Most parents give kids the wrong dose of medicine
With cold and flu season upon us, it's important for parents and caregivers to know how to administer the correct dosage of medicine.
After all, when you have a sick child, all a parent wants to do is help them feel better.
A study last year found that parents are unintentionally making at least one dosing error when administering medicine to a child.
The study investigated if parents could properly measure a commonly prescribed antibiotic, amoxicillin.
The investigators looked at the association between errors and the labeling of the amount of medication to take as well as the dosing tool, cup vs. syringe.
Of the 2,110 parents who participated in the study, more than 80 percent made a mistake when measuring doses of liquid medicine. This dosing error was most often associated with using a dosing cup.
"Because it is difficult for children to swallow pills, doctors prescribe liquid medications. Parents need to measure out the proper volume of medication, which is usually prescribed in milliliters, and they need to do this independently in their home," says Dr. Elizabeth Powell, MD, MPH, Emergency Medicine at Lurie Children's.
"Because U.S. families are more familiar with teaspoons rather than milliliters as a unit of measure, medications are sometimes dosed using this unit of volume; 1 teaspoon is 5 mL. The data implies that dose syringes should be used to measure liquid medications."
Dr. Powell advises parents and caregivers to remember two simple steps when administering medicine to a child:
• Ask a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you have a question about the medication dose
• Use a syringe to measure liquid medication
As cold and flu season begins, Dr. Powell reminds everyone that the best way to prevent cold and flu is to get your flu vaccine, wash your hands, and cover your cough and sneeze.
• Children's Health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. For more information, visit luriechildrens.org