Acetaminophen Child Dosage Chart: Weight-Based Dosing for Parents

By Kurt Hansen, MD · Emergency Physician

Acetaminophen is the active fever reducer and pain reliever behind Children's Tylenol and a wide range of store-brand generic children's acetaminophen suspensions on the shelf. It is one of two over-the-counter medications pediatricians reach for first when a child has a fever or is uncomfortable from teething, ear pain, or a minor injury — and is safe for infants once they are 2 months old and at least about 15 lb, after the kind of routine doses pediatricians have recommended for decades.

Pediatric acetaminophen dosing is calculated from your child's current weight, not from the age band on the side of the box. The standard pediatric dose is 15 mg per kilogram of body weight, with a 650 mg single-dose ceiling, at least 4–6 hours between doses, and no more than 5 doses in any 24-hour period. This page covers the Children's acetaminophen 160 mg / 5 mL suspension — the cherry-or-grape-flavored liquid that ships under the Tylenol label and most store-brand labels at the same concentration, so the chart works regardless of which brand is on your counter.

Calculate your child's acetaminophen dose

How Perfect Dose calculates doses — FAQ

Looking for the brand-name equivalent? See our Tylenol Child Dosage Chart.

About the Author

Kurt Hansen, MD, is an Emergency Physician and the founder of Perfect Dose App. He has counseled thousands of parents on pediatric medication dosing during more than a decade of emergency medicine practice.