"My kids loathe swallowing tablets/capsules? How?"
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| capsules/tablets |
"How on earth my kid can swallow the tablet? My kid was afraid of swallowing capsule, especially when they are crying and anxious about taking medicines!"
Parents could get frustrated in administering medicines to their kids. It becomes even harder when trying to force their kids to swallow a capsule or tablet for an anxious sick child who refuse to take medicine.
What could parents do?
Most children at the age of 6 (or even earlier) are able to swallow capsule/tablet. However, effective training can allow younger children o swallow a capsule or tablet effectively.
Yes, you can train your kids to swallow capsule/tablet in a relaxed and fun way!
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| Lollies training |
Lollies are most children's favourite. Train them to swallow progressive larger lollies (e.g. Cake decorating balls/sprinkles, Tic-Tacs, Mini M&M, , M&M or Smarties).
Firstly, encourage your kids to take a few sips of water to their favourite drinks (e.g. juice) to moisten their mouth and throat ( This make swallowing much easier)
Secondly, lead by example. Show your kids how you swallow a lolly (start with the smallest size e.g. cake sprinkles) by putting it at the middle of your tongue. Then take a big gulp of water/juice and swallow it.
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Thirdly, ask your kid to do the same thing - encourage them to try for a few times until they are comfortable swallowing the lolly.
Fourthly, then advance the level by "challenging" your kids to swallow a bigger lolly. And, the kids would be able to swallow larger and larger lollies (pills) easily without even realising they are capable of doing it!
Apart from the little fun "experiment" you can carry out with your kids, there are some useful tips you can take into account :
- use yogurt or milkshake to help your kids to swallow capsule/tablet easier
- ask your kid to tilt his/her head forward while swallowing. This act can prolong the closure of airways to prevent aspiration of the medicine, making swallowing more effective.
Sometimes, if the kids really struggle to swallow capsule. The alternative could be emptying the content of a capsule into food or drink. On the other hand, some tablets may be crushed into powder and sprinkled onto the food or drink. Some could even compounded into a suspension. However, you may not do this for every tablet/capsule because the dose accuracy, medicine stability or bioavailability may be affected. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you can empty, crush the tablet/capsule or ask the pharmacist to compound the formulation into a suspension.
References
1. Bpac, 2014. Encourage children to swallow tablets or capsules [Internet]. Available at http://www.bpac.org.nz/Supplement/2014/September/pillswallowing.aspx.
2.Bpac, 2017. Helping patients with epilepsy adhere to their medicines [Internet]. Available at http://www.bpac.org.nz/2017/epilepsy.aspx.
