How on earth to give baby tablets? Croup related

[Poppytime]

14mo ds seems to have croup - been to docs this evening with 40.4 temp post calpol and hacking cough etc, very clingy and miserable poor thing. Won't eat. Have been given steroids (prednisolone) if his breathing gets worse, but it's 6 tablets at a time! She said something about crushing it with water but how on earth will I get him to take that, he is already apoplectic at the frequent calpol/Neurofen doses! Any tips or experience would be greatly appreciated - even on croup generally, typically dh is away and I have a 3 yo dd as well so hoping night won't be too awful and/or involve any trips to docs! Thinking I should go to bed soon just in case..can hear poor ds on monitor coughing and whimpering but seems asleep ok when I go and check...

You crush the tablet and dissolve it into water then syringe it into the back of their mouth. Or hide in a yoghurt.

Are you sure it's 6 at a time? My DC have frequently had croup and it's always been 1 or 2 tablets as a one off dose.

Yup 6! That's what it says on the prescription and what doc told me - she said there are different steroids but one much harder to get hold of so got this one. Reading the info she gave me now, not liking the breathing difficult/narrowing of airways thing.

Yes was thinking yoghurt although he is refusing all food at the moment and this is likely to be a middle of the night administering....and how do you know when?!?

If you can't get them in and worried please go to A&E-

Just try and crush them and use juice/milk etc

Maybe crush 3 in case of wasting/spitting etc.

You need to put them in as tiny an amount of water as it takes to dissolve them - highly likely it will turn bright pink.

Then syringe in and have something else to shove in their mouth to take away the horrible taste.

DD (3) is a crouper and it's always worked.

Also, it's like flicking a switch once you get it into them - you'll see and hear an immediate improvement... magic stuff.

Thanks guys - ds is still sleeping, I'm going to bed now just in case....I'm hoping he will have a decent night, more for his sake, he is so tired

Agree with Trooper - add them all to a few teaspoons of water and they'll dissolve really easily.

I dissolve in the smallest amount of water inside the medicine syringe (1 or 2 ml) it takes a long time to dissolve and you have to keep shaking to make sure. Then I wrap ds in a towel and squirt them (gently) in the side of his mouth, then stroke his throat.

They are the foulest tasting things and ds can detect them in everything, so unfortunately it has to be done like this.

When I was little my mum used to hide crushed tablets in a spoonful of jam! Ok not an ideal diet but it worked!

I've had to take pred numerous times (for asthma) and was always made aware never to crush them. I can't remember why, but you shouldn't. Can you phone 111 or gp tomorrow, to see if you can get a liquid steroid?

And I always found that the best thing for croup was to go out into cold night air. Much better than steam. And the change of scene is good too. Anything to help keep them calm and distracted.

If you have the pink ones they dissolve in water. Don't use a lot though as they taste horrid.

mortificado Some tablets shouldn't be crushed because they are time release but I don't see how you would get a baby to take a tablet without crushing it.

Things have taken a turn for the worse :( dh currently taking ds to a&e after his temp has dropped to 34.9 despite sleeping bag and put duvet for a couple of hours and he has been having cold sweats - he seems really poorly, I'm so worried :( staying at home as dd asleep upstairs.

Hope he's ok OP

Hope he's ok

Thanks, they are still there and haven't even seen a doctor yet

You would think babies would take priority 😞

I thought your OP said your DH away? Anyway, hope you get seen soon.

Pred dissolves in water as mentioned (as small amount as possible as it's VILE). Dexamethasone is the preferred ideal steroid for croup though and that's a liquid, can you not get that?

Hope he is OK?

Morning, yes DH was away Monday night and came back Tuesday late afternoon, DH took him to hospital early hours of tues night/weds morning. He basically hasn't been right since Monday when I took him to docs and they initially said croup. They think virus (as usual) and he is still very clingy and grumpy but his temp is a bit better. Nothing else to do really...I just want him back to his usual cheery self :(

They went in about 3am and didn't see a doctor until almost 9am! Maybe he wasn't seen as a priority, I don't know...DH said it seemed quite quiet in paeds a&e but no one around...maybe emergencies?

Sorry me again, mcbassy my gp said that's really hard to get apparently? So prescribed me the other steroid.

Hard to get? Really?? What area are you in? (If you don't mind me asking). Did the hospital send you home with any?

The awful cough from croup can last a few weeks

When my dd had croup they gave her a single steroid injection at the out of hours dr and that worked fine. i'd check with another doctor as your chemist could get the injection on prescription and you could take it to the nurse to administer