Red asked
How much Tylenol should I give to a 6-month-old baby?
At a glance
- The recommended dose for a 6 month old infants is 80 mg
- Tylenol (acetaminophen) liquid products can vary in concentration, so be sure to follow the directions as labeled on the product
Answer
The usual dose of Tylenol for a 6-month-old infant is:
- 2.5 mL of Infants' Tylenol Oral Suspension (160 mg/5mL). This translates to a dose of 80 mg of Tylenol (acetaminophen).
It is extremely important to verify the concentration of your product to ensure accurate dosing. While Infants' Tylenol has a concentration of 160mg/5mL, other generic products may use a different concentration.
For example, Infants' Tylenol was previously available in a concentration of 80mg/0.8 mL, although it is no longer marketed. Other generic manufactures, however, may be using different concentrations. Different products with different concentrations have been known to cause confusion and dosing errors.
The FDA has posted a FAQ regarding this matter.
In addition, it is important to note that you should speak to your doctor before dosing Tylenol for anyone under 2 years old.
However, for infants and children, Tylenol should ideally be based on weight, not age. If dosing by weight not possible, dosing based on age is considered safe for most individuals.
Below, we discuss more specific dosing guidelines for infants.
Tylenol Dosing For Infants
For infants, the dosage range of Tylenol is:
- 10 to 15 milligrams per kilogram per dose.
- In pounds, this translates to around 4.5 milligrams to 6.8 milligrams per pound per dose.
As an example, consider a 17 pound (7.7 kilogram) pound infant, about the average weight of a 6 month old. The safe dosage range would be between 76 mg and 115mg.
Each dose may be given every 4 hours as needed but you should not give more than 5 doses in 24 hours. As stated above, weight based dosing is the best way to determine the appropriate Tylenol Dose. If weight is unknown, use age.
Below, is a graphic provided from Tylenol.com, that offers a different visual representation of appropriate Tylenol doses for infants and young children.
Source: TylenolProfessional.com (Note: For Children Under 2 Years Old - Speak With Your Doctor Before Dosing)
