A new study says that suggesting a "spoonful" of medicine can lead to potentially dangerous doses and it can be a big medical error.  Instead, parents are encouraged to use droppers and syringes which measure in milliliters or ounces when giving liquid medicines , according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. 

The results, published online Monday in Pediatrics, underscore recommendations that droppers and syringes that measure in milliliters be used for liquid medicines - not spoons.

The study involved nearly 300 parents, mostly Hispanics, with children younger than 9 years old. The youngsters were treated for various illnesses at two New York City emergency rooms and sent home with prescriptions for liquid medicines, mostly antibiotics.

"There's a traditional assumption that Americans are not good with the metric system and that the teaspoon is easier," said Dr. Daniel Budnitz, the director of the medication safety program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Parents who used spoonfuls "were 50 percent more likely to give their children incorrect doses than those who measured in more precise milliliter units," said Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, a co-author at New York University's medical school.

Almost one-third of the parents gave the wrong dose and 1 in 6 used a kitchen spoon rather than a device like an oral syringe or dropper that lists doses in milliliters.

Based on the concerns of the potential dangers of overdosing and under dosing children, the authors recommend the use of the milliliter as the single standard unit of measurement for pediatric liquid medications. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices support this recommendation.