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Children's health

Any tips on getting a baby to take antibiotics?

9 replies

sancerrre · 18/08/2011 14:29

I've been lying him back and dropping the antibiotics in slowly into his cheek but he keeps vomiting. He's 9 months old. It's for tonsilitis. I'm thinking of stopping trying with the abs and hoping it clears up on its own. Is that likely to happen?

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DrKoothrappali · 18/08/2011 14:35

Have you got a dosing syringe? The ones that come with childrens Nurofen are pretty good because they are long and slim. I used to lie them back along my arm so I could hold their head between my arm and my boob, use my hand of the same arm to hold down kicking legs and then try to get the syringe in the cheek and aim to get as much in as possible.

I would persevere if I were you, tonsillitis can get pretty nasty if untreated. I've started my DD on some ABs this morning so I feel your pain!

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sancerrre · 18/08/2011 14:52

Thanks DrKrooth It's good to know that it's worth persevering. I'll have another attempt shortly. I have a syringe that came with the ABs and will try your technique.

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Sirzy · 18/08/2011 18:14

Does he have a dummy?

I was shown to give DS his dummy and then pull it out just enough to be able to get the syringe into his mouth at the side, squirt a little let him suck the dummy, then give the rest.

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sancerrre · 18/08/2011 19:44

Thanks Sirzy. He doesn't take a dummy but perhaps I could do some sort of nipple adaptation to the technique. Would take the taste away quickly too.

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AmberLeaf · 18/08/2011 19:59

I 2nd the neurofen dosing syringe.

Brilliant things.

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sprinkles77 · 18/08/2011 20:20

My DS was like this. We got a syringe from the pharmacist (one with a narrow pointy tip, not the wide flat one that comes with the nurafen). When DS was due for a feed so very hungry DH would get a bottle in his mouth and I would immediately stick the tip of the syringe into DS's mouth at the same time. Then squirted it in really fast while he was sucking hard cos he was hungry. Worked a treat, no dramas. Might be able to do the same if BF, just stick the syringe in his mouth next to your nipple.

Don't stop the ABs. Not finishing the course encourages build up of bacteria that are resistant to ABs. Next time you need them they might not work. Someone else could catch his AB resistant bacteria. If they are elderly or vulnerable they could be very ill and hard to treat. This is in part how "superbugs" develop. Sorry, off at a tangent!

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RitaMorgan · 18/08/2011 20:24

I've just had to give ds a course of a-bs and he hated them! Screaming and crying as soon as he saw the syringe, spitting it out etc.

The thing we found worked in the end was getting those pouches of fruit puree (ds loves these) and syringing the medicine into the top of it, then letting him suck on them.

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jennys79 · 18/08/2011 20:33

My DD had tonsilitus and antibiotics at 9 months aswell. We used a syringe from the chemist, and squirted a bit in at a time. We were told to puff some air into her face as we squirted the syringe, as apparantly this causes a natural reflex to swallow. Not sure how true this is - but it seemed to do the trick!

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sancerrre · 19/08/2011 14:03

Thanks for the tips. I'm trying a combination of all of them with some success!

Interesting sprinkles about the superbugs. I knew it was bad to stop taking abs once started but didn't realise other could catch the ab resistant bacteria.

Right, off out to buy fruit pouches and a variety of syringes.