Suggestions for giving my son eyedrops

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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cozyblanket

Wed, Jul 06 2016, 10:16 pm

He is almost 7 and has a screaming fit - full blown - when we try to give him eye drops. I have given up on allergy drops and went to oral meds, which I didn't want to do. He just injured his eye and the doctor had to put a drop in to examine it. Counting the doctor and myself, it took 5 people to give it to him and the whole office heard it. He was so hysterical that the doctor said to come back another day to dilate his eyes... yes, with drops. We have tried talking to him and calming him down. He will use the antibiotic eye ointment without much difficulty... but I have no idea what to do in the future. Has anyone had a child with this much aversion or fear of eye drops? Suggestions please!!!

anonymrs

Wed, Jul 06 2016, 10:47 pm

I have one like that!! Allergist recommended telling her to close her eyes and then put the drop into the inner corner of the eye and rubbing it in.

rae

Wed, Jul 06 2016, 11:01 pm

That's what I was told to do. Have him close his eyes gently, not squeezed shut and put eye drop in inner corner. When he opens his eyes, it will go in.

Wed, Jul 06 2016, 11:12 pm

As above, eyes gently closed, but it helps to have the child lying flat on a bed or sofa. Also, it can be hard for a child to just open his/her eyes with drops there - try blinking fast.

yo'ma

Thu, Jul 07 2016, 9:06 am

I always give them a tissue to hold to let them wipe anything up afterwards. I think they also feel more in control that way.

greenfire

Thu, Jul 07 2016, 2:44 pm

totally the closed eyes & blinking it in ... tissues are always nice so long as he doesn't wipe away the eye drops from going into his eyes

cozyblanket

Thu, Jul 07 2016, 10:23 pm

Thank you! I didn't know about putting eye drops in with the eyes closed! I will explain it to him, but I still think he will resist. He is a very easy going boy most of the time. Thank you, all!

amother

Firebrick

Fri, Jul 08 2016, 3:50 am

I don't know how often he needs his drops, but my daughter needed them once a day for a few months (to treat amblyopia). What we eventually figured out was if we waited until she was asleep, we could open her eyelid a bit, put the drop in, and done! She'd rub her eye a bit and generally roll over and go back to sleep. Even if she woke up after the drops were in we'd just tell her that we were putting in her drops, tell her goodnight, and then she'd go back to sleep. A LOT easier than fussing with a scared and unhappy child.

Hope this helps

gold21

Fri, Jul 08 2016, 4:01 am

If I were in a situation like this, I would rely on distraction- namely, videos. I would totally put on a video clip on youtube to get eyedrops into my kid. Hey, it works. Lol.

cozyblanket

Fri, Jul 08 2016, 7:41 am

Part of what I am worried about is his next eye drs appt - when he will need drops. So he will be awake. And I don't know if distraction will work when he is soooo fearful. But I will keep the sleeping tip in mind for the future. Thank you!

animeme

Fri, Jul 08 2016, 8:33 am

Some Dr's are able to see in without dilation. Talk to your eye dr about this. If he can't do it, maybe he has a recommendation of a dr who can.

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