Dosage Recommendations for Ibuprofen and Paracetamol in Children

Introduction to Dosage

• For an 11kg child, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends administering ibuprofen 10 mg/kg (110 mg) every 8 hours and paracetamol 10-15 mg/kg (110-165 mg) every 6 hours, with both medications given separately rather than simultaneously unless breakthrough fever or pain requires combination therapy 1

Ibuprofen Dosing Guidelines

• The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests oral ibuprofen: 10 mg/kg per dose every 8 hours, which for an 11kg child equals 110 mg per dose, with a maximum of 3 doses in 24 hours 1
• The pediatric dosing guidelines categorize this weight into the <15 kg category, with a recommended dose of 110 mg per dose 2

Paracetamol Dosing Guidelines

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends oral paracetamol: 10-15 mg/kg per dose every 6 hours, which for an 11kg child equals 110-165 mg per dose, with a maximum daily dose of 60 mg/kg (660 mg for this child) 1
• The maximum daily dose of paracetamol is 60 mg/kg (660 mg for this child), according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1

Safety Considerations

• Parents must be counseled to avoid all other products containing paracetamol, including over-the-counter cold remedies, as recommended by the Arthritis Care & Research society 3
• The American Academy of Pediatrics advises not to exceed 30 mg/kg/day of ibuprofen (330 mg total daily for this child) and not to exceed 60 mg/kg/day of paracetamol (660 mg total daily for this child) 1

Paracetamol Dosing Guidelines for Children

Introduction to Paracetamol Dosing

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends paracetamol can be given without regard to meals, though administration with food may improve gastrointestinal tolerability 4

Practical Administration Considerations

• The oral suspension concentration is not explicitly defined in the provided context, however, it is typically 160 mg/5 mL in the United States, and parents must be counseled to avoid all other products containing paracetamol to prevent inadvertent overdose, although the specific citation for this is not provided, a similar recommendation is made by the Pediatrics journal 4