Paracetamol Dosage Calculator

This paracetamol dosage calculator can help you determine the maximum paracetamol dosage for a child by their weight. It works similarly to our dosage calculator, but the equation already has the recommended pediatric dose of paracetamol.

If your child is sick, you might also be interested in alleviating their pain with ibuprofen. In that case, check out our ibuprofen dosage calculator.

The regularly prescribed analgesic and antipyretic oral or rectal dose of paracetamol for children over 3 months is:

10 to 15 mg per 1 kilogram of body weight

It can be administered every 4 to 6 hours, with a maximum of 5 doses in 24 hours. The maximal daily pediatric dose of paracetamol is:

60 mg/kg

According to some sources, rectal administration of drugs is less effective, but it's been proven that the same oral and rectal paracetamol dosages have comparably effective antipyretic properties. That's why the recommended doses of the drug are identical in both liquid form and as a suppository. Read more about it in this comprehensive meta-analysis.

If you think your child needs more than the maximal dose, it's possible to use paracetamol and ibuprofen alternately. Please consult your pediatrician before administering more drugs to your child.

Let's assume that your child is four years old and weighs 20 kg. First, the paracetamol dosage calculator will estimate these figures:

• The single pediatric dose of paracetamol:

  20 kg × 15 mg/kg = 300 mg

• The maximum daily dose for your child:

  20 kg × 60 mg/kg = 1200 mg

Pills are hard to swallow for children, so paracetamol for pediatric use is usually found in liquid form.

It's very important to determine the dosage precisely, especially with small children. Check the solution strength in mg/mL on the drug packaging, and remember our calculator gives the results in milligrams, not milliliters.

Make sure you measure the liquid form of paracetamol with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup. It's a great help in pediatric medication dosing. It would be unwise to rely on a tablespoon, as they come in all shapes and sizes.

A single paracetamol dose for a child of 19 kg is 285 mg.

To calculate paracetamol dosage:

1. You need to know the child's weight. In this case, weight = 19 kg.
2. The standard paracetamol dose for children is 15 mg/kg of body weight.
3. Multiply the child's weight by 15 mg.
4. A single dose = 19 × 15 mg = 285 mg.

To calculate paracetamol syrup dosage for a child:

1. Weigh the child.
2. Calculate the dose you need: multiply the child's weight in kg by 15 mg.
3. Dose = weight [kg] × 15 mg.
4. Read the syrup concentration on the package. Let's assume it's 120 mg/5 ml.
5. Calculate the syrup amount with the equation amount of syrup [ml] = (5 × dose) / 120
6. If your syrup strength is 250 mg/5 ml, the equation will look like this: amount of syrup [ml] = (5 × dose)/250

The maximum dosage of paracetamol depends on the clinical situation. See the table below: