Oral Medicine Syringes

Check the instructions on the medicine bottle. Most liquids will require shaking before being drawn into oral medicine syringes. Unscrew the top of the bottle and see if it has a bottle stopper. If so, put the tip of the oral syringe in the hole, while keeping the bottle upright. Once you notice it fits snuggly, turn the bottle upside down carefully and hold the syringe tightly against the bottle at eye level. Pull the plunger back, filling the syringe with a little more than the required dose. Slowly push the plunger up to the correct line for the dose. This helps get rid of any air bubbles that may have been drawn into the oral syringe. You can also tap or flick the barrel of the syringe with your finger to move the air bubbles toward the top of the syringe before pushing the plunger. Turn the bottle back upright, remove the medication syringe, and secure the cap on the bottle.

If the medication bottle doesn't have a stopper, slowly pour a small amount of medication into a measuring cup and insert the tip of the syringe into it. Pull in slightly more than the required dose, turn the oral syringe upwards and push the plunger to remove the unwanted air bubbles.

One way is to separate the plunger from the barrel of the oral syringe and wash them both with warm water. Let them dry fully before using the oral syringe for another dose. You can also clean oral medicine syringes without taking them apart. In this case, you have to draw the plunger in and out several times in a bowl of soapy water, followed by rinsing the same way in running water.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before handling the medicine bottle and the baby medicine syringe.
• Make sure your toddler is standing or sitting up and put the tip of the children's medicine syringe in their mouth, near the inside of the cheek.
• Gently push small amounts of medicine, giving your toddler time to swallow before pushing the plunger again.
• Give them something pleasant to drink to wash down the medicine.

The measurements on medication syringes vary with the size:

• 1 ml oral syringes are marked every 0.01 ml
• 3 ml oral medicine syringes are marked every 0.1 ml
• 5 ml and 10 ml syringes are marked every 0.2 ml

First of all, hold your baby up — never try to give your baby medicine with a syringe while lying down as they can easily choke. You can ask another adult to help you by holding the baby on their lap and keeping the baby's hands and head from moving. Hold the baby medicine syringe in one hand and open the baby's mouth with the other by pushing down on their chin. Place the oral syringe beyond the gum line and slowly drip the medicine onto the back of the tongue. Make sure you don't squirt it into the back of the throat as that can also cause choking.

Oral syringes are only meant to be used by mouth and they do not have Luer-lock tips. This prevents the accidental attaching of needles and administering oral medicine intravenously. Oral medicine syringes can also be washed and reused by the same patient, whereas injectable syringes and their needles should be disposed of after one use.

If you need to administer liquid medication orally, buy oral syringes. If not, check our full selection of quality syringe supplies to find the best products for your personal needs.