2006-07-14 05:52:49 · 18 answers · asked by sueet2b 4 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
intramuscular injections for infants are administered over a big muscle like the vastus lateralisis used most often usually because its the best developed and has no large veins or blood vessels that cause serious injuries.the gluteal muscles can be used in a toddler who has started walking....3 yrs plus of age.
Adults have well developed deltoids muscles(upper arm).so it can be used for IM jabs than the gluteus....less embarrassing too.
2006-07-14 06:05:25 · answer #1 · answered by cherry 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
For young kids, most of their muscle and fat stores are in their "behind." Once the kid gets a bit older, their thighs and later their arms can be used. It may be the doctor's preference to still use the behind however. Adults do get shots in their butt sometimes, especially with injection of antibiotics or pain medications because these are very irritating to the tissues and they hurt a lot. If you inject these meds into larger muscles they hurt less. Hope this helps
2006-07-14 12:57:22 · answer #2 · answered by softballer006 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cherry is right, some of other answers about fat absorption are absolutely incorrect. There are many injectible drugs that need to be injected into muscles only.
In small children, the most common adult intramuscular injection site (deltoid: upper arm) is much too small to inject the medication into.
The biggest muscle in small children is their gluteus maximus (butt). This site is actually not preferred in adults because of the location of the sciatic nerve.
2006-07-14 13:31:40 · answer #3 · answered by caitlindoe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adults can get them in the butt too. But because we don't freak out as much as kids who see the needle coming, we have the option of having it done in the arm too, which for privacy purposes many adults find preferable. Also, it is just safer in the butt for kids. They have big, fat butt muscles, but not so much in the arms.
2006-07-14 20:02:08 · answer #4 · answered by kathy_is_a_nurse 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adults can. I get my birth control shots in my butt. It's just that most people don't feel comfortable yanking down their pants to get a needle stuck in their bottoms.
And if I remember correctly, shots are more effective if given in the butt. Something about there being more fat there... I really don't remember.
2006-07-14 12:56:47 · answer #5 · answered by birdistasty 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
untill the age of 5 most immunizations are given in the legs after that its in the buttocks or another fleshy fatty part of the body mos shots absorb better in fat than muscle and its embarrasing to pull your pants down and take a shot..
2006-07-14 13:02:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes adults do. I think when slower absorption is required or something they give it in the behind. Maybe kids need slower absorption because of their low body weight!
2006-07-14 12:56:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
kids have very bony arms (not much flesh), and when you give a shot you need to put it in a fleshy area like the adult arm or the kids butt
2006-07-14 12:57:37 · answer #8 · answered by imnotbtami 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
children usually get injections in thier thighs or buttocks, where as adults or older children usually get injections in the upper arm because of the size of the muscle being injected...a childs arm muscle is too small to use for injections
2006-07-14 12:57:33 · answer #9 · answered by brandy d 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My kids have always gotten vaccinations in the arm. When I get shots for an allergic reaction it is always in the rear. Where did you get that info?
2006-07-14 12:56:28 · answer #10 · answered by scarlet 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋