Your child's health after transplant

Age

Situation

Tips

Under 2

Babies and toddlers under age 2 can’t understand why medicine is important. But they find comfort in routine.

Slowly squirt liquid medicine into the side of their mouth.

Put the medicine into a nipple and allow your child to suck on the nipple.

2–4

Toddlers understand simple explanations for taking medicines, such as “the medicine will help you feel better.” But, they may not like the taste or know how to swallow medicine.

Mix medicine with applesauce, juice, pudding or ice cream.

Avoid distractions. Turn off the TV or take a break from playing so your child can focus on taking medicine.

Include taking medicines in their play. Your child may want to give pretend medicine to a stuffed animal or doll before taking the real medicine.

5–8

Children in this age group appreciate having some control and enjoy tracking progress to earn rewards.

Talk with your child about the importance of taking medicines to get better and stay healthy.

Offer your child a choice of time and place to take the medicine, such as now or in 5 minutes. Give your child choices about what to drink or eat with it.

Use a sticker chart to track medicine and offer a small reward for milestones.

9–12

Older children may be more aware of side effects caused by each medicine. They also understand the consequences of not taking their medicines, such as having to go back to the hospital.

Involve your child in their health care. If your child has questions about the medicines or concerns about side effects, help them write down questions to ask the doctor at the next appointment.

Schedule medicines around times your child can do something fun. For example, after you take your medicine, you can watch this video or TV show, or do this activity.

13–18

Teens may rely on parents for support but also want to gain independence. Fitting in to a peer group is important to teens.

They may be resistant to taking medicines or doing things that make them feel different. Some teens may hide medicines or secretly spit them out.

Stress the importance of taking medicine and the consequences of not taking it.

Send a text message with a reminder to take the medicine, or set a reminder on your teen’s cell phone.

Reinforce desired behaviors. Notice when your teen is being responsible for their care and offer a compliment.

As needed, supervise your teen taking medicines to make sure they’re not being skipped or discarded.