 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 So, where does this leave parents who need to get their youngsters to take medicine?
Dr. Evelyn Reis, from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, recommends trying to mask the bitter flavor as best you can. First, she said, ask your pharmacist if there's anything they can do to make the medicine more palatable. Of course, Reis added, you don't want to make the medicine taste too good. "I would caution those who make medicines not to make them so palatable that kids think they're candy," she said.
If the pharmacist can't help, you can mix medicine with small amounts of pudding, applesauce or ice cream.
Text Continues Below
"My favorite trick is chocolate syrup before and after the medicine," Reis said.
As for the distaste of vegetables, both Mennella and Reis recommend offering a variety of foods over and over again.
"A lot of times, children refuse a food, and parents give in and don't offer it again. But parents need to persevere and offer the foods again. Repeated exposure may help," Reis said.
Mennella noted that the taste for veggies may be developing in utero, so eat a variety of foods while you're pregnant and when you're breast-feeding.
More information
To learn more about the sense of taste, visit the Society for Neuroscience.
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
|
.gif)
