Oral Medicines: How to Give Them to Your Child

By understanding and following your health care provider's directions, you can give your child medicine safely and avoid giving the wrong dose.

Your health care provider has recommended medicine to help treat or prevent an illness or its symptoms. Oral medications for children and teens usually come as a liquid, a chewable tablet, or a pill to be swallowed whole.

It's important to give your child the right amount of medicine at the right times, because too little medication might not help your child and too much might be harmful.

Liquid medicines need to be given with measured-dose devices, such as syringes, droppers, dosage spoons and cups, and pacifier-shaped dispensers. The measurement units marked on your device — such as milliliters (mL,), teaspoons (tsp), tablespoons (tbsp), or ounces (oz) — should match the ones specified in the health care provider's prescription. If they don't, ask your pharmacist about a new dosage device.

• Always read the label carefully before giving your child medication.

• Check the expiration date of the medication.

• Make sure to tell your health care provider if your child is taking any other medications.

• Use the dosage device that comes with the medicine or is recommended by your health care provider or pharmacist for use with the medicine.

• If you are not sure of the amount of medicine to give your child, ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you how much to give on the dosage device.

• Don't use a kitchen spoon to measure medicine.

• If you're using a measured-dose syringe, remove the small cap on the end and throw it away before giving medicine to your child. The cap can be a choking hazard.

• If your child has trouble swallowing a pill, ask your health care provider if you can crush it and mix it with a small amount of liquid or soft food, such as applesauce. (Some pills should not be crushed.) If your health care provider says it's OK, make sure your child swallows the entire portion to get the complete dose.

• Do not mix medicine in a baby bottle. A baby who doesn't finish the bottle won't get enough medicine.

• Safely store all medications out of the reach of children.

• Your child spits out, vomits up, or otherwise doesn't take the medicine.

• You are not sure of the right dose.

• You give your child too much medicine.

• Your child has side effects such as a rash, vomiting, or diarrhea.

• Your child's symptoms don't get better or get worse after taking the medicine.

• Your child starts wheezing, has trouble breathing, or has difficulty swallowing after taking a medication.