What is it?
The Child Medicine Dose Calculator works out One dose in ml and mg of paracetamol or ibuprofen syrup from the child’s weight, and How often it can be given.
Who is it for?
Parents and caregivers double-checking a child’s fever medicine dose by weight, alongside a doctor’s or pharmacist’s advice.
How to use it
- Weigh the child; dose by weight, not age.
- Choose the Medicine: Paracetamol (15 mg per kg) or Ibuprofen (10 mg per kg, over 6 months old).
- Read the Strength of the syrup on the bottle: mg in how many ml, e.g. 250 mg in 5 ml. Strengths differ between brands and drops vs syrup.
Safety first
- Always follow your doctor’s or pharmacist’s advice and the label. This tool is a check, not a prescription.
- Use the measuring syringe or cup that came with the medicine, not a kitchen spoon.
- Don’t give two medicines containing paracetamol (many cold syrups have it), and don’t exceed the number of doses allowed in 24 hours.
- Don’t give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months, or if the child is dehydrated, has asthma made worse by it, or kidney problems, without a doctor.
See a doctor urgently if
A baby under 3 months has a fever, the child is very drowsy, has trouble breathing, a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed, a fit, or fever lasting more than 3 days. If you think too much medicine was given, contact a doctor or poison centre at once.
Errors and how to fix them
- “Enter the child’s weight / the strength (more than 0)”: read the strength (mg in ml) on the bottle.
Open the tool: Child Medicine Dose Calculator
Still stuck?
Contact support. Tell us which tool or page you were using, what you tapped, what you saw, and your phone or computer and browser (for example: Android phone, Chrome). We reply by email.
Questions, or an error not listed here?
Tell us in the comments: what you were doing, the exact message you saw, and your device and browser. We read every comment and add new fixes to this article.