Medication Dosing

Medication doses for children are based on weight, not age. Use your child's current weight, and always check the concentration printed on the bottle before giving a dose, because two bottles of the same medicine can be different strengths.

The charts below are the ones we use. Print this page, or keep it open on your phone.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

Every 4 hours as needed. No more than 5 doses in 24 hours. Do not give with any other product that contains acetaminophen.

Liquid, 160 mg in 5 mL

All Infants' Tylenol and Children's Tylenol liquids are the same strength, so one chart covers both.

Weight	Age	Dose
6 to 11 lbs	0 to 3 months	1.25 mL
12 to 17 lbs	4 to 11 months	2.5 mL
18 to 23 lbs	12 to 23 months	3.75 mL
24 to 35 lbs	2 to 3 years	5 mL
36 to 47 lbs	4 to 5 years	7.5 mL
48 to 59 lbs	6 to 8 years	10 mL
60 to 71 lbs	9 to 10 years	12.5 mL
72 to 95 lbs	11 years	15 mL

Chewable tablets, 160 mg each

Weight	Age	Dose
24 to 35 lbs	2 to 3 years	1 tablet
36 to 47 lbs	4 to 5 years	1½ tablets
48 to 59 lbs	6 to 8 years	2 tablets
60 to 71 lbs	9 to 10 years	2½ tablets
72 to 95 lbs	11 years	3 tablets

Dissolve packs, 160 mg each

Weight	Age	Dose
Under 48 lbs	Under 6 years	Do not use
48 to 59 lbs	6 to 8 years	2 powders
60 to 71 lbs	9 to 10 years	2 powders
72 to 95 lbs	11 years	3 powders

Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)

Every 6 to 8 hours as needed. No more than 4 doses in 24 hours. Not for babies under 6 months unless we have specifically told you otherwise.

Infants' drops, 50 mg in 1.25 mL

This is a different strength from the children's liquid below. Check the bottle.

Weight	Age	Dose
12 to 17 lbs	6 to 11 months	1.25 mL
18 to 23 lbs	12 to 23 months	1.875 mL

Children's liquid, 100 mg in 5 mL

Weight	Age	Dose
24 to 35 lbs	2 to 3 years	5 mL
36 to 47 lbs	4 to 5 years	7.5 mL
48 to 59 lbs	6 to 8 years	10 mL
60 to 71 lbs	9 to 10 years	12.5 mL
72 to 95 lbs	11 years	15 mL

Chewable tablets, 100 mg each

Weight	Age	Dose
24 to 35 lbs	2 to 3 years	1 tablet
36 to 47 lbs	4 to 5 years	1½ tablets
48 to 59 lbs	6 to 8 years	2 tablets
60 to 71 lbs	9 to 10 years	2½ tablets
72 to 95 lbs	11 years	3 tablets

Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

Dosed by age.

Age	Dose	Maximum daily dose
4 to 6 months*	1.25 mg (1.25 mL)	1.25 mg a day
6 to 11 months	2.5 mg (2.5 mL)	2.5 mg a day
12 to 23 months	2.5 mg (2.5 mL)	May increase to 5 mg a day if directed by your provider
2 to 5 years	2.5 to 5 mg (2.5 to 5 mL)	5 mg a day
6 years and older	10 mg (10 mL or tablet)	10 mg a day

Under 6 months: only use for mild allergic reactions related to food introduction, or as otherwise directed by a provider.

6 months and older: may be used for allergic reactions or significant itching.

Do not give with another antihistamine (Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra) unless we have told you to. If your child develops trouble breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, or lethargy, seek emergency care.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

Dosed by weight. Liquid is 12.5 mg in 5 mL.

Weight	Dose	Liquid dose
13 to 17 lbs	6.25 mg	2.5 mL
18 to 21 lbs	7.5 mg	3 mL
22 to 25 lbs	9 mg	3.5 mL
26 to 30 lbs	12.5 mg	5 mL
31 to 37 lbs	15 mg	6 mL
38 to 43 lbs	18.75 mg	7.5 mL
44 to 50 lbs	25 mg	10 mL
51 to 62 lbs	25 mg	10 mL
63 to 75 lbs	37.5 mg	15 mL
76 lbs and up	50 mg	20 mL

Under 6 months: do not use unless directed by your provider.

6 months and older: may be used for allergic reactions or significant itching. Not recommended for routine daily allergy treatment.

Do not give with another antihistamine (Zyrtec, Claritin, Allegra) unless we have told you to. It can cause drowsiness, so take care with anything that needs alertness. If your child develops trouble breathing, vomiting, or facial swelling, seek emergency care.

Important reminders

Use your child's current weight to pick the dose.
Always check the medication name and concentration on the bottle before giving a dose.
Use the syringe or dosing cup that came with the medicine, not a kitchen spoon.
Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) should not be given to infants younger than 6 months unless specifically instructed by a medical professional.
If your baby is younger than 1 month and has a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, seek medical evaluation rather than treating the fever at home.
Do not give aspirin to children unless it has been specifically recommended for a medical condition.
Antihistamines should be used for appropriate allergy symptoms and according to the dosing instructions above.

If you think your child may have received too much medication, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

If a dose here does not match the label on your bottle, call the office at (734) 488-8971 before giving it.