Question
My 9-month-old child has contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease and we went to the hospital and got medicine, but the child just won’t take the medicine. What should we do? Thank you.
Answer
To avoid the taste of the medicine affecting the child’s willingness to take it, it’s best to choose good-tasting pediatric medications such as sweet syrup, chewable tablets with fruit flavors, or lozenges. Prepare two small bowls, one containing a juice or drink that the child likes and the other containing the medicine. Give the child the drink first, then quickly switch to the medicine without them noticing and give them a spoonful of drink afterward. Note that the amount of medicine given should not be too large, and avoid creating a fixed routine when giving the medicine so that the child won’t refuse to take it again.