What to Know About Ibuprofen Dosing for Infants and Children

Medically Reviewed by Dany Paul Baby, MD on April 11, 2022
5 min read

If you're the parent of a baby or a young child, you’ve probably woken up in the middle of the night to find your child crying out in pain or sweating from a fever. This situation can be scary if you aren’t sure what kind of — or how much — medicine to give your child. Knowing more about ibuprofen and keeping an ibuprofen dosing chart for infants and children on hand can help your child feel better quickly. Read more about using this medication for kids below.

Ibuprofen is a medication used for pain, swelling, and fevers. It's sold over-the-counter, so you can get it without a doctor's prescription. It's also one of the most common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) you'll find on a pharmacy shelf. You might have used it for yourself to tame a headache, bring down inflammation in a sprained wrist, or lower a fever during the flu. 

Figuring out ibuprofen dosing for infants and children is more complicated than for adults because your child may need the medication in a liquid form. You should be very careful to use the right ibuprofen dosage chart for your child depending on their age, weight, and medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you're unsure as to whether ibuprofen is the right medicine for your child.

Ibuprofen uses are numerous as this drug can quickly ease fever as well as many types of pain. If your child feels lousy due to one of the following conditions, use an ibuprofen dosing chart for infants and children to give them the right amount of medicine.

Fever. Ibuprofen can reduce fever in addition to swelling. Ibuprofen for children can help lower a high fever that is making your child feel miserable or causing them to lose sleep.

Aches and Pains. Children who have body aches from an illness such as the flu or sore muscles from athletic activities may feel better after taking ibuprofen. 

Toothaches. Using the right dose of ibuprofen can soothe a child's toothache. Many doctors also recommend ibuprofen for the pains of teething during a baby’s first years of life — but only if the child is six months or older.

Swelling. Toddlers fall when learning to walk and children often get injured during rough playtime. Ibuprofen can bring down swelling while your child’s bumps, bruises, and sprains heal.

No, infant ibuprofen is usually thicker, and it contains more of the medication in each milliliter of liquid. Many bottles of infant ibuprofen look like children’s ibuprofen, so be careful not to mix them up. 

Parents often wonder if they can give infants the children’s medication or vice versa. You can exchange the two liquids, but only if you measure the dose correctly. The children’s dose is usually larger than the infants' dose because the children's medication contains more liquid.

For example, a parent may give a baby 1.25 milliliters of infant ibuprofen or 2.5 milliliters of children’s ibuprofen. Always ask your doctor for advice if you're unsure of the right dose for your child’s age and weight or if you need help converting the dose.

It can be unsafe to give your child too high of a dose of ibuprofen, and ibuprofen dosing infants should be monitored by a doctor. Consider the signs below if you suspect that your child has taken too much medication:

Overdose. If your child takes too much ibuprofen, they risk overdosing on the drug. Watch your child for signs of nausea, trouble breathing, or if they complain of ringing in the ears. 

Damage to the stomach lining. This intestinal damage can happen when a child takes too much ibuprofen for too long. When kids take ibuprofen only when they need it and at the right dose, it's considered safe.

It is very important to give your child the right dose of this medication so that they feel better as quickly as possible. Read through the directions on your medication package or bottle, and consult the guidelines below before giving ibuprofen to your infant or young child.

Infants. Your doctor will probably tell you not to give ibuprofen to your child if they're younger than six months old. Do not ignore these ibuprofen safety guidelines. 

If your infant is older than six months, the dose you give will depend on age and weight. Ask your doctor if you should dose by weight on the ibuprofen dosage chart if your child is larger or smaller than average. According to the ibuprofen dosing chart for infants and children, an eight-month-old baby who's larger than average can take a bigger dose than a 12-month-old who's smaller than average.

Children. Children have more options when it comes to ibuprofen dosing. You might wish to continue using a dropper for ibuprofen dosing children so that the medication doesn't spill out of your toddler’s mouth. If that's the case, be sure that you're measuring the dose accurately. Remember that infant ibuprofen is more concentrated and has more medication per milliliter than children’s medications. 

Older children can drink their liquid ibuprofen from the small dosing cup included in the medication box. Be sure to use this cup for dosing instead of a spoon. Your child may also have the option of taking chewable ibuprofen tablets.

Don't give your child an adult ibuprofen pill. The amount of ibuprofen in over-the-counter pills for adults is too high of a dose for a child.

The simple answer to this is no. Teaspoons and tablespoons that you might find in your kitchen drawer are of different sizes and shapes. They aren't intended to measure medication. Use the dosing dropper or cup that came with your bottle of medicine along with an ibuprofen dosing chart for infants and children to make sure you're giving your child the right and consistent amount of the drug every time.