At What Age Can a Toddler Swallow a Pill?

My child has had multiple medical problems for all of his 15 years. He has been safely swallowing pills since he was about 2. This stemmed from him refusing to take liquid forms of medications because of the rancid taste. We started by having him hold water in his mouth adding the pill then having him drink a cup of water down with it. Never had a choking issue and he is now taking fist full of meds in one swallow.

My oldest daughter began taking pills very young, by the time she was 2.
She literally REFUSED anything liquid that was a medication of any kind. It didn't matter if I tried using the dropper or mixing it with juice, sneaking it....it either ended up all over her or she just spit it all out. So, out of desperation, I tried pills and she took them like a champ. She never choked or gagged.
She's 23 and to this day she still won't take cough syrup. She says she'd rather be sick than have to taste it.
My son was great about taking any type of medicine, but he took pills early too because that's how sissy did it.
So, I think it just depends on the kid.
Put a little water in the mouth first, add the pill and quickly drink more water to wash it down. That's how it worked for us anyway.

Best wishes.

My son was 5 when I taught him how to swallow pills. What I did was gather up things like sprinkles, rice, lentils (both dried), and other food items that are tiny but varying sizes. Then I explained to my son that we are playing a game to see what food we can swallow with water without biting into it. And then I showed him how to do it by taking the very smallest food item - a sprinkle - putting it on my tongue, taking a huge sip of water, opening my mouth and sticking out my tongue to show him that it had disappeared. Then it was his turn. We went back and forth with this for quite a while until I felt comfortable that he got the concept. And then for the next couple of weeks, whenever he had to take his pill, I would have him swallow sprinkles just as a sort of warm up.

The last time I was at the pharmacist, I noticed a spray that you can spray on your tongue that helps slide down a whole lot easier. Since my son has to take a gel cap right now that doesn't feel all that great when its on his tongue, I purchased the bubblegum flavored spray and it has made the whole process a lot easier.

My son had lots of medical problems such as seizures and there were in some cases medicines that did not come in a liquid or couldn't be crushed up but he had to take them so we tried everything. He was taking pills at 2 because of it. Things we tried were putting it in pudding, applesauce, yogurt then have him swallow, worked like a charm by 2 1/2 he was doing the pill with just a sip of water. He's 15 now and can take a lot at one time just fine too. I use daily gummy vitamins for my younger two now, something they didn't have back then but one doesn't do liquid anything when it comes to medicine. Good Luck!

Never had my kids try until age 5. Too risky before that.

Children's vitamins are usually gummy's or chewable. if it's not in that form I would worry that it's not for children.

I would never give a child under 3 years old anything non-chewable because that is the age that most foods are considered for choke hazards. For instance, they say marshmallows, raisins, popcorn, etc... should not be given to children under 3 because they can get stuck in their throat and are a choke hazard....

I think it all depends on the child. My daughter is 3 and has to take a pill everyday for kidney reflux. (we tried the liquid, but it was very horrible tasting and no matter what we did we couldn't mask the flavor) that was a battle, so we tried the capsule (which we can open and mix in applesauce, yorgurt, etc) She decided a few weeks ago she didn't want to take it like that, she wanted to swallow it. So we let her try and she is a champ at it. She puts the capsule in her mouth and then takes a drink and swallows it with no problems.

Good luck.

There are many chewable vitamins and medicines. I would go with those, if possible. My son was able to swallow pills around 5 years of age.

First I ask the DOC and I would start w/ chewable vitamins . There are really goood children vitamin out there that are chewable.

My son is 7 and he still can't swallow a pill very well. Why not give your toddler chewable vitamins or the liquid equivalent?

None of my "toddlers" could swallow a pill -- and my 10-year-old still can't swallow a pill yet! (My now 12-year-old could at age 11.) Good luck! But from this mom's standpoint, go with the chewable vitamins and liquid medicines. :)

Never give a toddler pills, I will not even give my 6 year old pills yet, there is no need. Children meds and vitamins come in liquid and chewable forms for this very reason.

Not until they are teenagers.
Childrens vitamins are not pills, they should be chewables at this age.

Shoot I didn't get the hang of it until I was an adult.

I don't think it is safe at this age.

This is a question for your child's pediatrician. No one else knows your child. My son's peers can spit quite well (after toothbrushing) but my son hasn't yet been able to. In short, every child is different, and you probably need to check with the ped. Everything for toddlers is usually made chewable for a reason.

The average age to be able to swallow a pill is about 8 or 9 years old. A toddler will just chew the pill. A good way to practice and to test if a child is ready is with yogurt or applesauce. Cut a raisin in half or use a small raisin. Place it in a spoonful of yogurt or applesauce and see if the child can swallow it without biting the raisin. It is not safe to practice with an actual pill though because chewing a pill that is meant to be swallowed changes the rate the medicine is released and can be dangerous.

My grandmothers first child died trying to swallow a baby aspirin he was 3. I would never take the chance. I would wait till they were older, just for peace of mind.

Toddlers should be given chewable or liquid vitamins. Swallowing whole objects is not something recommended for children. Sorry.

A toddler should not be expected to safely swallow a pill. That said, it probably won't hurt them if they do it by choice when given a chewable medication. Just remember to keep an eye on them to be certain that the process is sucessfull every time. For things like capsules you can check with the pharmasist and might be able to open them into a spoon of applesauce or yogurt that's what we do with my preschoolers probiotics.

Some good advice posted.

But since it is just a vitamin, why not try liquid. It actually taste good and you can mix with juice if you want. Or get chewable.

My son is 5 and I cannot get him to swallow a pill, not even the tiniest. His gag reflex kicks in. I had wanted him to have extra probiotics and the Pearl pills are as tiny as can be, round and easy to just slide down. Could not get it down without throwing up. I saw some good advice on practice that I am going to try.

I give my kids gummy vitamins, but even they technically culd be a choke hazard. i started giving to my kids when they were 2 and i just cut them in half. they love them. i buy the little Critters brand at walmart. Less preservitives & chemicals in the ingredients. Both my kids eat very well, but both have very high metabolisms and are underweight. Considered to be in last 10% on charts, It just made me feel more secure that if they didn't get something, then the vitamin would be the back up. I tend to just offer a healthy variety of food for my kids & I let them regulate what & how much they eat. hope this helps.

Paul,

It is scary to have to decide when to let them swallow pills. However, my daughter is almost 5 and I still won't let her swallow pills, I just feel that it is safer. It would be best to give him liquid, gummy or chewable things as a toddler otherwise you will have to be extra prepared. You can also crush up the pill and try putting it in something else that is easy for him to eat/swallow rather than just pill form.