I had seen inhalers and big scary face masks and plastic spacers prescribed to young kids left right and centre. But had no idea how you would teach a toddler to breath in the medicine from the ventalin inhaler through this big plastic transparent contraption.
If there is one good thing about being admitted to a Hospital Children's Ward for a few days is that you get to learn how to administer the medicine and the child learns to take it. Of course, there are techniques to these things. AND as we all know our toddlers will do amazing things for other people which they will not do for mummy.
The nurse told me that until the child was compliant it will be almost impossible for one adult on their own to get a toddler to take an inhaler via a spacer & mask at first. Makes sence, the child is scared of the look of it and how can you pin them down to take it when they wriggle and you need to press on the inhaler.
How to Get a Toddler to Take an Asthma Inhaler
In hospital I held my child whilst the nurse held the medical devise. When the inhaler was squeezed we counted to ten, slowly. We also watched to make sure the little plastic value by the mouth was moving a clicking (listen hard, it is quiet). After so many sessions my son get used to this, now at home he wants to do it or hold it. He wants to be can't reach the inhaler to push it down.
Even when he doesn't want to take his medicine it is now easy for me on my own. I sit him on my lap, hold him tight to me facing away and hold the face mask to his face. He doesn't wriggle too much because he knows what is happening and he is not frightened.
This film shows how a child should use and look after the inhaler with spacer. but I have not managed to find a film of using an inhaler with spacer and non-compliant toddler or baby.
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