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Medication Dosages

Giving medicine in the right way can help your child feel better.  Always look carefully at the label on the drug and follow the directions. Each type of drug has different directions based on the age and weight of a child. 

Fever, pain

Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help your child feel better if your child has head or body aches or a fever. They can also help with pain from injuries such as a bruise or sprain and from soreness caused by a needle shot.

Cold and cough

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that OTC cough and cold medicines not be given to infants and small children because they have not been proven effective and can be harmful (blood pressure, heart rate, and sedative effects). Please call us to discuss other ways to treat cold symptoms, such as saline nasal sprays or drops for children and bulb suctioning of the nose for babies.

Allergy, itching

Antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine can be used to treat your child’s runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing due to allergies. They can also help reduce itching from insect bites and other rashes including hives and eczema. Unless it is an emergency, do not use Diphenhydramine under 1 year of age without consulting with a medical provider and avoid use in children under 4 years old (Reason: it's a sedative).

Please click on the links below for helpful dosage information for common over-the-counter medications. See below for non-PDF dosage tables.
 

Acetaminophen Dosing

BRAND NAMES: Tylenol, FeverAll (suppositories), generic acetaminophen
INDICATIONS: For treatment of fever and pain.
FREQUENCY: Repeat every 4 to 6 hours as needed. Don't give more than 5 times a day. 
 
Acetaminophen Dosing *Note: Do not use under 12 weeks of age prior to consulting a medical provider. 
Child’s Weight (lb) Dose in mg Infants’ or Children’s Oral Suspension (160mg/ 5mL) Children’s Chewable 80mg tablets Junior Chewable 160mg tablets Adult 325mg tablets  Adult 500mg tablets
6-11 lbs 40 mg 1.25 mL        
12-17 lbs  80 mg  2.5 mL        
18-23 lbs 120 mg  3.75 mL 1 ½ tabs      
24-35 lbs 160 mg 5 mL 2 tabs 1 tab    
36-47 lbs  240 mg 7.5 mL 3 tabs 1 ½ tabs    
48-59 lbs 320 mg 10 mL 4 tabs  2 tabs  1 tab  
60-71 lbs 400 mg  12.5 mL 5 tabs 2 ½ tabs  1 tab   
72-95 lbs 480 mg 15 mL 6 tabs 3 tabs 1 ½ tabs  1 tab 
 

Ibuprofen Dosing

BRAND NAMES: Motrin, Advil, generic ibuprofen
INDICATIONS: For treatment of fever and pain.
FREQUENCY: Repeat every 6 to 8 hours as needed. Don't give more than 4 times a day.
 
Ibuprofen Dosing *Note: Ibuprofen is NOT recommended for children under 6 months of age.
Child’s Weight (lb)
Dose in mg
Infants’ Drops (50mg/ 1.25mL)
Junior Chewable 100mg tablets
Adult 200mg tablets
Children’s Suspension (100mg/5mL)
12-17 lbs
50 mg
1.25 mL
 
 
2.5 mL
18-23 lbs 
75 mg
1.875 mL
 
 
3.75 mL
24-35 lbs
100 mg
2.5 mL
 1 tab
 
5 mL
36-47 lbs
150 mg 
3.75 mL
 1 ½ tab
 
7.5 mL 
48-59 lbs 
200 mg
5 mL
2 tabs
1 tab
10 mL
60-71 lbs
250 mg
 
 2 ½ tabs
1 ¼ tabs 
12.5 mL
72-95 lbs
 300 mg 3 tabs 1 ½ tabs 15 mL
 
 3 tabs
1 ½ tabs
15 mL
 

Benadryl Dosing

BRAND NAMES: Benadryl
INDICATIONS: Treatment of allergic reactions, nasal allergies, hives and itching.  
FREQUENCY: Repeat every 6 hours as needed. Don't give more than 4 times a day.
 
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) Dosing *Note: Please speak with a medical provider before giving Diphenhydramine to a child under 1 year old.
Child’s Weight (lb) Dose in mg Children’s Liquid (12.5mg/ 5mL) Chewable/Fastmelts 12.5mg tablets Tabs/Caps/Gels 25mg tablets
*12-16 lbs 6.25 mg  2.5 mL    
*17-19 lbs 9.375 mg  3.75 mL    
*20-24 lbs 10 mg  4 mL    
25-37 lbs 12.5 mg 5 mL  1 tab   
38-49 lbs   18.75 mg  7.5 mL  1.5 tabs  
50-69 lbs  25 mg  10 mL  2 tabs  1 tab
70-99 lbs  37.5 mg  15 mL  3 tabs  1.5 tabs
>100 lbs 50 mg  20 mL 4 tabs  2 tabs