Recent figures have revealed that over 500 babies have been exposed to undue risk after they were administered wrong doses of an antibiotic by nurses and doctors.

After receiving 507 reports of potential harm, the NPSA has now published new guidance and regulations on administering of gentamicin. In a year up-to March of 2009, a total of 23 infants had suffered moderate harm from the antibiotic and another 483 babies had slight or no harm.

A single "severe" case was also reported, but the baby has managed to survive.

The most common mistakes turned out to be administering the medicine at a wrong time or "near misses", which were responsible for 182 cases, followed by 124 cases of "proscribing errors", like recording the wrong dose. In as many as 86 cases, the blood levels of babies were wrongly monitored.

"Frontline services should adopt this latest Patient Safety Alert to ensure high standards of care are taken in the prescribing, administrating and monitoring of this drug", said Jenny Mooney, NPSA's Child Health Head.

Under the newly issued regulations, hospitals across England and Wales must employ a protocol on the exact dosages, in addition to blood monitoring rules.