Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are over-the-counter medicines that relieve pain and reduce fever. Ibuprofen relieves swelling but acetaminophen does not.
To get an accurate temperature reading for newborns to one-year-olds, use only a rectal thermometer. Follow package directions.
Your health care provider recommends treating a fever in a child younger than one year old only if he or she has a fever higher than 102 F by rectum. You should not give any form of fever-reducing or pain medicine to a child younger than one year old if you do not know his or her rectal temperature.
It is important to follow your health care provider's instructions, the directions on the package label, or both. Ask your health care provider if you are unsure about giving your child medicine to reduce a fever.
Brand names of acetaminophen include Liquiprin®, Tempra®, Little Fevers® and Children's Tylenol® Oral Suspension®.
Acetaminophen dosage chart For the chart below: Find your child's weight. Follow the column that matches your child's weight to liquid or chewable tablets. |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight (pounds) | 6 to 11 | 12 to 17 | 18 to 23 | 24 to 35 | 36 to 47 |
Age |
newborn to 2 years |
2 to 3 years | 4 to 5 years | ||
Dose (milligrams) |
40 mg |
80 mg |
120 mg |
160 mg |
240 mg |
Infant suspension (160 mg/5 mL) |
1.25 mL |
2.5 mL |
3.75 mL |
5 mL |
7.5 mL |
Liquid (160 mg/5 mL) |
1.25 mL (1/4 teaspoon) |
2.5 mL (1/2 teaspoon) |
3.75 mL (3/4 teaspoon) |
5 mL (1 teaspoon) |
7.5 mL (1 and 1/2 teaspoon) |
Chewable tablets (80 mg each) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 tablets |
3 tablets |
Children's chewable tablets (160 mg each) |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1 tablet |
1 1/2 tablets |
Brand names of ibuprofen include Advil®, Motrin® and Nuprin®. Ibuprofen is also known as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
Ibuprofen dosage chart For the chart below: Find your child's weight. Follow the column that matches your child's weight to drops, liquid or chewable tablets. |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Weight (pounds) | 12 to 17 | 18 to 23 | 24 to 35 | 36 to 47 |
Age |
6 to 23 months |
2 to 3 years |
4 to 5 years | |
Dose (milligrams) |
50 mg |
75 mg |
100 mg |
150 mg |
Drops (50 mg/1.25 mL) |
1.25 mL (2/3 dropper) |
1.875 mL (1 dropper) |
2.5 mL (1 and 1/3 dropper) |
3.75 mL (2 droppers) |
Liquid or suspension (100 mg/5 mL) |
-- |
-- |
5 mL (1 teaspoon) |
7.5 mL (1 and 1/2 teaspoon) |
Chewable tablets (100 mg each) |
-- |
-- |
1 tablet |
1 and 1/2 tablets |
Do not give your child aspirin or medicines that contain salicylate to treat a viral illness, unless your health care provider gives you instructions.
These medicines put your child at risk of developing Reye's syndrome, a life-threatening brain and liver disorder.
Call your health care provider if:
Call 911 if your child has trouble breathing, or if the seizure lasts more than 15 minutes.
A febrile (fever) seizure is usually harmless. About 6 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years have a seizure with a rapidly rising fever.
A seizure usually lasts for less than 1 minute but it can last up to 15 minutes or longer.
Your child is possibly having a seizure if: