iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — More than 80 percent of parents have made at least one dosing error when administering medicine to their young children, according to a new study released on Tuesday by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The study, called “Pictograms, Units and Dosing Tools, and Parent Medication Errors: A Randomized Study,” looked at 491 parents of children 8 years old or younger and found that 83.5 percent of parents made at least one dosing error, and that 12.1 percent of those errors were overdosing errors.

The study suggested that less-than-optimal labeling and packaging are some of the key contributors to pediatric dosing errors. The researchers suggested creating dosing tools for parents that match more closely with prescribed dose volumes as a strategy to prevent future errors.

The researchers also found that using “pictographic dosing diagrams,” or providing pictures for parents to follow in dosing, as well as using milliliter-only labels were helpful in preventing dosing errors.

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