Dosing Cups Linked to Mistakes

When parents have to give liquid medicine to a small child, they frequently make dosing mistakes. One common problem is using kitchen spoons, which vary widely in the dose they deliver. But even the dosing cups supplied with such medicines can be confusing for parents. In a study, parents who were asked to measure liquid medicine with a dosing cup made errors 50 to 70 percent of the time. Parents were far more likely to get the dose right when using an oral syringe designed to deliver liquid medicine.
[Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, February 2001]