Never Use Household Spoons for Children’s Medicine Dosing: A Simple Safety Rule That Saves Lives

Every year, more than 10,000 calls to poison control centers in the U.S. are about one thing: parents giving kids the wrong dose of liquid medicine. And the biggest culprit? The humble kitchen spoon. It’s not just a mistake-it’s a dangerous habit that puts children at risk of overdose, underdose, or worse. You might think you’re being careful by using a teaspoon, but here’s the hard truth: household spoons are not safe for giving medicine to children.

Why Your Kitchen Spoon Is a Dangerous Tool

A teaspoon isn’t a teaspoon when it comes to medicine. That spoon you use for sugar or cereal? It can hold anywhere from 3 to 7 milliliters (mL). But the standard medical teaspoon? Exactly 5 mL. That’s a 40% difference. One extra milliliter might not sound like much, but for a 10-month-old baby, it could mean the difference between a safe dose and a hospital visit.

Research from the National Institutes of Health shows that nearly 40% of parents give the wrong amount when using kitchen spoons. And it’s not just about being sloppy-your spoon might be too big, too small, or just not designed for precision. Even a tablespoon, which you might think is fine for a larger dose, can deliver three times the intended medicine. That’s not a typo. Three times. That’s enough to cause serious side effects or even toxicity in young kids.

The Science Behind the Warning

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) first warned against kitchen spoons back in 1978. Since then, every major health agency-CDC, FDA, NIH-has backed that advice. Why? Because children’s bodies react differently to medicine than adults’. A dose that’s safe for a 60-kilogram adult could be deadly for a 7-kilogram infant.

A 2014 study in Pediatrics found that parents using household spoons were twice as likely to make a dosing error. Even worse, when labels said “teaspoon” or “tsp,” one in three parents reached for their kitchen spoon. But when the label said “5 mL,” only 1 in 10 did. That’s a 23-point drop in dangerous behavior just by changing the words on the bottle.

What You Should Use Instead

The best tool for giving liquid medicine to a child? An oral syringe. It’s the most accurate. It has clear markings down to 0.1 mL. It lets you measure 3.5 mL, 2.2 mL, or 0.8 mL without guessing. You can even gently squirt the medicine into the side of your child’s mouth, between the cheek and tongue, so they don’t choke or spit it out.

If you don’t have a syringe, use the dosing cup that came with the medicine. But only if it’s marked in milliliters. Don’t use the cup that came with someone else’s medicine. Don’t use a regular drinking cup. Don’t use a shot glass. Only use what was provided with the prescription.

Dosing droppers are okay for small amounts, but they’re harder to control and can leak. Dosing cups are fine for doses above 5 mL, but they’re useless for 1.5 mL or 4.2 mL. Oral syringes work for every dose, every time.

How to Use an Oral Syringe Correctly

It’s simple, but most parents don’t know how to do it right:

1. Draw up the exact amount shown on the label-look at the mL markings, not the numbers on the bottle.
2. Hold the syringe at eye level to make sure the liquid reaches the right line.
3. Place the tip inside your child’s mouth, near the cheek, not the back of the throat.
4. Press the plunger slowly so they can swallow without gagging.
5. Wash the syringe with warm water after each use. Don’t let it dry out with medicine inside.

If your child’s medicine didn’t come with a syringe, ask your pharmacist for one. They’ll give it to you free of charge. Most pharmacies now include syringes with all pediatric liquid prescriptions. If they don’t, ask again. This isn’t optional-it’s essential.

Why Labels Still Say ‘Teaspoon’ (And What to Do)

You might still see “1 tsp” on medicine bottles. That’s because not all manufacturers have switched to milliliter-only labeling. The FDA and AAP have pushed for this change for years, but progress is slow. Don’t wait for the label to change. Change your behavior now.

When you see “tsp” or “teaspoon,” translate it in your head: 5 mL. Then grab your syringe. Don’t trust the spoon. Don’t assume it’s the same. Always measure with the tool, not the word.

What Happens When You Get It Wrong

An overdose of acetaminophen (Tylenol) can cause liver failure. Too much ibuprofen can lead to kidney damage or stomach bleeding. Underdosing antibiotics means the infection doesn’t clear-and can come back stronger, resistant to treatment.

One mother in Melbourne told her story to a local clinic: She gave her 2-year-old “a teaspoon” of amoxicillin because the bottle said so. She used her coffee spoon. The next day, the child was vomiting and lethargic. The hospital found she’d given nearly 8 mL instead of 5. That’s 60% too much. She didn’t mean to harm her child. She just didn’t know.

What Pharmacies Are Doing to Help

Places like Aspirus and other major pharmacy chains now routinely include oral syringes with every pediatric liquid prescription. Pharmacists are trained to ask, “Do you have a measuring tool?” If you say no, they hand you a syringe. They also write “mL” on the label in big letters, even if the prescription says “tsp.”

Some hospitals now require parents to demonstrate how they’ll give the medicine before leaving the clinic. If you can’t show them using a syringe, you get one-and a quick lesson. This isn’t being overprotective. It’s standard safety.

What You Can Do Today

You don’t need to wait for a new label or a new law. Here’s your action plan:

• Throw out all medicine spoons from past prescriptions-they’re not accurate.
• Get an oral syringe from your pharmacy. Keep one in your medicine cabinet.
• Always measure in milliliters. Never guess.
• Read the label twice: once for the dose, once for the unit.
• Ask your pharmacist: “Do you have a syringe for this?” Even if you think you don’t need it.

Final Thought: It’s Not About Being Perfect. It’s About Being Safe.

You’re not a bad parent for using a spoon before. You were doing what felt natural. But now you know better. And knowing better means doing better.

Medicine isn’t soup. It’s not something you scoop by eye. It’s a precise tool that can heal-or hurt-depending on how you use it. For your child, that difference matters more than you think.