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Helping the Medicine go Down

3,406 views · Published 6 September 2015 · 1:27 · Indexed 26 October 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2015 · Science & Technology

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Getting a young child to take medicine can be a tough sell. But sooner or later, they’re going to have to swallow it.

“Most infants and young children will start with a liquid and some of them can taste pretty bad and be hard to get down,” says Lee Memorial Health System family practitioner, Dr. Christina Cavanagh. 

Doctors say it’s generally okay to sweeten the process.

“Most medicines can be easily mixed with other food or liquids, it’s always best to ask the pharmacist first, but most of the time it’s not a problem. And many times the pharmacist will even be able to flavor the medicine for you,” says Dr. Cavanagh. 

If it’s an over-the-counter product or your child doesn't go for the pharmacy flavors, you can mix a liquid medication with something they like. Once you’ve cleared it’s okay to dilute, a favorite drink may help the medicine go down. 

“Some of the common things you can mix it with might be apple juice, or a grape juice, other flavored juices. But chocolate syrup does tend to be one of the strongest flavors.
Try putting the dosing cup aside and use your child’s favorite drink cup or sippy.  And provided the medication can be mixed, it’s okay to add it to your baby’s bottle. If they drink it over an hour but get the whole dose in that’s fine. But you do want to make sure it’s a small enough amount that they will take the full bottle,” says Dr. Cavanagh. 

When your little one needs medicine, these extra steps can make the process less painful. 

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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