Accurate Acetaminophen Dosage

Acetaminophen is one of the most common drugs administered to children. The drug is commonly given as a cure for fever and pain. Yet, for dads, it can be one of the most challenging drugs to give a dosage correctly. This is because Acetaminophen is easily available in many forms. It has become a staple resident of home medicine cabinets in one form or the other since the 1970’s. Due to its easy availability, Acetaminophen is considered to be the drug that causes most deaths by overdose. Overdoses occur because parents are unaware of Acetaminophen’s toxicity. Symptoms of acetaminophen intoxication include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and liver failure.


There are few things that every dad should remember before administering Acetaminophen to their children.

• Never give Acetaminophen to a baby under the age of 3 months without consulting with your doctor first.


• The amount of Acetaminophen given to a baby depends on his weight and not on his age.


• Read the medications label carefully as it is easy to be confused by the different forms and concentration of acetaminophen that is available at the medical store


• Remember to use the measuring device that came with the medication to ensure correct amount of dosage.


• Check whether you are giving an adult dosage or a child’s dosage before administering the drug. Even within the children’s version there are many variations depending on age group. For example, an infant drop formulation is three times as concentrated as the syrup given to toddlers.


• Overdose of acetaminophen can cause liver damage.

Age:	0 to 3 months	4 to 11 months	12 to 23 months	2 to 3 years
Weight:	6 to 11 lbs./ (2.7 to 5 kg)	12 to 17 lbs./ (5.5 to 7.7 kg)	18 to 23 lbs./ (8.2 - 10.5 kg)	24 to 35 lbs./ (10.9 to 15.9 kg)
Drops:	0.4 ml (1/2 dropper)	0.8 ml (1 dropper)	1.2 ml (1 1/2 dropper)	1.6 ml (2 droppers)
Syrup:	--	1/2 tsp.	3/4 tsp. (3.75 ml)	1 tsp. (5 ml)
Chewable Tablets 80mg tablets:	--	--	--	2 tablets

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