A question re medicine dosages for children

[PrettyCandles]

On the Calpol bottle it says:

6m-1y : 2.5ml-5ml

Does that mean that a 6mo should get 2.5ml and that you gradually increase the dose with age until at 1yo they should get 5ml?

Or does it mean that the between the ages of 6m and 1y the minimum effective dose is 2.5ml and the maximum safe dose is 5ml?

i have always read it as the 2nd, and tend to give a smaller dose the 1st time, with a larger does the 2nd time if the 1st one wasn't very effective, or the smaller dose again the 2nd time (when needed) if the 1st one did the trick.

2nd option - between ages of 6m and 1yr the minimum effective is 2.5ml.

Children will have different weights/sizes between these ages, but the dosages are always worked out with a generous room for error.

IT took me ages to work out.

HTH

I've always taken it to mean that a 6m old can have anything between 2.5 and 5ml, depending on how much they're screaming and what time of the night it is

No, seriously, if it wasn't ok for a 6m old to have 5ml they would write it differently i.e. 6-9m = 2.5ml, 9-12m = 5ml.

The dose of calpol kids get prescribed by a dr is 15 mg per kg, so if you know the weight of your child you can make an approximate guess. ie if your child is 10kg they can have 150mg, (assuming the bottle is 120mg/5ml), they can have the full 5ml, but if they're 5kg, safer to give nearer 2.5ml.
God I'm shite at explaining things. Clear as mud yes?

Clear as glass, thanks everyone. I thought it might be the second, but had a slight fit of paranoia about it!