Giving Medicine To Young Children? Getting The Dose Right Is Tricky

It’s the middle of the night and you wake up to the disturbing sound of your little one crying and sniffling with a cold, sore throat or fever. And, if you’re like many parents, you reach into the medicine cabinet, seeking some relief.

But giving medication — and getting the dose right — can be more challenging than you might think. Jesse and Shannan Ridall live in Palmyra, Pa., with their three young children. Jesse says the lined markings on dosing devices of children’s medicine can be confusing, especially when they show both teaspoons and milliliters.

“If you’re not careful, or there’s not a lot of light, it can be hard to read them,” he says. “I know there were a couple of times when I had to take some of the medication out of the syringe because it was too much and I was looking at the wrong side.”