If a medicine bottle says 1-2 x 5ml spoons for children aged 1-6 yrs....How much do you give your very tired, very snotty, not happy at all 15month old?

[ladytophamhatt]

I've given him some now but just wondered how much of the 1-2 spoons you'd give....

Definitely 2! All guns blazing is my approach to pain.

Is he a small 15 month old? If so I'd just give one, if not I'd give 2 - especially at bedtime. Hope he sleeps OK.

I give mine (23mths) just one spoon but that's cos she is tiny. And has never needed more. Wouldn't hesitate giving more at next interval if it seemed necessary though.

I give my 21 month old the full whack when he's bad but if just a bit whingey then 5ml. He's v big/tall for his age though at 33lbs so the sixe of most 3-4year olds

He's not huge but certainly not tiny either, just average I suppose.

I gave him just short of 2 spoons full, prob about 8ml.
I always feel abit nervy given him to full dose concidering my 6 yr old would have the same amount....

If they put that instruction on the pack than it will be safe.

Trust me.

And now ds will go to sleep and leave you in peace.

(Hope he's better soon, btw)

Do you know how much he weighs?
We give 20 mg per kg in hospital,eg 240mg for a 12kg child.

2 x 5ml, definitely, if that's what it says on the tin

He's about 23lb I think.
Not sure what that is in kilos....about 10 I think.

Agree with becausei'm... no way they would put that dose on the packet unless it was completely safe for 12+ months regardless of weight. I do max dose (calpol or medised) for 14mth old when he seems really unwell (like tonight in fact).

So 10 kg would be 200mg calpol. Have you got a syringe? It would work out at 8.4 mls to be exact!(or just under 2 5ml spoon fulls.

Think I am completley different to everyone here and I always go with lower dose so if it doesnt work I can top up

how do you work out mg to mls?

oh just looked on the bottle - its 120mg per 5ml.

Yes,calpol is either 120 mg to 5mls or 250 to 5mls in the 6+ strength.

I'd give one unless it's something like a really raging fever - I interpret it as towards the lower end of the age range means towards the lower end of the dose.

Also the advantage with giving the lower dose is that if it wears off early you can give another spoonful slightly early without worrying about overdose.

ST, does everyone work on the 20mg per kg or is that just hospitals?

I only ask because a GP we took dd to a couple of weeks ago worked out how much she could have using 15mg/kg.

She's 2.7yo and 13kg so he said 7mls every 4 hours for her.

Just interested in the difference between the mg/kg from gp and hospital.

when ds was about 10months he had an ear infection and we took him to the dr and they prescribed calpol for him to have 10ml every four hours even thou the bottle says only 5mls, so no harm will be done giving them the full amount they can have

i always thought 90mg/kg was max per day but i don't think that can be right. ds is 10.43kg so according to that his max should be 39ml a day. yet according to the bottle he can have 4 x 10ml doses a day = 40ml.

or maybe it was 150mg/kg actually.

I would have thought that all doctors would use 20ml/kg thb. That is what is recommended in the British National Formulary for children,which is what drs use as a prescribing guide.
Of course,if you give less and it works then fine,but we find alot of people under dose and children do not respond and maybe go on to have febrile convulsions.
Also,the 200mg/kg dose is a six hourly dose which is what is recommended in hospital. Many parents prefer to give slightly less four hourly.
As long as the daily maximum dose is not exceeded then you are fine.

Apparently the reason 1 year olds and 6 year olds have the same dose is to do with their similarly sized livers.