Dosage of paracetamol for children by weight

The article was professionally consulted by Pharmacist, Dr. Phan Quynh Lan - Director of Pharmacy Department of Vinmec Health System - Head of Pharmacy Department, Vinmec Times City International Hospital. Pharmacist Lan has many years of experience in the field of Clinical Pharmacy, used to be a lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Hanoi University of Pharmacy.

Paracetamol is a fairly common antipyretic, used for both adults and children. However, the dose of Paracetamol for children according to body weight is not simply 10-15 mg/kg for all cases as parents often think.

Paracetamol is a pain reliever and antipyretic drug, often used to treat symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, toothache, fever,... pain relief in people with mild arthritis, but no effect on more severe inflammation (as in myositis).

Paracetamol is an over-the-counter fever reducer, which users can buy at a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. However, this does not mean that the drug is harmless or can be used comfortably. Any drug, if taken in excess, can have serious consequences. For adults, the maximum dose of Paracetamol should not be more than 4g/day.
Dosage of oral Paracetamol: 10 - 15 mg/kg, every 4-6 hours. Experts also recommend that Paracetamol should not be used more than five times and not more than 75 mg/kg within 24 hours.
Dosage of Paracetamol rectal is recommended in the range of 10-20 mg/kg/dose, every 4-6 hours as needed; no more than 5 times and 75 mg/kg within 24 hours. The drug after placing the anus will be absorbed into the body and have a quick fever-reducing effect. Therefore, parents should not because they think that the tablet is only placed in the anus, the dose is not significant, but it is not included in the total amount of medicine the baby has used during the day, it will be very dangerous.
Currently on the market there are many dosage forms such as: Tablets, sachets, effervescent tablets, liquid, and suppositories. However, to ensure good dosing and convenient use for young children, the liquid form is preferred.

Usual Paracetamol dosage for children
Manufacturers recommend based on body weight to choose the most appropriate and accurate drug dosage method. However, in case the weight is unknown or for the convenience of taking medicine for children at home, parents can refer to the recommended dose below:
For oral paracetamol:
Usual dose for children under 12 months old:

Anal route:
Children 6-11 months old: 80 mg every 6 hours, up to 320 mg/day
Children 12 - 36 months old: 80 mg every 4-6 hours; up to 400 mg/day
Children 3 - 6 years old: 120 mg every 4-6 hours; maximum 600 mg/day
Children 6-12 years old: 325 mg every 4-6 hours; up to 1625 mg/day
Children > 12 years: 650 mg every 4-6 hours; up to 3900 mg/day

For oral form: The dose of liquid paracetamol should be measured with a spoon or specialized dosimeter. Parents should shake the liquid before each use and follow the directions on the medicine label.
For rectal form:
Do not take rectal tablets. Parents need to wash their hands thoroughly before and after giving medicine to children. Children should go to the toilet before giving the medicine. Place the child on his or her side with knees bent. Gently insert the tablet into the child's anus, taking care to insert the small end of the tablet first. Then close and hold the 2 folds of the baby's bottom for about 2-3 minutes, keep the child still for 10 minutes to prevent the pill from falling out. If the tablet is soft, you can put the tablet in the refrigerator to make it solid, easier to put into the baby's anus. Thus, based on the above recommendations, parents can rely on that to calculate the dose of paracetamol for children according to a more standardized weight. However, it should be noted that Paracetamol is only a drug to treat symptoms of fever and pain, not the cause. Therefore, in many necessary cases, such as a child with a high fever that does not go down continuously, or a fever due to other causes, ... parents should take the child to a medical center for timely examination and treatment.
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