Pill-swallowing training (PST) is a promising behavioral intervention. However, previous studies of PST have largely reported outcomes only in children aged 6 years and older. In the pediatric oncology setting, younger children may benefit from learning to swallow pills, with motivators such as avoiding bad-tasting liquid medications, simplifying oral medication routines, and accessing trials for patients with poor prognoses. Here, we briefly describe the standard PST intervention protocol and report success with very young patients experiencing a variety of medical, emotional, behavioral, and developmental complications. The current case series illustrates the utility of traditional behavioral PST interventions with novel supplements, such as intervention to increase general compliance or decrease anxiety, in four young children with cancer. These cases highlight the effectiveness of PST and describe the positive impact reported by each family. Developmental considerations for using PST with young children with cancer are offered.

中文翻译：

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非常年幼的癌症儿童吞药训练：案例系列和发展考虑

吞药训练 (PST) 是一种很有前途的行为干预措施。然而，先前的 PST 研究主要仅报告了 6 岁及以上儿童的结果。在儿科肿瘤学环境中，年幼的孩子可能会从学习吞咽药丸中受益，其动机包括避免味道不好的液体药物、简化口服药物程序以及为预后不良的患者进行试验。在这里，我们简要描述了标准的 PST 干预方案，并报告了在经历各种医疗、情感、行为和发育并发症的非常年轻的患者中取得的成功。当前的案例系列说明了传统行为 PST 干预与新型补充剂的效用，例如干预以提高总体依从性或减少焦虑，对四名患有癌症的幼儿。这些案例突出了 PST 的有效性，并描述了每个家庭报告的积极影响。提供了对患有癌症的幼儿使用 PST 的发展考虑。