Medicine  taken by mouth usually have pleasant flavors. Some babies take them without a fight while others make a fuss.  Giving your child medication can be traumatic for both you  and the baby. However cuddling your baby and giving him  the reassurance that everything will be okay can help.

Steps to take when giving your infant  medicine  by mouth

• wash your hands before starting
• shake the medication bottle before opening
• draw a small amount of the medication into an oral syringe . ( A syringe without needle). Let the infant suck the medicine out of the syringe
• give the medication to the baby right before feeding unless the doctor tells you otherwise. This way the baby is hungry and more likely to swallow the medication
• use your baby’s natural reflexes such as sucking whenever possible when giving an infant medication
• you can help the baby open his mouth by gently stroking his cheeks. When he opens his mouth, put a small amount of the medication  on either side of the tongue. Let him swallow and repeat the process until all the dose of medication is gone. Hold the baby in a nearly upright position. If the infant struggles , hold one arm and place the other arm around your waist. Hold the baby close to your body
• avoid mixing the mediation  with food the child eats. If he doesnt like the medicine , he may begin to dislike the food. Instead you can mix it  with small amount ( 1 to 2 teaspoons) of apple sauce or pear and give it with a spoon. This is a good way of giving pills that have been crushed well. You can crush a pill by placing it between two spoons  and pressing the spoons together
• you can also put some medicine  in a small amount of juice or sugar water. You need to follow carefully the instructions of your doctor, pharmacist  or nurse.  Do not put medicine in a full bottle or cup  just in case the infant does not drink much

REMEMBER

• read the label each time before you give medication
• for liquid medications, use pediatric measuring devices such as measuring spoon or syringe available at the pharmacy
• give the exact amount the doctor ordered
• stay with your child until he has swallowed the dose of medication
• do not give your child’s medicine to another child
• never call medicine candy

SAFETY TIPS

• do not squirt medication directly to the back of the baby’s throat. This can cause the child to choke
• give small amount of the medication at a time to avoid choking
• let the baby swallow all the medicine  before giving more