Australian parents seem to be pretty good at assuming the role of a doctor but pretty bad at administering medicine doses. Infact, a survey at the Queensland University of Technology has revealed that nearly half of all Australian parents give their children an incorrect dose of medication, almost always higher than it should be.

Over medication can have very serious repercussions especially in a child .Incidents of overmedication have risen from 12% in 1987 to 33 per cent in 2002.It is often the case that if the child has fever, the parents with the sole purpose of bringing down the fever, end up overdosing the child with paracetamol.

Parents, nowadays rely on medicines for treatment almost in 95% of the cases against only 67% in the early 1980's. Life is much easier these days with medicines available over the counter. But it is necessary to bear in mind that drugs also carry with them potentially harmful side effects that only aggravate if the dosage is not as per the prescribed limit. For example paracetamol overdose is linked to liver damage. Ibuprofen, if administered on any empty stomach can cause stomach irritation and make the child feel sick.