Capsules: While primarily meant for adults, there are a few situations where they have to be given to a child for want of a better or a suitable alternative. The same method as above should be followed. The capsule should be opened, the powder taken out on a piece of paper and then put in the viscous gel before giving it to the child.
Injections: It is a painful alternative for the child. As soon as the child sees a doctor or a sister, his anxiety level peaks and he starts crying, particularly if he has been sensitized to it earlier by prior injections. The injection has to be forcefully given to the child in most cases with someone holding him. As in certain cases injections cannot be avoided and are a must, parents should make the child realize that it is for his own good and will make him get well faster. Some parents want some sort of anaesthesia (i.e. pain killer) to “deaden” the pain of injection.
It is practically not possible to implement. Nowadays there are some creams which when applied locally and left for half an hour, create a local anaesthesia and reduce the pain of pricking. It is suitable for intravenous injections and for starting intravenous drips. In intramuscular injections, it only anaesthetizes the skin and hence the muscular pain is still felt. Different children have different temperaments and tolerance to pain. Some may face it stoically while others may refuse to be injected and thrash around to avoid the injection. If the child is very sensitive, he may be given some sedation 1 hour before the injection so that his anxiety level is reduced.
Multiple medicines: If many medicines are to be given to a child, parents often forget which medicine is to be given when and in what dose. So they may end up giving erroneous drug therapy to their child. However much you remember and jot down, when a child is prescribed 5-6 medicines, there is always a chance of an error. The best way is to tell the doctor that he writes less medicines and gives medicines (say 2 or at the most 3 drugs) for the immediate illness and other drugs like tonics, B-complex syrups etc. can be given later on when the child is a bit better.
Caution: Do not self-drug your children. Some parents think that they are competent and give medicines to their child by their own self. I have only to state that this is hazardous and may lead to unnecessary and sometimes dangerous complications. Always ask a doctor before giving any medicines.
There are some misconceptions as to whether the medicine should be given before or after food. For most of the medicines it is better not to be empty stomach. However some medicines require an empty stomach for better absorption.
The parents should complete the whole course of the treatment and should not stop it in between, particularly when they find that the child has improved. This is because residual infection may still linger on, plus haphazard medications lead to the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria. Some of the medicines have to be given for a long duration like T.B. medicines for 6-9 months, anti-convulsants for 3 years etc. The parents should strictly comply with the whole course.