A Spoonful Of Medicine!

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!

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.

It was also suggested that adults too should not use household spoons to administer their own medicines, as although not as susceptible as children, the dose is still important.

Another important factor to ensure you administer the correct dose is to shake the medicine well, if it states to do so on the label.  Most medicines are held in suspension which settle over time, shaking redistributes the different ingredients equally again so that when you serve it, the dosage is uniform.