Question

Can you add fruit essence drinks to a 4-year-old’s medicine? Previous treatment and effects: It’s for colds, coughs, and fevers. Some of the medicine is a bit bitter, so I thought about adding a little fruit essence drink to it. What kind of help do I expect? Isn’t this bad? Will it weaken the medicine’s effectiveness?

Answer

It’s best to take cold medicine directly with warm water to preserve its efficacy, as mixing it with juice might cause discomfort for the baby. Generally, it’s not advisable to add anything to the medicine, especially if it contains traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. If you must add something, do not use boiling water, as high temperatures can accelerate the reaction between the medicine and the added substances, potentially destroying both their nutrients. If the taste of the medicine is unpleasant, you can add some sugar or use a syringe to squeeze it into the baby’s mouth.