Helping the medicine go down

So here are some tips for making the medicine go down with tears or tantrums.

• • Tablets can easily be crushed between two dessertspoons and mixed with a spread such as Manuka honey or jam or a nut spread.
• • Mix powders, internal contents of capsules or liquids with yoghurt, mashed banana, pureed pear or apple or smoothies.
• • To reduce the sweetness of powders, mix with mineral water or soda water with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.
• • Vitamin D capsules can be pierced and hidden in savoury options such as mashed sweet potato, tomato or meat sauces.
• • Numb taste buds by having young patients suck on an ice cube or frozen juice icy pole prior to giving the supplements.
• • Encourage children to drink liquid mixtures through a straw to bypass the taste buds at the front of the tongue.
• • Mix powder or herbs with water or juice and make into ice blocks. Try one teaspoon dose per ice cube.
• • Fish oil liquid is best taken chilled.
• • Mix powders or herbal medicine with water or fresh juice and gelatine or agar agar to make into small jelly cups.