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Parents are being warned about the dangers of giving medicine to babies and children using a teaspoon rather than a medicine spoon or syringe. Research has found that teaspoons vary in capacity which means that children are not getting the correct dose.
Some spoons were only 2.5ml and others were as large as 7.3ml. So, it was hit or miss whether the right amount was being administered. Parents should use the correct graded medicine spoons or syringes that are provided in the medicine boxes and they should always measure the correct amount according to the child's age.
In the study, carried out in Greece, approximately 70 teaspoons were measured and 25 tablespoons all of which were found in households. Some were twice as big as they should have been which means a potential overdose!
The experts also noted that not only was an overdose a possibility, it also meant that some children were not getting enough medicine. They recommend we never use teaspoons or tablespoons to administer medicine to children as the variation is too great.
Because children are smaller, they are also more susceptible to overdoses as the amount they are allowed to have is measured by their body weight and age.
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