A new study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice adds to research suggesting that, when it comes to measuring children’s medicine, a “spoonful” is seldom the right dose. The findings highlighted by the BBC are based on an analysis of teaspoons taken from 25 households in Greece, as well as an experiment in which five study participants were asked to measure out the correct dose when given a calibrated measuring spoon. They found that, even in this small sample of homes teaspoon sizes varied significantly — the largest spoons found were three times the size of the smallest — and even when participants were given precise spoons for measuring 5 ml doses, only one in five managed to pour the accurate amount.
