Mom’s Daily

This is one of the sticky things we have to go through as a parent. There are kids who take medicines without fuss and there are kids who will put up a struggle. I have both kinds. The worst is the one who will force himself to vomit everything out, right down to the yellowish stomach acids.

OUR ATTITUDE

Before we learn the ‘how to’, let’s explore our own attitudes towards medicines. I know many parents view medicines as poison and there are even parents who took the upperhand of not giving the prescribed medicines to their child. Parents, do be aware that certain illness need antibiotics and your doctors know what they are doing. Do know that there have been cases of babies and children dying because sometimes, their parents delayed in giving them medical attention.

DANGER OF NOT TAKING MEDICINE

I had seen with my eyes two children, one an eight month old baby and the other, a six year old boy who died of sepsis or infection of the blood. It started as a normal flu with fever and somehow, (I heard through the vines) the parents delayed in seeking medical treatment. When the blood gets infected, the other organs will fail. The heart can swell. The kidneys failed and the six year old boy was hooked on to the dialysis machine for a few days until he passed away.

Therefore, first thing to remember is - Never try to treat your sick child with traditional or faith healing.

Secondly - Trust your doctors and don’t try to be smarter (than the doctor) by looking up the internet for information. If you wish to check what’s available on the net, discuss with your doctor. I often read up too but I will bring what I learnt to my paediatrician and he will explain the rationale of things to me. If you still doubt that doctor, find another one whom you can trust your child’s health with. Usually, it is more of a personal relations matter. We either click or we don’t.
Thirdly - Know that medicines are meant to heal and keep your child comfortable. Disregard what you hear from the older folks of it being ‘too strong, causing cold sweats, cold feets, sapping out his ‘chi’ etc’. However, educate yourself on the different types of medicines. There are only a few common groups of medicines, assuming our child has normal childhood sickness. Some are to keep your child comfortable, i.e. reduce the coughs but it doesn’t heal. Some are to make them breath easier, i.e. opening up the lungs which can cause the child to have cold sweats (as the blood vessels are affected too). So, expect some side effects.

Lastly - Keep the firm stance that if the child needs medicine, he/she needs medicine, without any negotiations. This way, your child will get the message that it is not something they can wriggle out of it. If you take charge, your child will have no choice but to swallow it. If you appear unsure and personally show a dislike of the medicine (due to the wrong perception that the medicine is bad for your child’s health), your child, regardless of age, will pick up the subtle message and make a big fuss not to take it.

More on the upcoming post…