Ibuprofen Dosage Calculator

Ibuprofen Paracetamol Dosing

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain (e.g. pain from inflammation or injury) and can help reduce fever. It can be administered to infants above the age of 6 months and is dosed, as is the case with most other pediatric dosings, based on the child’s actual body weight, not age, without exceeding 3 or 4 doses per day, at 6 to 8 hours apart.

The oral dose of ibuprofen for infants and children is: 10 mg/kg per dose, to a maximum of 0.6 g per dose, every six to eight hours with a maximum of 30-40 mg/kg daily, without exceeding 2.4 g daily. Ibuprofen is not recommended to infants younger than 6 months and with a weight of 5kg (11lbs) or lower.

Examples of ibuprofen formulas include:

• Infant Suspension 50 mg/1.25 mL (suitable from 6 to 24 months);
• Children’s Suspension 100 mg/5 mL (suitable from 24 months to 6 years);
• Chewable tablets 50 mg (suitable from 6 to 11 years);
• Chewable tablets 100 mg (suitable from 6 to 11 years);
• Adult tablets 200 mg (suitable from 11 years).

It’s recommended to give the lowest dose that’s effective for the shortest period of time. Perhaps you should seek your doctor’s opinion if the child needs to take ibuprofen for more than 2 days.

Ibuprofen is administered 3 or 4 times a day (ideally with or just after a meal):

• If given 3 times a day: these should be in the morning, early afternoon and evening with waiting for at least 6 hours before the next dose (e.g. 7am, 1pm and 7pm).
• If given 4 times a day: these should be first thing in the morning, midday, late in the afternoon and at bedtime (7am, midday, 4pm and 8pm).

Safe dosing guidelines are crucial in avoiding overdosing or poisonous ingestion. Liquid ibuprofen solutions should be measured using an oral syringe or graded medicine spoon. Do not use a kitchen spoon as reference, as individual dimensions may vary.

Paracetamol has pain relief and antipyretic but no anti-inflammatory activity, being less irritant to the stomach than ibuprofen. Ibuprofen on the other hand, has anti-inflammatory effects and may be more effective than paracetamol in inflammation pain reduction.

Do not routinely use paracetamol and ibuprofen together at the same time or alternatively. Use paracetamol if child appears unwell, move to ibuprofen if there is no response to paracetamol.

References

Paul IM, Sturgis SA, Yang C, Engle L, Watts H, Berlin CM Jr. Efficacy of standard doses of Ibuprofen alone, alternating, and combined with acetaminophen for the treatment of febrile children. Clin Ther. 2010; 32(14):2433-40.

de Martino M, Chiarugi A, Boner A, Montini G, De' Angelis GL. Working Towards an Appropriate Use of Ibuprofen in Children: An Evidence-Based Appraisal. Drugs. 2017; 77(12):1295-1311.

Kanabar DJ. A clinical and safety review of paracetamol and ibuprofen in children. Inflammopharmacology. 2017; 25(1):1-9.

Li SF, Lacher B, Crain EF. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen dosing by parents. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2000; 16(6):394-397.