Sunday, December 02, 2007

Turn 'Yucky' into 'Yummy' When it Comes to Medicines


(NewsUSA) - For several parents, finding their young kids to take medicine for a simple cold able to be a problem that able to quick lead to tantrums. For parents doling out lifesaving medicine to assist their kids fighting cancer, that same struggle takes on an even greater importance and level of stress.

On the internet site for the National Children's Cancer Society (N.C.C.S.), parents coping with childhood cancer on a regular basis come together through message boards to gain hope, ask for assist and vent about the cancer-related issues going on in their lives. A frequent challenge is figuring out how to effectively administer lifesaving cancer medications to kids. One parent shared out her defeats about trying to coax her 4-year-old girl to take her medicine.

"She hates the medication we must apply her every day," the woman wrote on the internet site, www.NationalChildrensCancerSociety.org. "She won't swallow the pills. Crushing them tastes awful and to give liquid is almost impossible. Is there a trick?"

For parents looking for assist their kids defeat cancer -; as well as parents simply trying to ease their kid stuffy nose -; the coming tips are going to prevent a battle wrought with tears:

* Offer alternatives. While taking the medicine may not be a negotiable task, asking things such as "Would you like apple or grape juice with your medicine?" will give your kid a sense of control that will make them more willing to comply.

* Make the medication taste better. As long as you get the "okay" from your child's doctor, find out creative ways to disguise the taste of the medicine. For medication in liquid or powder form, try dipping a spoon into chocolate syrup, placing the medication on the spoon then offering it to your kid.

* Make a routine. Select a particular time and spot in your home wherever your kid receives their medication. With every dose, have them put a checkmark or sticker on a medicine chart arrange near the designated area. This is a specially significant tip for kids fighting long-term illnesses such as cancer.

* Apply them an "out." If your kid begins becoming combative during a medication session, allow them to take a short break -; approximately 5 minutes -; to reorganise both physically and mentally before trying once more.

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