Parents' poor math skills may lead to medication errors

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-04/aaop-ppm042312.php

BOSTON - Many parents cringe when their child asks for help with math homework. New research shows that poor math skills can cause another difficulty for caregivers -- measuring the right amount of medicine.

In fact, parents with math skills at the third grade level or below were five times more likely to measure the wrong dose of medication for their child than those with skills at the sixth grade level or higher, according to a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

"Parents face many challenges as they seek to administer medications to their children in a safe and effective manner," said study co-author H. Shonna Yin, MD, MS, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital Center. "Dosing liquid medications correctly can be especially confusing, as parents may need to understand numerical concepts such as how to convert between different units of measurement, like milliliters, teaspoons and tablespoons. Parents also must accurately use dosing cups, droppers and syringes, many of which vary in their measurement markings and the volume they hold."