Clinical Tip: The straw that breaks the pill-swallowing impasse

Article

I have helped many children learn to swallow pills by passing along this tip to parents: Have the child place one M & M mini candy on the side of her tongue. Then instruct her to drink her favorite beverage from a glass with a straw. The child will be amazed to discover that she has swallowed the candy along with the drink-and not felt a thing! Most children easily learn to swallow larger pills using the straw technique, then give up the straw altogether.

Anne C. Autry, MDCincinnati, Ohio

Recent Videos
Geetika Kennady, MD, FAAP
Jillian Cotter, MD
Jesse Hinckley, MD, PhD
Validating digital stethoscope for pediatric breath sounds, with Jennifer Nestor, MD
Decreasing antibiotics for acute otitis media and community acquired pneumonia, with Elysha Pifko, MD
Sensory play for children with autism, with Joshua Feder, MD
Stephanie Chao, MD
Feasibility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in primary care | Carissa Baker-Smith, MD, MPH
Tina Tan, MD
Camille Walker CPNP-PC, MSN, CPNP Sacheen D. Harris MSN, CPNP-PC
Related Content
Joshua Feder, MD

Joshua Feder, MD, on broadening the role of sensory integration in psychiatry

Joshua Feder, MD
May 5th 2025
Article

Joshua Feder, MD, highlights the need for psychiatry to better integrate sensory processing research into care strategies beyond autism.

Site Logo

Food Insecurity and the Dangers of Infant Formula Dilution

January 30th 2023
Podcast
Expert discussions from the 2025 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting

Expert discussions from the 2025 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting

Joshua Fitch, Senior Editor
May 2nd 2025
Article

Watch some of our top clips from a number of discussions with experts who presented at PAS 2025.

Demystifying Infant Formula

Demystifying Infant Formula

October 11th 2022
Podcast
Breakfast: Still the most important meal of the deal? | Image credit: Colleen Sloan

Breakfast: Still the most important meal of the day?

Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN
May 2nd 2025
Article

Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN, shares the importance of breakfast and the reasoning to why kids skip this essential meal.

Nirsevimab shows strong real-world effectiveness against RSV in infants | Image credit: © Peter Hansen - stock.adobe.com.

Nirsevimab shows strong real-world effectiveness against RSV in infants

Morgan Ebert, Managing Editor
May 1st 2025
Article

Nirsevimab significantly reduces RSV-related hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and LRTIs in infants, but doesn’t shorten hospital stays, according to a recent study.

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.