Challenges of Medicating Young Children
Giving medicine to young children is troublesome for many parents. Providing a child with just a spoonful of medicine can be a struggle. Children tend to be fussy, resistant, vomit, or refuse to swallow medicine.
When it comes to dosing oral formulations at home, nearly 50% of parents administer incorrect doses of antipyretic medicine. Even the common alternative of injections is typically disliked as it is an unpleasant experience for both parents and the children. Injections also commonly require medical supervision which can be inconvenient for parents.
Suppositories could be considered as an easy and less fussy alternative. Some advantages of suppositories include:
Avoiding the oral route for fussy children
Does not need to be swallowed or taste-masked
Can be used in emergency situations (unconscious or vomiting children)
Easy to administer, does not require medical supervision
May avoid overdosing compared to other antipyretics