Best Way to Give Medicines and Treatments to Your Sick Child

Giving medicines and treatments

When a medicine or other treatment is prescribed for your child, make sure that you fully understand the instructions. If you have any queries, you can always telephone your doctor or ask the pharmacist who is making up the prescription.

Most medicines are flavoured to make them palatable for young children. If your child doesn’t like the taste, give him a drink afterwards. If it’s going to taste nasty, tell him – he can always brush his teeth to take away the taste.

Applying eye drops or ointment

It isn’t pleasant having anything put in the eye and your child will probably wriggle when you apply eye drops. Reassure an older child that it won’t hurt, but that it may feel strange and he may not see clearly for a little while afterwards. Lay the child on his back and pour the correct number of drops into the hollow between his eye and nose. Don’t worry if he closes his eye, as the drops will run into the eye when he opens it. Try to stop him rubbing his eye.

If you are applying an ointment, ask the child to keep still or find someone to hold him. Separate his eyelids with your finger and thumb, squeeze some ointment on to the eye and then close the eyelids. The ointment will be spread over the eyeball when he blinks.

Giving nose drops

Nose drops are best given with your child lying down so the drops don’t run straight out again. This is particularly important if you are giving them to prevent or treat middle ear infection, as you’ll need them to run back to the openings of the Eustachian tubes in the throat. Do this one side at a time: lay the child down with his head to one side and slightly tilted back, and put the correct number of drops in the lower nostril. Wait a minute or so, then repeat the procedure with his head to the other side.

Giving eardrops

To give ear drops, lay your child down with the ear to be treated uppermost and put in the correct number of drops. Wait a minute or two. Putting a piece of cotton wool in the ear will prevent any excess fluid running out, but don’t wedge it in too tightly. Repeat on the other side if necessary.