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Original poster

How do I stop baby spitting out medicine?

18 replies

bearcrumble · 30/04/2010 09:32

I have an anaemic 10-week-old and he's been prescribed this bright orange iron syrup that I have to give him with an oral syringe.

The first dose, he looked surprised but he swallowed it. Since then he's 'got wise' and holds it in his mouth for a couple of seconds and then spits it out.

Last night I resorted to mixing it with some expressed breatmilk and putting it in a bottle but he's meant to have it three times a day and I don't want to give him bottles all the time.

Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
doughnutty · 30/04/2010 09:53

When you syringe it into his mouth blow in his face. His reflex will make him swallow.

Good luck I had a job giving my DS anti-b's a few weeks ago and this was great advice I was given. Didn't stop him screaming and wriggling (wrapped him tightly in a muslin) but it got most of it into him.

Good luck and hope your LO gets well soon

Fel1x · 30/04/2010 09:56

can you cradle him so hes leaning back a bit and squirt syringe to the back of his mouth more? that works on ds!

Scootergrrrl · 30/04/2010 10:01

Use a syringe and put it slowly into his cheek instead of straight down his throat.

Original poster
bearcrumble · 30/04/2010 11:41

Thanks all.

I managed to give him some but he then threw up his entire stomach contents all over my bed. This is the second time he's done a massive vom after taking the iron medicine. I don't know if it is better to keep giving it or leave it off. His haemoglobin was 8.7 and the bottom of the normal range is 11.

Maybe I could try and eat more iron rich foods and it will get into my milk? I'm not a veggie or anything so I was surprised at the blood results (he's not been acting ill, he had a full blood count done because he had a suspicious rash and we took him to A+E on Monday).

It's so worrying.

OP posts:
FabIsGoingToGetFit · 30/04/2010 11:44

Aim the medicine to the side of his mouth, much harder to spit out than putting it straight down his throat.

phdlife · 30/04/2010 12:00

ah bearcrumbles, no advice just a big pat on the shoulder. hope your wee ds is better soon.

Original poster
bearcrumble · 30/04/2010 17:10

Thank you. We mixed it with a bottle of expressed milk again and it stayed down - looks like it's going to have to be the way we do it. Oh well - if it is only a small bottle I can still give him some boob as well that feed.

I checked online and you can't up the amount of iron in your milk thtough diet.

OP posts:
FabIsGoingToGetFit · 30/04/2010 18:47

IIRC you are not meant to mix certain medicines with milk or anything as it stops the medicine working as well.

ConnorTraceptive · 30/04/2010 18:50

I think FAB may have a point I know they normally say not to drink milk an hour either side of taking iron medication as is hinders the absorbsion of it. NOt sur if this applies to breast milk or just cows milk but it might be worth checking

Original poster
bearcrumble · 30/04/2010 20:00

Oh Jesus. Ok, cheers.

OP posts:
Original poster
bearcrumble · 30/04/2010 20:09

I've googled and read other forums now and lots of babies are given it in their milk in hospital and parents have been told by paeds that it is ok to do so at home as well so I think it is fine.

OP posts:
gingerkirsty · 30/04/2010 20:10

Bearcrumble i have recently posted about exactly the same scenario with my DD 10 wks old. She threw up an entire feed all over both of us due to gagging on the gripe water i was giving her so i know how you feel. I did end up mixing it with EBM as you say but that was v labour intensive as she had to have a dose with each feed so i was expressing 8oz for a day! Anyway, it has now been resolved by me giving it to her in a syringe into her cheek as suggested above, bit by bit - i find 1ml at a time works well, and if i squirt it into her cheek and then move the end of the syringe into the centre of her lips she seems to suck on it and keeps most of the medicine down without choking or gagging on it. Slowly is the name of the game.
HTH and good luck

gingerkirsty · 30/04/2010 20:11

Here is my original thread - some good tips from other MNers on there

Original poster
bearcrumble · 01/05/2010 11:02

Oh thank you GK that's great.

OP posts:
lynz10 · 10/02/2014 11:03

Do you think a new medicine device needs to be produced to allow babies to receive their full amounts of medicine ?. Forthe present situation draw up medicine in a syringe and put a teat in to the babies mouth ie like the top of a baby bottle . slowly inject the medicine into the syringe and allow the baby to take this at his or her own pace . Iv used this many times and it works well .

lynz10 · 10/02/2014 15:01

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PartyConfused · 10/02/2014 15:23

Is it Sytron? It is fine in milk. In fact when on the nnu the nurses added it to the milk as the babies often threw it up if given on it's own.

But, for calopol etc, I put dummy in, and add syringe at same time. She sucks dummy and sawllows the medicine! I've tried everything else including the dummy that you fill with medicine.

PartyConfused · 10/02/2014 15:24

Just spotted this is an old thread!

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