Parents who provide a syringe with a cap to a babysitter for later use should caution the sitter to remove the cap before giving the medicine to the child. The cap should be discarded or placed where the child can't get at it. For safety, parents should remove the needle from a hypodermic syringe. Always remove the cap before administering the medication into the child's mouth. Figure A shows how a liquid medication can be drawn up into a hypodermic syringe without removing the cap.
Liquid can easily enter the syringe nozzle through clearance around the cap.
Figure B shows liquid medication being poured into the barrel of the syringe after removing the plunger, with the cap still in place. In either case, the potential exists for administering liquid medication without first removing the cap. FDA is working with manufacturers to eliminate the safety hazards posed by the caps. Until then, parents must be extra cautious when using capped syringes. Always remove the cap before administering the medicine.