Measure
medications carefully. Do not use kitchen teaspoons - they vary in size. It's also difficult to give medications from a kitchen measuring spoon.
Your best bet is to use a medicine spoon or an oral syringe that you can buy at your pharmacy. They're accurate and all the medication gets into your baby's mouth. There are dummy adapted syringes available too.
Don't mix
medication with food or drink
without asking your doctor or pharmacist first. Cereal, milk or other foods could inactivate the medication's effects.
Never administer medication in the dark
. Accidents can occur when people grab for a wrong bottle in the middle of the night.
Store
medications where children can't reach them.
Don't
store medications in the medicine cabinet
. Bathrooms are too steamy and can affect a medication's potency. Keep medications in cool, dark places.
Don't exchange
medications. Medicine prescribed for one child should not be given to another. Dosages and strengths are tailored to the child's age and other factors.
Throw away
medications after their expiration dates. Most lose their potency after a year. Some, like antibiotics, have a very limited life-span. Check with your pharmacist.
Ask for directions in writing
. Many pharmacies offer brief written explanations about a medication. These can be very helpful, especially if you are giving your child more than one medication.
One final caution: never refer to medication as candy
- your child needs to understand the difference between the two.