what dose of OTC cough and cold meds to give to children UNDER two years

January 2006

Parents often ask what dose of OTC cough and cold meds to give to children UNDER two years.

Acetaminophen is safe to recommend... 10-15 mg/kg orally or 10-20 mg/kg rectally, every 4 to 6 hours, up to 5 doses a day.

For example, a baby weighing 10 lbs (4.5 kg) can be given 60 mg orally...or 90 mg rectally.

Get concise advice on drug therapy, plus unlimited access to CE

Pharmacist's Letter includes:

12 issues every year, with brief articles about new meds and hot topics
300+ CE courses, including the popular CE-in-the-Letter
Quick reference drug comparison charts
Access to the entire archive

Subscription Options

Already a subscriber? Log in

Volume pricing available. Get a quote

Table of Contents

This year you'll see many big drugs go generic
People are asking about glucosamine and chondroitin for osteoarthritis
Women's Health The FDA is moving paroxetine (Paxil, etc) from pregnancy category C to D
Cholesterol whether Lipitor is better than Zocor for preventing heart attacks and strokes
Cholesterol Lots of supplements for cholesterol now contain policosanol
Exjade is the first ORAL iron-chelation therapy
Pediatrics what dose of OTC cough and cold meds to give to children UNDER two years
Infectious Diseases new virulent strains of Clostridium difficile
Infectious Diseases There's new concern about blood glucose problems in patients taking Tequin (gatifloxacin)
Cardiology whether Biaxin increases mortality in patients with heart disease
Cardiology Viagra for severe Raynaud's
Supplements what's actually in some popular weight loss products
Supplements supplements that claim to be helpful in preventing and treating the avian flu
Migraine A new study suggests that Excedrin Migraine is better than sumatriptan (Imitrex) for treating acute migraines