[blparent] Tips on administering eyedrops to an unwilling child?

[Sirena]

I don't think I can help you with a flailing, kicking and screaming child who's trying to scrunch her eyes closed, but my pediatrician gave me an idea, which has worked well on Ayla. Now, granted, she was an infant when I tried this, but I'm sure it could work on an older child.

First, place your finger along the side of her nose, so that your fingertip is near the corner of her eye. You don't need to touch the eye, just get close. If you're finger's against her nose, you'll be close anyway.

Next, place the dropper at the tip of your finger.

Third, squeeze.

Even if you're not right over her eye, the drop will roll into the corner of her eye. If she's scrunching, it may be less effective. When she opens her eye, it may roll in, but I'm not sure. But Ayla's fought me tooth and nail, and the medicine has still helped her. And I'm sure she was scrunching. If the child's cooperating, it'll roll in easier.

It's a suggestion, but I think the child has to be slightly cooperative for it to work. Well, if they're not really tiny and easy to pin down on your own.

Maybe, after you give her the drops, would it help if you blew on her eye to minimize the burn? Or is it an internal burn? Could you give her a cool compress for it and tell her to press it to her eye right after the drops go in?

Maybe you can get a cheap dolly and color the eye pink. Get a dollar store dropper, fill a small bottle with water and tell Sarah that the baby has pink eye too, and maybe Sarah can give the dolly drops first before getting her own?

Not sure if she's into dolls, or that gullible, but it was worth putting out there. That probably won't work on such short notice, but hey. I threw it out there anyway.

Good luck!!!!

Sirena


-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2014 9:23 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: [blparent] Tips on administering eyedrops to an unwilling child?

My daughter has contracted pinkeye, which is running rampant through the schools right now.  The eyedrops she’s been given to treat the infection apparently burn when they come into contact with her eyes, so she’s not very cooperative about letting me put them in.  So far, I have to hold her down while her dad delivers them, but I’ll need to put the drops in when he’s at work tomorrow, if possible.  Do any of you have ideas about administering eyedrops when you can’t see, especially to a flailing, kicking, screaming child who is trying to scrunch her eyes closed?  What about tips in general, even to a well-behaved child whose eyes are open?

Jo Elizabeth

Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
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