Why is it so important for clinicians and parents to pay attention to medication dosages for children?
Dr. Clancy: Younger children often cannot swallow a pill and many parents don’t understand the right way to measure liquid medicines. So, well-meaning parents may accidentally give their child too little or too much of a liquid medication. By way of example, a lot of people use a household teaspoon which may or may not be a true teaspoon of liquid. It’s actually better to use special devices, like the marked oral syringes, to help make sure that you get exactly the right dose. Whether it’s prescribed or over-the-counter medicine, ask your pharmacist for the best device to measure your child’s liquid medicine, and ask how to use the device if you’re not sure. Make sure that any over-the-counter drugs you get for your child are appropriate for the child’s age, and if the child is very small, for the weight. Do not give adult size doses to children. And very importantly, do not assume that it is okay to give the medicine for one of your children to another one of your children, even if th
