Medication Information for Parents

General advice on storing and giving medications to infants:

Keep all medications out of the reach of children. The medicine cabinet in the bathroom is NOT the best place. Medications should be kept in a cool, dry place, such as a linen closet, or a kitchen cabinet. Poison prevention experts suggest that storing medications in a plastic container with a lid or a tackle box with latches may help prevent accidental poisoning.

Refrigerated medications must be kept cold to keep them from spoiling. Put them back in the refrigerator as soon as you use them. Store refrigerated medications on the top shelf of the refrigerator, not in the door. If you accidentally leave a refrigerated medicine out, call the pharmacy to see if it can still be used. Sometimes a short time out of the refrigerator is still OK. Do not freeze medications.

Bad tasting medicines are sometimes better accepted if they are cold. Most medicines can be stored in the refrigerator if this helps.

Measuring the dose is an important part of giving the medicine. Use a dropper or syringe made especially for giving medicine. They are marked accurately for measuring medicines. Do not use a kitchen spoon to measure medicines for a baby. Be sure you know the right dose for each medicine.

Using a syringe is an accurate way of measuring medicines. Follow these steps:

• Shake the bottle of medicine (if needed).
• Pour a little of the medicine into a small cup.
• Put the tip of the syringe in the medicine.
• Pull back the plunger to the correct line on the syringe.
• Check for air bubbles.
• Tap bubbles to the tip of the syringe.
• Push any large bubbles out of the tip of the syringe.
• If needed, draw up a little more medicine to get the correct dose.
• Pour the rest of the medicine back into the bottle.
• Put the lid on the bottle and put it away.
• Give the medicine to the baby.
• Rinse the syringe with warm water.
  

Syringes can be used over and over.

Mixing the medicine in a small amount of milk is one way to give it. Make sure the baby takes the whole amount of milk to get the whole dose of medicine. When the baby is a little older, you can give the medicine directly from the syringe or dropper. Put the tip of the syringe in the side of the baby's mouth and squirt a little at a time. Let the baby swallow it a little at a time. Do not squirt it in the back of the mouth. That may cause the baby to gag or choke.

If someone else is giving the medicine, be sure they know the correct dose. Show them exactly how to measure it, or measure it for them. If your baby goes to a day care center you should be aware of their rules about giving medications.

Keep medicine in the original labeled container. Do not pour liquid medicines into other containers.

Turn the light on. This piece of advice helps prevent accidental poisonings. If you give a medicine at night, turn the light on as you prepare it to make sure you can read the label and measure accurately.

Stains from medications can be difficult to remove from clothes. Use a bib, a towel or you can schedule the medication for bath time. If you get colored medicine on clothes, treat the stain like you would a dye from a Popsicle or Kool-Aid. If you get iron or vitamins on clothes, treat the stain like a blood stain (do not expect to get it all out).

Ask questions. Make sure you understand these basic things about any medicine you give your child:

• What is it?
• What is it for?
• How much do I give?
• How often do I give it?
• How do I know if it's working?
• What problems or side effects should I look for?
  

(provided by St. John's Mercy Medical Center)