Give an Infant Medicine

Being the parent of a baby with a bad cough, ear infection, or other illness can cause a great deal of anxiety. The thought of trying to give your crying infant medicine might further raise your stress level. However, it is crucial to your baby’s comfort — and perhaps health — that you provide prescribed medications in a timely and proper manner. If you remain focused and as calm as possible, and make sure that you completely understand the dosing and dispensing instructions, you can successfully give your infant medicine.

Steps

Being Safe and Following Instructions

1. Know exactly what the medicine is and how to use it. Always talk to your infant's doctor before giving the baby any kind of medication. Listen closely, take notes, and converse with the doctor until you are absolutely sure you know the answers to questions like:
   • What condition does my baby have?
   • What is the name of the medication?
   • What will it do for my child’s condition?
   • What form does the medication come in?
   • How exactly will I dose it out and give it to my baby? And how often?
   • How will my baby respond? Are there side effects I should watch out for?
   • How should I store the medication?
2. Retain the original packaging and instructions. Never put the medication into another container. Keep the instructions with the medication, and consider even making a copy to keep in another conspicuous location.
   • Make sure anyone else who gives your baby the medication is as clear on the instructions as you are.
3. Store the medication correctly. Some medications need to be kept at room temperature, or refrigerated. Refer to the package instructions and your doctor’s guidance.
   • Keep the medication in a safe place, like a high cabinet or locked drawer, especially if you have toddlers or young kids in the house as well.
4. Use only the provided or instructed dosing vessel. Most liquid infant medications will utilize a syringe dropper. If a dropper is included with the medication (as it normally is), use only this vessel.
   • Never use a teaspoon instead of a dosing cup.
   • Measure out doses of medication as precisely as possible. Never think to yourself “Close enough” or “A little extra won’t hurt.”
5. Ask questions whenever you’re in doubt. Call the doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns, or if you are in any way confused about how to dose or dispense the medication. You’re not bothering or annoying them by doing so — it’s their job to help you and your baby.
6. Watch closely for problems. Make sure you know what types of negative reactions to the medication to watch out for. If you believe your baby is having an allergic reaction or is exhibiting a negative side effect, contact the doctor right away. If necessary, take your child to get immediate medical attention.
7. Stay calm to project a sense of calm. Even infants can pick up on their parents’ anxiety, and this is likely to exacerbate their own discomfort. Take a moment to compose yourself and take a few deep breaths if necessary. Remind yourself that you are helping your child, and that you know what you’re doing.
8. Wash your hands. Make sure you are not transmitting germs along with the medicine. Wash with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds.

Providing Oral Medications

1. Shake up the bottle of medicine. Most liquid medications should be shaken before dispensing; check the instructions to be certain.
2. Draw the right amount of medication into the dropper syringe. Many infant medication bottles have an opening designed to receive the tip of the included syringe. If so: depress the plunger of the syringe; push the syringe tip snugly into the opening of the bottle; turn the bottle upside down; and draw the instructed amount of medication into the syringe.
   • If the bottle has an open top: depress the plunger; dip the tip of the syringe into the medication; pull on the plunger to draw up the correct amount of medication.
   • Draw the medication right up to (but not beyond) the instructed line.
3. Hold your baby in the crook of your elbow. Make sure they are secure in your arm. Position them comfortably upright, so that their head is higher than their body.
   • If the baby is fussing and flailing around, try swaddling them gently but securely in a blanket or towel.
4. Place the tip of the syringe dropper into their mouth. Aim for the space between the inside of one of their cheeks and their lower gumline. This will make swallowing easier and reduce the likelihood of gagging.
5. Squeeze in the medicine in increments. Press a small amount of the liquid into the baby’s mouth, and wait for them to swallow it. Then repeat the process until the syringe is empty.
   • Start small, and only increase the amount of medicine provided per push if the baby is swallowing it easily.
6. Feed your baby as normal. This will help “wash down” the medicine, and remove any unpleasant taste.
   • Ask your doctor beforehand about what to do if your baby spits out or spits up some of the medicine. Typically, you won’t be advised to draw up more medicine and try to give it to the baby.

Giving Ear Drops

1. Prepare the medication properly. Shake the bottle if indicated in the instructions. If the medication does not come in a bottle with an attached dropper, make sure to draw up the precise amount instructed into a syringe-style dropper.
   • Typically, the closer to body temperature the ear drops are, the less jarring they will be for your baby. Consult the instructions and/or your doctor.
   • Wash your hands before and after preparing the medication.
2. Wrap the baby snugly, with an ear facing up. Swaddle them to keep them relatively still and calm. Hold them level, giving yourself clear access to an ear.
3. Tug on the earlobe gently. This will give you better access to the ear canal. Place the tip of the dropper directly over the opening, next to but not touching the ear.
4. Push the plunger to put the correct number of drops into the ear. Your baby might respond poorly to the sensation, so be prepared to hold them in place gently but securely. Drop the medication in fairly rapid succession, but not so quickly that you could lose count of the drops.
5. Repeat the process in the other ear, if needed. Your infant may or may not need medicine placed in both ears. If they do, give the baby a moment to calm a bit — and also a moment for the medicine to drain down the ear canal. Then, turn them to the other side and do it all over again.

Applying Eye Drops or Ointments

1. Get the medicine ready first. Wash your hands, shake up the bottle (if required), and draw up the exact amount of liquid medicine needed into a syringe-style dropper (if the bottle doesn't have a built-in dropper). Then wash your hands again. Do all this before you try to calm and secure your infant.
2. Position the baby in your arms, face up. Swaddle them as needed to provide a calming effect and restrict flailing limbs. Hold them level, with their head in the crook of your elbow.
3. Gently pull one of the lower eyelids down. This will create a small pocket beneath the eye itself. This is your target zone for the drop.
4. Squeeze one drop of medicine into the eyelid pocket. Let go of the eyelid and allow your baby to blink several times. This will spread the medication around the eye.
   • For eye ointments, squeeze a strip (1 cm or as instructed) of the medicine along the inner edge of the pulled back eyelid, then let go and allow the baby to blink.
   • In either case, get close but don’t permit the medication dispenser to touch the eye or eyelid.
5. Wipe away excess medication (and tears). Wait a few moments for the baby to get a bit more composed, then apply another drop to the same eye, or move on to the other eye, as instructed.
6. Try an alternate approach if necessary. If you’re struggling mightily with getting the drop into the lower eyelid pocket, you do have another option. Let the baby keep their eye closed. Squeeze one drop onto the inner corner of their eye (nearest their nose). From there, it will seep in between the eyelids. The baby will either open their eye, thereby circulating the medicine, or you can rub their closed eyelids gently.
   • Check with your doctor to make sure this is an approved approach.

Inserting a Rectal Suppository

1. Wash your hands and put on a medical-grade glove. Even if you’re used to dealing with nasty messes from your baby’s bottom with an ungloved hand, you are less likely to transmit germs this way. You’re also less likely to scrape their rectum with your fingernail — which would assuredly make the process even less pleasant all around.
2. Warm and lubricate the suppository. Roll the suppository around in your hands for a few moments; it will be more comfortable for your baby if it’s a bit softer and closer to body temperature. For additional comfort, rub a bit of lubricating jelly (or, in a pinch, lukewarm water) over the suppository.
   • Don’t use petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline), which might begin to break down the suppository.
3. Expose your baby’s undiapered bottom. Place them on a flat, steady, comfortable surface; their usual changing table / spot is a great choice. Lift their legs with one hand to expose and partially spread their buttocks.
4. Insert the suppository with your index finger. There is no exact science regarding how far to push it in, but the general rule of thumb is this: push it only far enough in that it won’t fall out.
   • If you encounter an obstruction or unexpected resistance, stop and contact your doctor.
   • Suppositories usually have a flatter end and a more rounded end. The rounded end usually goes in first, but your doctor might recommend the opposite to help keep the suppository in place.
5. Hold the baby’s buttocks together for a couple of minutes. Only gentle pressure is needed. In the meantime, comfort and/or distract your baby from the unusual sensation caused by the suppository.
   • Make sure to put a diaper on your infant before too long, or you may end up with a giant mess!

Sources and Citations

See also

• Lift and Carry a Baby
• Determine if Your Infant Has an Ear Infection
• Treat Allergic Colitis in Babies
• Diagnose Allergic Colitis in Babies
• Get Rid of Thrush in Infants
• Burp Babies
• Burp a Sleeping Baby
• Get Rid of Baby Hiccups
• Prevent Infant Constipation
• Fight Jaundice in a Newborn

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