What is it about?
Paracetamol (also called Panadol or Calpol) is one of the most common medicines parents give to their children to reduce fever or pain. However, giving the wrong amount—too much or too little—can be dangerous. Taking too much can seriously harm the liver, while taking too little may not help the fever and may lead to unnecessary use of other drugs. Our study explored how well parents in Pakistan understand how to safely use paracetamol for their children. We interviewed over 400 parents visiting pediatric clinics in Sialkot. We found that although most parents frequently use paracetamol, many are unaware of its correct dosage or the dangers of overdose. Only one in three parents knew that an overdose could cause harm, and most relied on household spoons instead of proper measuring tools. These findings show that even educated parents may not have accurate information about everyday medicines. By raising awareness through health education and better guidance from doctors and pharmacists, we can prevent avoidable cases of paracetamol poisoning in children. Our study calls for community-based education and national health initiatives to promote the safe use of medicines at home, helping parents protect their children from preventable harm.
Featured Image
Photo by CDC on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Paracetamol is one of the most trusted medicines used by parents worldwide, yet it is also a common cause of accidental poisoning in children. Despite its everyday use, very few studies from Pakistan have explored how well parents actually understand safe dosing and toxicity risks. This research is the first large-scale study in Pakistan to examine parental knowledge and real-world practices of paracetamol use in children. It reveals an urgent gap: even educated parents often give incorrect doses or use unsafe measuring methods. These findings arrive at a critical time when self-medication and over-the-counter drug use are increasing globally. By highlighting this hidden risk, our work encourages health authorities, doctors, and caregivers to focus on education and safer medicine practices at home — helping prevent avoidable cases of liver damage and ensuring children receive the right care.
Perspectives
As both a clinician and researcher, I often observed parents giving paracetamol to their children with good intentions but limited knowledge about its correct use. Many believed it was completely safe at any dose, unaware that even a common medicine like paracetamol can become harmful if misused. These real-life experiences motivated me to explore the gap between medical advice and everyday parental practices. Conducting this study allowed me to see how widespread and serious this issue truly is. It showed that health literacy does not always follow general education, and that simple medicines can pose silent risks when proper guidance is missing. Through this research, I aim to bridge that gap — by encouraging health professionals, policymakers, and caregivers to work together in promoting safe medication practices at home. I believe that empowering parents with practical knowledge is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to protect children’s health.
Dr. Muhammad Saad Nadeem Butt
Islam Medical College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Parental awareness and practices regarding paracetamol use in children: A cross-sectional study from Pakistan, PLOS Global Public Health, October 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0005358.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
