A lollipop a day... could keep the doctor away

Ever try forcing a spoonful of thick, yellow cough medicine down a protesting child's throat?

With even the weakest child, it's not pretty.

In response to this long-fought battle, more and more companies are coming up with kid-appealing ways to take medicine.

A trip down the cold/cough aisle of a local pharmacy revealed remedies in the form of bubble gum, lollipops, melt-on-your-tongue strips and popsicles.

Members of the Southeast Missourian newsroom volunteered to taste test a few of these products on behalf of sniffling children (and their parents).

Here's our rating of each product, based on taste, as well as information on each remedies' potential effectiveness:

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Theraflu Thin Strips

What it is: Thin strips of antihistamine and cough suppressant that "melt in an instant"

What it's for: Coughing, runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and itchy throat

Who it's for: Adults, children ages 12 and older

Flavors: Cherry

Price: $5.99 for a box of 12 strips

Our opinion: This was the only product that actually contained an antihistamine, and it did taste like medicine. However, most staff members agreed taking it in this form was preferable to swallowing cough syrup. One staff member said: "It's not really a cherry flavor and it has a pretty bad taste, but it dissolves quickly enough that the taste goes away within a few seconds. It really coats your throat." Most of the taste-test volunteers disliked the chalky texture of the strips and one volunteer found the strips to be "bitter and gag-inducing."

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Cold Eeze Bubble Gum

What it is: Bubble gum balls that contain zinc, gluconate and Glycine

What it's for: According to the manufacturer, the gum is "clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold."

Who it's for: Not specified

Flavors: Cherry, Grape and Mix Fruit

Price: $5.99 for a bag of 18 gum balls

Our opinion: At first, these taste like real gumballs and the flavor is okay. It goes down hill after that though. One staff member found the texture "weird" and said the gum balls "disintegrate. Not a pleasurable experience." Other staff members also disliked the medicine-like aftertaste of the gum, which was immediate once the flavor-coated outer shell dissolved. One staff member said the gumballs were "tough to chew at first and not good for bubbles." To get the full benefit, the gum should be chewed for about 10 minutes. Getting a child to stick with it for that long isn't likely.

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Runny Rhino Cold Relief Pops

What it is: Lollipops that contain zinc, pectin and Vitamin C.

What it's for: The manufacturer touts this as a remedy for "colds, coughs and sore throats."

Who it's for: Adults, children ages 2 and older

Flavors: Orange, Cherry, Grape, Watermelon and Blue Raspberry

Price: $3.99 for a bag of 20

Our opinion: Everyone agreed that the flavor of these lollipops is great. One staff member commented: "A kid would definitely eat this." Whether there would actually be any more benefit to a sore throat from these than regular lollipops wasn't clear though. Each pop contained 40 calories and eight grams of sugar. They may keep the pediatrician away, but your child might need a trip to the dentist if they devour too many.

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Pedialyte Freezer Pops

What it is: Frozen popsicles with electrolytes

What it's for: Replaces fluid and electrolytes lost during diarrhea and vomiting

Who it's for: Children ages 1 year or older

Flavors: Cherry, Grape, Blue Raspberry and Orange

Price: $5.99 for a box of 16 freezer pops

Our opinion: These are not the taste sensation of regular freezer pops. The flavor was definitely strong, but there was a distinct aftertaste. One staff member said it "tastes like a doctor's office smells." Young children probably wouldn't be so sensitive to that, however. Another staff member said she would probably eat the freezer pop if she "was really sick and dehydrated."

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cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128