How do you get a toddler to take fluids?

Nurses General Nursing

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NO medical advice, please! I just want suggestions on getting fluids in a toddler who is sick and refuses to drink. She's got a fever and has been sleeping all morning, won't take anything. She's not old enough to negotiate with. I've tried popsicles, juice, flavored pedialyte. Any other ideas?

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Popsicles, ice cubes to suck on, juice via a cool straw, pedialyte via popsicles (can you tell popsicles are my favorite). Always worked in the ER.

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Popsicles, ice cubes to suck on, juice via a cool straw, pedialyte via popsicles (can you tell popsicles are my favorite). Always worked in the ER.

Me too, Trauma, but the problem is she wouldn't take anything no matter how I coaxed. I ate more of the popsicle than she did!

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med syring will be ok if she will cry alot nothing but force her small amount between times

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Specializes in Too many to list.

Cherry jello in a liquid form?

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Sounds gross, but I remember my mom giving me un-gelled warm Jello to drink....also, sucking on a wet washcloth....what about Gatorade or maybe Sprite with food coloring (blue for Blues Clues or red for Elmo??). A Coke float (ice cream w/ Coke on top). Just my 2 cents

Keep us posted...hope little one is feeling better soon.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

My daughter always rejected pedialyte, but she would do the pedialyte pops. I also hate giving soda, but my grandma would SWEAR kids will take this over a popsicle at the hospital. Can she drink through a straw?

Only one time did she refuse to drink, but it was because she had a throat so sore she flat out wouldn't do it. That only lasted one night. If she has a sore throat, I know for me, any kind of juice felt like battery acid.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.
Sounds gross, but I remember my mom giving me un-gelled warm Jello to drink....also, sucking on a wet washcloth....what about Gatorade or maybe Sprite with food coloring (blue for Blues Clues or red for Elmo??). A Coke float (ice cream w/ Coke on top). Just my 2 cents

Keep us posted...hope little one is feeling better soon.

Warm jello doesn't sound gross :)

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Me too, Trauma, but the problem is she wouldn't take anything no matter how I coaxed. I ate more of the popsicle than she did!

Great! Tomorrow, you'll be sick!

My favorite movie line of all time: "There is nothing more toxic...than the human child." from Monsters, Inc.

Hope you're both better soon!

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

my mom used to always make me warm jello when i was sick!!

even the regular jello in small cubes helps.

my kids liked sherbet , watermelon and applesauce. not traditional "clear liquids" but it helped!!!

hope she feels better soon!!

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It's 1900 and she is not the same child she was this morning...no more fever, she's eating and drinking everything in sight! What worried me was the lack of fluids....no matter how sick she's been in the past (and she's got an impressive history already) she's never refused fluids before.

Thanks for the support, guys, I appreciate it! I didn't think about pedialyte pops, I should get some.

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If you don't have slurpees or icees near you, you can always take a popsicle and crush it up in a cup. That's what we do at work to make slushees for the kids.

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Specializes in Orthosurgery, Rehab, Homecare.

OTC Drymamine(sp?) (the motion sickness med) is an antiemetic.

Try Jello, kids love jello.

~Jen

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