold medications for longer than 5-7 days. Usually, symptoms worsen towards the end of the treatment, which makes it possible to prolong it. The result is a stuffy nose and mucosal damage.

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Steroid administration

These are not drugs that are used frequently in children, however, do not use steroid ointments for too long; with longer administration, they cause skin atrophy (cavities). Do not use them on your own, e.g. in the case of skin allergies.

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Administering asthma medications

Inhaled medications can make your heart beat faster and make your baby anxious. If this happens, ask for a specific change. Medicines of this type relax the bronchial tubes and do not need to be taken systematically over a long period of time.

You can give them ad hoc, e.g. before the expected physical effort of the child. If it is difficult for you to synchronize your inhalation with the moment of applying the spray, ask for a syrup prescription.

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