How to Successfully Give Vitamin to 14 Month Old?

Updated on May 25, 2010
E.S. asks from West Orange, NJ
15 answers

Hi moms,

My doctor put my son on Polyvit-flouride a few months ago. He hates when I give it to him and it gets messy, understandably, but the doc said to continue giving it to him b/c it has necessary flouride.

Anyone have any successful ways of giving the vitamin? My son is 14 months and is on vanilla soy milk b/c he wasn't adjusting well to regular milk.

Thanks!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.H.

answers from New York on

Add it to food so he doesn't taste it. i.e. add it to tomato sauce, maple syrup, juice...

Target also flavors medicine for free. Other places may charge.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.A.

answers from Chicago on

If it is liquid, just do like Denise P said. Don't beg, bribe, or plead with your child to take it. Hold him and squirt it into the back inside of his cheek. Quick and painless.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.C.

answers from New York on

Use a medicine dropper, hold his head in the crook of your arm so he can't move it, insert medicine dropper in the side of his mouth and squirt. Have the dropper all ready before you tell him about it, don't talk, cajole, reason - just get it over with quickly and move on to the next thing.

Flouride is in water, so give him water to drink.

Also vanilla soy has a lot of sugar in it - start going50/50 with unsweetened soy. Even better, buy rice milk or coconut milk (both sold in 1/2 gallon containers at Stop n Shop. There are a lot of studies that kids are getting way too much soy and the estrogen in it is not good for their development.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Before you add it to anything, I'd ask a pharmacist if it will compromise the delivery of the vitamins to the blood stream. A quick check on drugs.com shows that it's not to be taken with dairy: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/poly-vitamin-with-fluoride.html

A pharmacist will likely know the chemistry of the product enough to be able to help you (or even add a flavoring that makes it more palatable).

If it's a real struggle, call the pediatrician back and ask about a multivitamin. Our daughter wasn't much older when the pediatrician had us add 1/2 chewable vitamin/day. But, that was upon his advice, and your daughter may not be in the same places developmentally.

Fluoride is usually added to most municipal water supplies - a big issue with all the bottled water we consume in the US. So, I'd even see if you can get the fluoride by providing her more liquids during the day (in addition to her soy milk) that are water based if your local water company fluorinates.

L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Put the vitamin in a tiny bit of juice or something sweet that you know he'll drink.
YMMV
LBC

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

I'm guessing it's in pill form?
Can you crush it up and put it in his milk or other sippy? Or mix it in with yogurt or applesauce?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from New York on

Most counties in NJ do not add flouride to the water. You can ask your Doctor or Dentist for a flouride prescription (without the vitamins). It tastes a lot better than the polyflorvit.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.G.

answers from Portland on

Fluoride supplements are quite controversial actually. I would do a little research on it before you make the jump to giving him the stuff. Do babies need vitamins at that age? Yes of course, but I read that fluoride accumulates in the body and CAN cause weaknesses in bones later in life.
I chose against the fluoride until my son is old enough to rinse with it and then spit it out. Every mom needs to make their own decision- but I do suggest reading up on it FIRST. :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.

answers from New York on

Im with Zsmomma..I wouldn't give flouride to a 14mo old. go with a good quality liquid vitamim..my kids like floradix. They actually have a great whole foods line.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from New York on

Mix with a little bit of juice or applesauce. That's what I do with my son. Try not to let him have any dairy or products containing calcium or magnesium two hours before or after the vitamin as it will interfere with absorption. (This drives me crazy).

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Pill or liquid? If liquid--use a medicine syringe and just squirt it near the back of his cheek. Have a treat ready to go--juice, whatever he really likes--for the "chaser"!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.T.

answers from New York on

I'm with the moms who have mentioned that flouride supplementation is a controversial subject. You are not supposed to swallow the toothpaste, so why is it okay to take liquid flouride?
If you have municipal water and the baby drinks tap, he is getting flouride from there. My kids have been raised on well water (no flouride), never had flouride supplementation, and they have never had a single cavity (they are 11 and 15 now). Whether or not you get cavities is based more on heredity and toothcare habits.
Good luck

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.D.

answers from New York on

Put it in a little juice for him and let him drink it. My pediatrician said that was fine as long as you know the juice will be fully gone. Don't use milk - my pediatrician said that negates the purpose of the vitamin.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

mix it into his milk. my daughter was on poly vi sol until 2 and i just added it to formula and then her milk once she was old enough she went on gummies.

C.C.

answers from Fresno on

You have the vitamin drops, right? Just put them in orange juice (or whatever kind of juice he likes). It dilutes the flavor enough that my kids never noticed it. Plus to them juice was always a treat because that was the only time they got to drink it! When he gets a little older, they make chewable fluoride vitamins that seem to taste better.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions