Getting a 15 month old to take medicine

[thebluemoon]

My 15-month old DD has to take antibiotics and she just clamps her mouth shut - I've tried the syringe and the spoon. She's not eating so I can't mix it with food... Any suggestions?

My son was the same, in the end I got another syringe just the same and put some yogurt in it ad gave it to him to play with, so when I came at his with his antibiotics he opened his mouth willingly and once he actually has some he decided he liked it and we didn't have a problem after that

Tickle her and when she laughs get the syringe in

At that age I’m afraid I used to wedge my little finger into mouth and create a gap big enough to poke the syringe in

Oh no I just tried the string in the side of the mouth thing and she swallowed it, then was sick straight away - just the medicine came up. Aaargh.

The yoghurt thing is a great idea but she won't eat anything at the moment .

Any other ideas?!

Syringe not string!

Does she still get a bottle? Mix it in with her milk.

Give her the syringe to hold and feed you? Then once she's fed mummy a few times she might try to feed her self - then squirt it all in quickly.

Mix with nutella or some kind of nut butter.
Aw not eating unfortunately the only thing that works for me is just doing it. Sounds awful but two minutes of crying compared to them being in pain 😥

We had the same issue but just persevered using brute force! It seemed like most of it got spat out but actually her nappies were vile and bright orange so more must have been going in than we realised. I also find the syringes with the tiny stick end as opposed to the wide ended ones to be much much better. Also aim onto the inside of their cheek, on the outside of their back teeth gums.

Put it in her milk.

Block her nose so she has to open her mouth. Syringe in very gradually into cheek towards the back.

We're professionals with medicine here- ds has had an awful lot in the last three months- he's also 15mo.

Basically, sit DD on your lap, the arm she has closest your body around your back, and hold her outer arm with the arm your cradling her with. If she cries, syringe into cheek. If she clamps her mouth shut, lead her back slightly- wait for an opportunity (she will open her mouth- babies tend to mouth breathe), and syringe into side of mouth.

For us it was all about the hold. DS will take most anything now without fuss.

Just whatever you do, don't just squirt towards back of throat- there's an asphyxiation risk.

I discovered that using a syringe really makes DS retch to the point of being sick. An ear infection at about 15 months meant he had to have a course of antibiotics. We got him to take them eventually off a spoon by doing the most overblown cheerleading routine and clapping any cheering every time he took a sip from the spoon. It distracted him enough and he enjoyed earning his praise and laughing at mummy and daddy being silly. Might not work for every baby but it continues to work better for us (for calpol etc) than doing it by force.

Thanks so much everyone.

The mixing it with milk thing worked and dose #1 is in!

Might try the ott positive reinforcement thing tomorrow too, love the idea of that.

Isn't mumsnet great for stuff like this x