If you’re a parent, you know how difficult it can be to get a child to swallow a pill or capsule. Age, fear, anxiety and taste often stand in the way of doctor’s orders. Now, a new study looks at various interventions aimed at helping that medicine go down.
The researchers analyzed findings from 5 studies that looked at barriers to medication administration in kids up to 21 years old. They looked at the use of behavioral therapy, flavored throat spray, specialized pill cups, simple verbal instruction and head posture training. The results showed that all of the interventions helped children swallow pills easier…and at least one of the published articles found that younger kids, 4 to 5 years old, actually needed less training than older kids.
The authors point out this is probably because they’ve had fewer negative experiences. They say that teaching children how to swallow pills at an earlier age may help prevent barriers to medication adherence. They’re calling for more research on effective ways to help the pediatric population with this common problem before it's medically necessary.
I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV…with the news that your doctors are reading – health news that matters to you.
SOURCE:
MedlinePlus
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