Swallowing drugs is a kind of expertise that come naturally for some youngsters, and for others it takes apply. In actual fact, about 26% of youngsters have a tough time swallowing them. Some are apprehensive it’ll get caught of their throats and others have by no means tried it earlier than and due to this fact want a little bit of steerage.
Taking drugs as an alternative of liquid medicine has its advantages: They’re simpler to take with you, they go away little to no style of their mouths, and typically it provides docs extra prescribing choices.
In case your youngsters are having a tough time swallowing drugs, they’re not alone! The excellent news is that there are tried-and-true behavioral methods that may assist them study. As a pediatric psychologist, listed below are a few of the ideas we use to show our sufferers:
TIPS FOR TEACHING KIDS HOW TO SWALLOW PILLS
1. Collect your provides
You’ll want small paper cups to make it possible for they’re not swallowing an excessive amount of liquid, sweet of accelerating sizes, and empty tablet gel capsules. Test along with your pharmacist to see if they’ve any in inventory.
2. Observe after they’re wholesome
The most effective time to apply tablet swallowing is after they’re not below any strain to take drugs.
3. Hold the classes quick and enjoyable
Observe every single day utilizing the next steps till they’re comfy swallowing drugs. I like to recommend limiting every session to about 5-10 minutes in order that they don’t really feel overwhelmed. And attempt to make it enjoyable! Use totally different candies of accelerating sizes, equivalent to cupcake sprinkles, Nerds®, Tic Tacs®, mini M&M’s®, common M&M’s®, Good & Lots®.
4. Use imagery and positivity
Have your youngsters image their throat prefer it’s a water slide, and the tablet is the inside tube gliding down the hill. Additionally it is useful to offer optimistic reinforcement alongside the best way. Older youngsters will profit from having them say issues like “I can do that,” “I might be okay,” and “My physique can deal with this.”
5. Give them a number of choices
Giving them choices will make them really feel like they’ve a way of management. “Would you want to sit down or stand?” “What would you prefer it blended with?” “White cup or pink cup?”
6. Begin with water
Have your youngsters begin with a sip of water (with out a piece of sweet) to apply. Make it possible for they’re not swishing the water of their mouths.
7. Then dissolve it
Beginning with the smallest sweet, have them place it towards the again of their tongues and let it dissolve again there.
8. Enhance sizes progressively
As soon as they’ve mastered dissolving the smallest dimension at the back of their tongues, it’s time to aim to swallow it. Have them place the smallest sweet on the again of the tongues (whereas conserving it flat) after which take a sip of water to swallow the sweet. Repeat this 2-3 instances in order that they really feel profitable shifting on to larger sizes. It could take a number of drinks and tries to get the sweet to go down, so preserve the encouragement going. They might discover it useful to strive totally different head positions. Turning the top to the aspect relaxes the throat which might make it simpler for drugs to slip down.
9. Repeat
Proceed rising the scale of the sweet till your youngsters can swallow the scale of sweet that is the same as the scale of their drugs. In the event that they attain a dimension they can’t swallow, return to the final dimension they efficiently swallowed in order that they’ll finish the session with success. Then return to the method the subsequent day. As soon as they’re comfy swallowing sweet, they’re able to strive empty capsules or precise drugs.
10. Make it simpler
Even when youngsters are able to swallowing the most important dimension sweet, they could nonetheless want some additional assist and techniques. Listed here are just a few to assist make swallowing simpler:
- Put the tablet in a spoonful of Jell-O or pudding, which is able to assist it slide down your youngster’s throat. Have them apply swallowing simply the Jell-O earlier than making an attempt it with the drugs. Don’t conceal the tablet within the Jell-O as a result of this may break belief between you and your youngster.
- Strive coating the tablet with magic shell.
- Dip the gel hole in ice water earlier than swallowing to make it very slippery, or use tablet glide swallowing spray.
- Use a particular tablet swallowing cup, equivalent to Oralflo.
- Crush the drugs in flavored syrup, if these methods aren’t working. Test along with your pharmacist first to ensure the tablet could be crushed.
