Anchorette P: My son recently had a minor injury and needs to take antibiotics for a week to prevent infection but it's such a fight, he refuses the spoon, tube and won't eat food if we try mixing it, any ideas?
Anchorette, you’re describing a very common problem in treating babies and young children with antibiotics. Sometimes, the texture of the medication or the taste are simply yucky, and we need to be clever, Sassy parents getting it down!
One Sassy Doctor’s number one tip is to consider the tongue! Taste is a topic we have explored here before on the One Sassy Doctor blog and the #1 trick I suggest is avoiding the taste buds! The bitter taste buds are along the back tongue—so try and sneak it in small doses to the cheek pouch and try to chase it after with some milk (or even a little treat of juice – for one of those special times we give a juice pass). .
The importance of medicine vs. the struggle of holding your child down to take it is a tough one! This is one of those times that a buddy can help—another parent or caregiver who your child knows can be the distracter and you can sneak it in from the back! Try; try again and as a last resort, check with your pediatrician about topical options or even a one-time injection if appropriate. Finally, the “mommy has a prize” option also works—sometimes you just have to give in! Tempt him with a sassy baby toy. J
Good Luck!
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