It’s in the middle of the night when your baby starts screaming because of a sky-high fever. You’re bleary-eyed while reading the instructions on the medicine box—and performing mathematical equations at 3:00 AM to figure out how much medicine she should get is nerve-wracking. You’re not alone: a new study found that a staggering 99 percent of kids’ liquid medicines contain confusing information on the dosing instructions. Those inconsistencies —from extra markings to even missing markings— can easily cause an overdose to occur. Here’s how to ensure that you give the right medication dosage to your baby….every time.
Measure it yourself.
If you find it perplexing to pour medication using the instrument provided, you should invest in an easier-to-understand measuring device. You might want to get a dropper, a dosing spoon, an oral syringe, or even a cup to help make giving medication to your child easier—and safer.
Cut out the cutlery.
The instructions call for one teaspoon of liquid acetaminophen. So using your kitchen spoon should work, right? Wrong. Pediatricians advise against using household spoons to measure out medicine, since they can vary in size and be dangerously inaccurate.
Make the call.
It’s easy to let frayed nerves cause you to give your child too much—or too little—medication. If you can’t figure out how much medicine to give, call your child’s pediatrician, even if it’s in the middle of the night. You and your baby will be thankful for it.