Giving PO Medications

[Soliloquy, MSN, APRN, NP]

Questions:

• If a baby has more than one PO medication ordered at the same time can you give it all at once in the milk?
  
• If the baby has an OG or NG tube, can you give all the medications directly via the tube prior to giving milk/formula?
  

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Yes to both.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

For PO meds I put the meds in a nipple and have the baby suck the meds out of the nipple, then place the nipple on the bottle and feed them the milk. I do not put the meds in the milk. I have placed them in 10 cc of milk, then feed them the rest of the milk afterwards. The problem with placing the meds in the milk is that if they don't drink the whole bottle, there is no way of knowing if the got the full dose of the meds (unless they have an NG to give the rest of the milk).

[essT]

As with anything, check your policy.

As for me... If they're little and just bottle feeding for practice and fun, I put meds down their tube so they don't have to taste them. When they're a bit bigger and taking most or all of their food by mouth, I'll mix the meds in about 20 mL of milk for them to take first, then follow it with the rest of their meal.