Administering eye drops - any tricks/tips?

[INtoFL_RN]

I figured this would be the forum to come to with a question like this...I've never done peds nursing, so I don't know all the tricks to get kids to take their meds! I have so much respect for what you all do!

My 20-month-old has been dealing with persistent conjunctivitis. We saw an ophthalmologist today and are trying a new antibiotic drop. Problem is that it's ordered QID....ugh!

When we only had to do the drops BID, he was pretty good. He'd lay down and pretty much let us put the drops in. Now he freaks as soon as I hold the drops above his eye. DH and I have tried distracting him/having him look at something in the air, I've tried putting the drops "in" his stuffed animal's eyes first to show him it's OK, and obviously holding him down is the last resort. Anything else I could be trying?

Thanks for your help!

[pedseducator]

sometimes, just getting it over with helps. Have someone hold and you put the drops in, but try explaining first that you don't like holding children down, but it is to make him better.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Even easier... and it works for big "kids" too... have the child lying supine, or if they're older and can cooperate, tip their head back. Put the drop at the inner corner of the eyelid. Doesn't matter if the eye is open or not. The drop will flow into the eye by capillary action and when they open the eye, the remaining fluid will have nowhere else to go. Try it on yourself, you might be surprised.