Ibuprofen Child Dose

Pediatric ibuprofen dosing by weight

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) used in children older than 6 months to bring down fever and ease pain. Each dose runs 5–10 mg/kg and you space them 6–8 hours apart. Two limits you cannot cross: 40 mg/kg/day, and no more than 4 doses in 24 h. With the oral drops (100 mg/mL ≈ 5 mg/drop), the volume in mL works out to (weight × mg/kg) ÷ 100.

Safety disclaimer: never start ibuprofen in a child without talking to a paediatrician first. The risks of self-medicating are not hypothetical. Renal injury is the big one, especially if the child is dehydrated, followed by gastritis/GI bleeding, bronchospasm in asthmatic kids, and the occasional case of hepatotoxicity. It is contraindicated in infants under 6 months, where paracetamol is the safer choice. And check the concentration on the label every time, because drops and suspension are nowhere near the same.

Applications

Pediatric clinics and emergency departments lean on this for everyday cases: viral fever (carefully, since you avoid it in confirmed dengue because of the bleeding risk), post-vaccination fever, ear pain, sore throat. Parents also use a calculator like this, under medical guidance, to turn a prescribed mg/kg into drops or mL. References: SBP (Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria), AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and ANVISA RDC 67/2007.

FAQ

Can I give ibuprofen to a 4-month-old baby? No. Under 6 months it is contraindicated. The kidney is still immature at that age and acute kidney injury is a genuine risk. Use paracetamol instead, with pediatric guidance.

Can I alternate with paracetamol? A few guidelines allow alternating every 3–4 h when a high fever just won't break, but only if a doctor lays out the schedule. Improvising the alternation is how dosing errors happen.

What if I gave a dose above 10 mg/kg? One slightly-too-high dose is usually fine. Still, call a poison control center (CIATox 0800 722 6001 in Brazil) or the paediatrician if more than 100 mg/kg went in, or if the child shows symptoms like vomiting, drowsiness or abdominal pain.