2 year old will not allow us to give medication via areo spacer tube..tips please

as the title says....any tips please...he needs blue ventolin reliver as has night / day cough

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call06, many thanks for advice but he is not yet 2...and he will not allow it over mouth and fights it like tyson and bruno.....

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I remeber these days well and my son is now 11 !

We used to find giving inhalers and nebulisers resulted in practially wrestling, during one particular bout in hospital a nurse suggested we wrapped him up in sheet so we didnt get black eyes. It did work, Sean used to scream and shout like mad but we werent getting injured in process. I used to feel really mean doing it but the alternative was he would become very ill so I had no choice. If you get mask over face and they screaming the ventolin will get deeper into lungs I was told.

Good luck, i'm sure many parents been through same and could help.

[KateMoss]

Also, pop stickers on the spacer and let him play with it - try giving 'teddy' a go with the spacer!

Also children are vwey good at copying so you could pretend cough and pretend to use the spacer. My Niece when 20 months was trying to puff down my peak flow meter cos her Daddy uses one.

As Julie says, if they are screaming they are taking in a good lung full of breath too! (sounds horrid but it does work)

Kate

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i used to let my 3 year old who started using his spacer at 1 play with his i used to pretend to put it on my face to just to show it cant harm you, i also used to show him the teddy on it and show that the teddy is also having it on his mouth he was fine taking it ,

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my friend has the same problem with my godson who is only 10 mths so as i work with health visitors I asked their advice and was told that if all else fails use the volumatic spacer in half when they are asleep and hold it close to mouth and cause of size of gap they should inhale natrually required amount of med.

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There is an old saying ""monkey see Monkey does"".

I caught my 2 year old grandduaghter pretending to take my inhaler using a brown chunky wax crayon as the inhaler. She had it off pat shaking the crayon holding it correctly to the mouth and even with the correct hissy sound effects.

Can your child watch someone else and then naturally mimic?

[yaf_user681_26410]

A long time ago I was advised to use a polystyrene cup for my son when he was 6 months old. Trace round the inhaler and make the right size hole to fit it and then put the cup against his face. He didn't mind that but then he didn't fight the nebuliser mask either, I think he was too poorly at the time.

Ange

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Angela - the polystyrene cup is an excellent emergency spacer!! I've used it before, and it works a treat (when you have no choice). xx

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I have two year old twins and initially it is a huge battle but they do get used to it. Don't let them see you think its a big deal just stay very calm and matter of fact and we ARE going to give you your inhaler now!

Try putting favorite teletub's finmbles etc on. Sit on floor with them on your knee and pin arms and legs with body parts (use towel to keep arms in if they're a wriggler!) Make breathing in and out noises as you give it. The more they scream the more they get into their lungs it only takes a couple of weeks and it is no longer a problem. Each time you give it make a huge fuss of how clever they were even though they didn't cooperate and reward with a sticker chart/sweetie etc. Make it part of the bedtime routine so it's always given after bath etc. Let them cover it in stickers and leave it lying aroung minus inhaler to play with!

Mine have got to the point where i can give it in their sleep if make the in/out breathing noises at them!

It's just like potty training takes time and you have to stay calm but you get there eventually!

Good Luck

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Hi i read this topic a while back, and was looking for advice on using my own spacer effectively, i came accross this

netdoctor.co.uk/health_advi...

i really hope this helps

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little polystyene balls

Hi,

When my daughter was very little (she's deaf) and wouldn't/couldn't learn to use her spacer we had a little packet (envelope) full of those little balls that are used in packing/bean bags. we used to empty them into the spacer once her inhaler was in place - as she blew they fluttered around the only problem was that they continually fell out and needed picking up and that it used to make her laugh.

We found that she really enjoyed using her spacer and her asthma nurse thought that this was a really good method because telling her to listen for clicks was no use.

Margot x.

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WOW - I *love* this idea....I may have to try it to implement on the AUK holidays....provided you don't run the risk of inhaling the extra-small beads!

Plus from a doctory point of view I wonder whether you could functionally use it beyond teaching, as I would imagine you'd get quite a lot of drug loss on the beads.

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Hi

My son's now 2 8months he's been using an inhaler on and off since he was 4 months. Regularly since 18 months. It was tough - he used to scream - shout - kick - punch - bite - the first time we had to do it in hospital i cried and cried and had to leave the room - nurse and dad had to do it!!! But i realised very quickly that if he didn't have it he would be really ill. We have a baby haler which we let him play with - we used in on ourselves teddies etc as already suggested. We also explained what we were doing and why - we said that we had to do it and that if he was calm then it would be done more quickly but that we would give him his medicine no matter what!!!!! (don't know if it helped him - but it helped me not to feel like an absolute evil witch!!!!) I try to remain calm on outside - giving loads of positive encouragement - even little treast initially (naughty but i couldn't stand to see him so upset) I sit him inbetween my legs and put one arm around his body/or hold his face. Initially it was impossible on my own it took dad to pin him and me to give inhaler!!!

I know it's hard but it does get easier - if you show weakness then it just takes longer (as Marmite said) - they do get used to it - my son now takes his inhalers like an Angel (well 99% of the time) - you do feel like you are attacking them - at times we were giving inhalers every 4 hours and 2 loads of antibiotics and prednisolone - I felt dreadful - there is no easy answer - like the idea of the poly balls!!!! But it does get easier with perseverance.

Take care and good luck

Claire

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*Bumped*

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bumping up for Maddie T

Hope this helps

claire

x

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bumping up for Maddie T

Hope this helps

claire

x

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*bumped*

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Swaddling

My daughter just spent the weekend in hospital, being nebulised every 2 hours via her spacer and ventolin (she is only 16 months).

After getting her home and sustaining a black eye in her struggle to get away from the spacer (poor thing), I now swaddle her. As cruel as it may seem, it is the only way I can stop her thrashing and wriggling!

Just remember, when they scream or cry they also breath in harder so therefore get more of the medication.

I have been very upset that she has been diagnosed with Asthma until I looked at myself. I was diagnosed at the same age and now only take medication as and when needed (colds - hayfever). As a child I swam, danced and did everything that a child should do. Ohh, and I got out of cross country at school. So I am staying possitive that if I can help control Mireads Asthma she can do as I did!

I also worked for many years as a singer which taught be breath control.

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bumped for amber

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We just turn the DVD on and watch ""Little People"".

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A rewards system?

I don't have a two year old, so I don't know how their minds work....but kids are quite canny when they think something is in it for them!

Perhaps make a chart on the wall and everytime your child successfully takes their spacer, they earn a star and at the end of the week if they have gained enough stars they get some sort of reward?